feel like I’ve been slapped across the face.
I can’t believe he’s saying that. I can’t believe he’s humiliating me like this.
“Can you believe that? Well, she was sixteen—I suppose we were all up to that at that age, and I guess that’s the only way she could keep the Mitchell boy for so long.” He glances over at me. “He clearly wasn’t sticking around for your personality.”
I want to vomit. I can’t believe he’s saying this to me. Here. Right now. In front of Brett.
I hate him.
“Stop it, Dad,” Ellie snaps. “That is so inappropriate. You don’t know anything about her old relationship, probably because you’ve never asked. And why the hell would she tell you when you treat her like this?”
“Be quiet, Eleanor.”
I look at my mom, but she still doesn’t say anything, still just sits there with that same vacant look on her face as she lets my dad trash me.
My own father is insinuating that I sleep with people to get what I want, and even worse, he insulted my mother too, to her face, implying that’s what she does—did?—with him.
“Dad, you are so out of line!” Ellie tells him. “Don’t speak to her like that, or to Mom. This is completely unacceptable.”
“Oh, stop it. Why are you even here? Eric hasn’t been returning my calls. Make yourself useful and go home and talk to him about the local elections next month for me. I want McGarretty in.”
Ellie shakes her head in disgust and turns to me. “Are you okay?”
No. No, I’m not.
My dad’s phone starts ringing from its spot on the table between him and my mom. She glances over at it, and something changes on her face.
My dad looks down and goes to pick it up, but my mom reaches out and grabs it first, pulling it out of his reach. “No,” she says firmly. “Not right now. Not when we’re having a family meal.”
My dad rolls his eyes and holds out his hand.
“No.” My mom’s voice breaks and she shakes her head. “You are not leaving this table to talk to her. Not right now.”
“Give me the phone.” My dad’s voice is calm and eerily quiet, and I watch in amazement as the resolve on my mom’s face slowly disappears. Eventually she hands the phone to him as it starts ringing again.
My dad stands swiftly, swiping the screen to answer. “Hello, Miranda? Hi, darling. How are you?”
I stare after him in amazement. He’s calling someone darling?
“Who’s Miranda?” I ask immediately, turning to my mom. “Who is she? And why is he calling her darling?”
My mom’s face has turned to stone, and she slowly stands from her seat, pushes her chair back in, and then lifts up her wine glass. “You father has been very stressed lately. He has a lot of business deals that are being made, and he’s not himself.” Her gaze shifts to Brett—Brett, who I’d forgotten was even here. “You shouldn’t have invited him. He only exacerbated the situation.” Then she turns and leaves without another word.
My eyes find Ellie. “Who is this Miranda woman?”
She bites her lip, and I can see it in her face, what she knows but won’t tell me.
“Ellie?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Ellie! Tell me.”
“Abs, it’s okay.”
“Who is it?!”
“She’s his mistress,” she says quietly. “I’m sorry, Abs. I didn’t want you to find out.”
The first of my tears fall down my face. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to cry. “His what? He’s seeing someone behind Mom’s back?”
She scoffs. “This is his latest one, yeah.”
There’ve been others?
“This one has seemed to stick. I think it’s been a couple of years.”
I just stare at her, tears dripping down my face.
How can she still be with him? How can she put up with this? How can she be teaching her children that this sort of behavior is okay?
A hand is placed on my shoulder, and even though it’s gentle and I know it can only be Brett, I still jump out of my skin.
“Abigail, I’m sorry—”
“Please, can you go,” I interrupt, wiping at my face to get rid of the tears that won’t stop falling. I can’t even bear to look at him I’m so embarrassed. “Please go home.”
He doesn’t move for at least a minute, but when I still don’t look at him, he eventually stands, quietly pushing his chair back under the table before walking behind me toward the front door.
I still don’t look up, but I can feel his presence in the room.
“I’ll