to attend any of them and left home to travel and gain real-world experiences. Years later, her decision still seemed to infuriate her father. “Only the most accomplished of your friends were able to make advantageous matches. Without my name and money, you’re nothing more than good time material.”
Aubrey swallowed the expletive tickling her tongue when a young family strolled past her. “You and I obviously don’t share the same definition of friend.”
“Would you say Landon Kim is your friend?”
She’d just reached her bicycle when the ground rolled under her feet. Gripping the handle for balance, Aubrey hissed into the phone, “Stay out of my life.”
“You prefer to be a media clown’s plaything than a good man’s wife?”
She blanched at her father’s crude words and hated herself for letting him get to her.
“You will come home this minute. If you continue down this path, even my money and reputation won’t be enough to save you. I won’t stand by and watch you sully our family name any longer.”
“I lost count of how many mistresses you’ve had over the years.” Her laughter held an edge of hysteria. “There’s nothing left for me to sully, Father.”
“My personal business is my own. No one would dare question me. Even your mother turns a blind eye,” he said smugly.
Aubrey covered her mouth to stop her horrified gasp from escaping. To think, she’d once longed for this man’s love and approval.
“If you don’t come home of your own accord, then I’ll have no choice but to disown you.” He delivered his threat in a purr.
“Don’t hold your breath.” Realization hit her. His excuses about her bringing shame to the family were exactly that. Excuses. Maybe he really needed to marry her off to someone for his shady side business. Unfortunately for her father, she frankly didn’t give a damn. “As far as I’m concerned, I disowned you when I walked out of your house nine years ago.”
“Your mother will be very disappointed in you.”
“I’ve been disappointed in her for years,” she said, and then cringed at her knee-jerk reaction to her father’s meanness. She wasn’t disappointed in her mom. She never had been. It hurt her to see her mom stay with him and be hurt again and again. But that was her mom’s decision, and she wouldn’t question her anymore.
“I’ll be sure to tell her that,” he said.
Goddamn bastard. “She’ll know I didn’t mean it.” Aubrey pushed the heel of her palm against her eye.
Her father was the monster. Not her mom. When Aubrey was younger, she’d resented her mother for not leaving him. She’d shunned and lashed out at her mom. As she got older, Aubrey understood she wasn’t angry with her. She just couldn’t bear to watch her hurt so much. But the damage had been done, and she didn’t know how to close the rift she’d created between them.
I’m so sorry, Mom.
“Come home, or else I’ll—”
She hung up on her father’s ranting and turned off her phone. Her brief conversation with him eradicated all hopes of enjoying her day out, so she returned to the villa to work on her ice cream sandwich. That was why she was in Bosque Verde, after all.
While she found a semblance of peace practicing her recipes, she ran out of steam in a few hours. The sun was slinking down the horizon, and Aubrey shook herself out of her stupor and went to the kitchen to jostle up some grub. Gone were the days of cozy breakfasts and relaxed dinners with Landon.
She poked around in the fridge and settled on a plump white peach for supper, and then she trudged back to her bedroom like a coward. There really wasn’t any need for her to hide since Landon had been avoiding her as if she were the latest strain of the flu virus. She had no right to be hurt by his absence, but her heart wouldn’t listen to reason.
She mumbled insults at herself and tore into the juicy flesh of the peach. What did I expect after what happened? She finished her dinner and walked over to the bathroom to dispose of the pit and wash her sticky hands. Then she studied herself in the bathroom mirror, hoping her reflection could clue her in about what to do next.
One thing was certain. Things couldn’t continue like this. The taut tension between them was suffocating, and she was certain something was going to snap from the palpable strain. Aubrey sat at her balcony and stared