The rain had soaked through everything long ago, cold wind worming into every crack between bone and skin.
And Ezra really did reach out and block the car door.
He pressed the umbrella into my hand, looked at my swollen red eyes, and softened his tone just slightly.
“See? Bella cares about you so much. Can't you just meet her halfway? She's never going to threaten your position as Mrs. Stephens.”
“I just secured that land. There's no better match in all of Mountain City, and you know it, Lexi. You're not a stupid woman.”
“So stop making a scene. The wedding goes ahead tomorrow. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this anyway. I'd worry Bella would be mistreated.”
Ezra got in the car.
When the door shut, the warm air from inside brushed across my face like a slap.
It didn't hurt. But it was enough to wake me up.
What Ezra forgot was that besides not being stupid, I also couldn't stand a single grain of sand in my eye.
So I made a social media post.
“I am officially announcing my breakup with Ezra Stephens, and congratulating him on reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be my former best friend, Bella Malone.”
Attached was a photo of the two of them kissing in that private room.
Ten seconds after I posted it, Ezra's call came in.
I didn't answer. I turned off my phone.
When I got back to the Henson residence, my father was sitting on the living room sofa.
His mistress, Scarlett Finch, sat beside him, feeding him fruit.
Their middle-school-aged illegitimate son was holding a set of markers, scrawling all over the carpet my mother had bought.
My fists clenched slowly. This place that had once held every good memory I shared with my mother.
Ruined, in the end.
When she saw me, Scarlett's eyes flickered with something uneasy before she came over with exaggerated warmth, reaching for my arm.
“Lexi's home! You must be hungry. What do you feel like? I'll have the housekeeper make it.”
This woman who had stolen my mother's husband. Who had driven her into depression until she threw herself off a building.
Standing here now, in my mother's home, playing lady of the house.
I shoved her away：
“What the hell are you? Take your bastard and get out.”
Scarlett stumbled back and turned to my father with wounded eyes.
He stormed over and backhanded me across the face.
“You ungrateful brat! You're the one who lost the South District development rights. Who was it that swore up and down she'd secure them? You botched it, and now you have the nerve to throw your weight around at your Aunt Scarlett and your little brother?!”
“And who gave you permission to break things off with Ezra?! Our only play now is marrying into their family so he'll throw us some scraps and we can recover our losses!”
“What successful man doesn't have a few women on the side? Why do you have to be so difficult? You're exactly like your dead mother, stubborn to the bitter end!”
“Delete that post right now, then go find Ezra. Get on your knees and beg him if you have to, but you bring that wedding back to me!”
Look at that. My own father.
So cold-blooded. So mercenary. In his eyes there was no wife, no daughter. Only profit.
I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek where he'd hit me, and let out a cold laugh.
“My mother only ever had one child. That foul-mouthed little bastard doesn't get to call himself my brother.”
“You're so desperate to grovel for the Stephens family? Send your precious mistress over. Or go yourself. You're already the expert at screwing around. Why let a little thing like gender stop you?”
My father's face went white with rage and his hand swung up again.
Someone caught his wrist.
Ezra's gaze swept to the right side of my face, and his expression darkened.
“Uncle, I asked you to talk to her. Who told you to hit her?”
“Relax. I know that post was just Lexi blowing off steam. I'll go through with the wedding tomorrow as planned. The Henson family will get every benefit we agreed on. There's no need to make things difficult for her.”
Only then did my father crack a smile. He took Scarlett and the boy and headed upstairs.
