Tori:Hailey? Let me know how you’re doing when you can.
Tori:I should have told you this in person, but I want you to know that I love you Hailey. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. We will figure this out, how to make a life together without all this paparazzi bullshit, I promise. Please, don’t give up on us.
Two days later, I was going crazy. I couldn’t get a hold of Hailey, my mother was dodging my calls, and it was proving almost impossible to locate an intentional hippie community in rural Washington when I had no idea what it was called or even what direction it was in. My attorney had pulled in a privateinvestigator, and while I was waiting for him to shake something loose, I headed over to have it out with my mother.
I didn’t even bother knocking when I got to her house, I just let myself inside using my code. Since I paid for the alarm, and my name was on the house, I had every right to access it. Especially now.
“Mom!” I called from the entryway. “Quit blowing me off and get your skinny ass down here!”
My mother appeared in a satin nightgown and robe, feigning sleepiness even though it was one in the afternoon. She looked like she was channeling Nora Desmond, and it just pissed me off more.
“Oh hi, Victoria. It’s not polite to come over unannounced.”
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. How dare she reprimand me after what she’d done?
“I own this fucking house. Would you rather I have my lawyer contact you instead?” I asked coldly.
My mother let out an aggrieved sigh. “Come on in, I’ll make us a coffee.”
I sat at the marble kitchen island while my mother prepared two coffees with the five thousand dollar coffee maker she’d likelycharged to my account. I waited until she slid my coffee over and sat down before I broke the news.
“I’m cutting you off, Mom. You’ve gone too far this time.”
She gave me an innocent look. “Whatever are you talking about, Victoria?”
“I’m saying the gravy train is over,” I said slowly and clearly, so she wouldn’t miss anything. “I have turned off all your credit cards. I stopped the direct deposits to your bank. And I’m giving you ninety days to vacate this house and find your own place.”
“You’re kicking me out of my home?” she asked in outrage.
“No, I’m kicking you out of the house that I own and pay all of the expenses to maintain. It’s going on the market in ninety days. If you’re not out by then, I’ve authorized the realtors to report you as a squatter and call the sheriff. My lawyer has already filed the appropriate paperwork with the court for an eviction if needed.”
“That’s going to look really good for you on the news sites,” she said snidely, holding up her hands like she was framing a headline. “Billionaire actress Victoria Cross Tosses Elderly Mother onto the Street. I’ll be sure to tell them how I gave up everything – everything – to support your career and this is how you treat me.”
“Elderly? You’re fifty-nine years old,” I reminded her. “But if you want to play this out in the court of public opinion Mom, I’mprepared to give an interview talking about years of emotional abuse, financial manipulation, and oh yeah, how you lied to the paps and gave them permission to violate my privacy and publish pictures of me and my girlfriend.”
My mother puffed up with outrage.
“It was the only way I could get you to see how wrong that woman is for you,” she said. “My God, she’s a pudgy little barista who best case will embarrass you, worst case will use you for your money.”
I resisted the urge to remind her that my mother only wanted to use me for my money, so I was quite used to it.
“She’s the woman I’m going to marry. And to be clear, you won’t be invited.”
Mom gasped, then her eyes filled with tears. It was at times like these that I remembered where I’d gotten my acting skills from.
“Now I’d suggest you get busy working on a housing plan and finding employment before you’re watching as the sheriff dumps all your shit on the lawn. Maybe you can commiserate with Bob. I understand he lost his biggest client after violating confidentiality. He’s toxic in Hollywood now.”
I wasn’t normally vindictive, but I’d made a point to tell a few key people about how Bob discussed my private affairs with my mother, not only without my authorization, but directly against my orders.
“You fired Bob too?” Mom gave u the fake tears and turned bright red with rage. “I made you what you are Victoria. I gave up my own career for you. I taught you everything I know about this business.”
“There’s something important you never taught me though Mom, and that’s how to stand up for myself. How to love someone and be loved in return. And most of all, you never taught me how to be a good person. Those are things I learned all on my own. You might consider it.”
I headed for the door, my mother sputtering behind me.
“Any future communication should go through my lawyer because I’m also blocking your phone number. If you show up at my house, security have been instructed to call the police and have you trespassed. Goodbye Mom.”
Ignoring the increasingly loud cursing behind me, I headed back to the car where Rick was waiting for me.
