51
FALLON
Ishould have eaten something. My stomach had become a cavernous wasteland in the last few days. Every time I attempted putting something other than caffeine inside it, it retaliated and made me expel whatever sustenance I’d tried to give it. Leaving me feeling weak and jittery.
Rosie and I had sent the video to the people who needed to see it. I was about to send it to Oliver, but George—who had been an important cog in this well-oiled plan—had suggested I leave it. I didn’t need to ask why. Oliver didn’t want to see me. He no longer wanted anything to do with me. And I couldn’t blame him.
It looked bad.
I couldn’t prove that it had been Charlotte who sent the email to herself. For all intents and purposes, it looked like I was the one who sent it to her. I had no proof—nothing to wave under Oliver’s nose and say,look! It wasn’t me. Please… believe me.
The only peace of mind I got was the phone call Rosie received from George a few hours ago. He’d sent the video to Oliver’s football club and his PR manager and he said theywere reviewing his suspension. I also received a rushed draft of an article that was coming out tomorrow, thanks to Ben, that shed some much-needed light on the entire situation. It discredited a lot of Ashley’s previous claims. That’s the thing about living in the twenty-first century. The internet is forever. And Ben managed to find time and date stamped evidence that proved Ashley was lying. For several of the instances she claimed Oliver was goingoff the rails, (partying, booze and drugs),he was in an entirely different country playing football.
Ashley had also deactivated all her social media accounts. Whilst it wouldn’t repair all the damage she’d done to his reputation, it poked enough holes in her story to get people asking questions about the truth.
My stomach grumbled loudly once more. I shifted in my seat, feeling the weight of several pairs of eyes bear down on me. That morning, I received a call from my parents asking me to come over. That request alone was enough to start the alarm bells ringing in my ear. But I’d obliged… instantly regretting it when I walked in and saw my brother and sister sitting in the living room, both looking like smug school children. Jeremy sat beside Charlotte, fidgeting with his fingers. He smiled awkwardly at me when I took a seat in the armchair opposite the long L-shaped sofa. I felt like a witness being put on the stand, and the feeling that I was about to be ruthlessly cross-examined only grew the longer I sat there.
Charlotte had taken it upon herself to call our parents when the article had been released. My name was attached to it, so I was the one who was getting all the heat. I’d already received calls from the publishers telling me I’d breached both my contract and the NDA by releasing paragraphs of the book to the media. Because I didn’t have the money to go to court and contest it—not that I had any proof to thecontrary—I’d been fired from the project. Something Belinda took great pleasure in telling me herself.
Oliver might be getting back on the field.That one glistening ray of hope did its best to light up the corners of my body currently cloaked in shadow. Whatever happened to me, hopefully, that video would help him get the thing he wanted most. It didn’t stop the hurt from squeezing all the last vestiges of resilience from my body.
My parents had gathered the whole family together to discuss my failure. Evan sat on the end of the sofa, leaning back like he hadn’t a care in the world. Charlotte’s legs were crossed at the ankles—ever the elegant lady. I stared at the two of them, anger burning red hot in my veins as my mother went on and on about how disappointed she was. My siblings cast conspiratorial glances a one another every so often. Rosie’s words from a few days ago echoed around my head.
‘The people who share your blood aren’t your family. They’re who you’re related to. Your family is the people who love and support you unconditionally; who accept you for who you are, not who they want you to be.’
I’m not sure I’d ever been accepted by my family. I’d spent so long desperate for their approval; and never getting it. They made me loathe myself. Pick apart every good thing I’d accomplished in my life and convince myself it wasn’t good enough. ThatIwasn’t good enough.
I was tired.
Tired and hungry, and frankly, sick of looking at their smug faces.
‘I honestly don’t know what to say.’ Mum fiddled with the string of pearls around her neck as she paced in circles. At her wits end with her youngest daughter.
‘Makes a change.’ I grumbled under my breath.
Mum held her palms up helplessly to the ceiling, wearingher bestI don’t know what to do with you,expression. ‘Fallon, how could you be so irresponsible? You’ve not only let yourself down, you’ve also let your entire family down.’
I scoffed. ‘Oh please, we are not from the eighteenth century. My actions have fuck all to do with you.’
My father chose this moment to break his vow of silence from his perch on the other armchair in the corner of the room. ‘Watch your tone, young lady.’ In the past, that tone of voice was enough to send me scurrying away mumbling apologies… instead, a disbelieving laugh fled my lips.
‘No. I won’t, because you know what? I’m so fucking done.’ My anger and hurt propelled me to standing. ‘I’m through with every single one of you. You want to know how those pages got leaked, mother? I’d take a closer look at the smug cow next to you.’ Charlotte's secretive smile dropped. ‘Yeah, dear old sis, you’re not that smart and it didn’t take much to figure out that you had gone into my laptop when you came round under the guise ofsisterly loveand stole several pages of my book. How much did you get for it? A juicy story like that. How. much.?’
The room went eerily silent as all eyes turned to Charlotte.
To my utter surprise, the person to break the spell was Jeremy. He turned his head to her, frowning. ‘Is that where the extra money for the holiday came from?’
Charlotte folded her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes—I saw a momentary flash of fear cross her face. ‘Don’t be absurd. Fallon’s spouting nonsense, like usual.’
‘I have the email you sent to yourself on my account with the files attached,’ I said through gritted teeth.
I watched with grim satisfaction as Charlotte paled. Jeremy rubbed a finger and thumb across his forehead. ‘Jesus, Charlotte’
‘That still doesn’t dismiss all of the poor decisions you’vemade lately,’ Mum piped up—turning all the attention back to me.
‘Unbelievable.’ I huffed out a laugh, staring incredulously at my mother. ‘I’ve just told you that your precious daughter, mysister,stole and sold personal information in an attempt to ruin my career, and you still turn it back on me? You know what… It’s taken me years to get over the bullshit you lot put me through; years, and honestly, I’m still not over it.’ I pinched the bridge of my nose. A dull throb starting at the base of my skull.
‘It’s not all about you Fallon,’ Evan sneered.
