Mrs. Sinclair’s face reddens. “Abby might not want to be Rachel’s maid of honor, but she will be at the wedding.”
Rachel nods. “Do you know what people will say if Abby isn’t in the wedding party? The gossip would ruin us. Mom, Dad, you have to force Abby to be my maid of honor.”
“I’d be careful if I were you.” The words pop out of my mouth before I can stop them, but I’m Team Abby, and someone around here needs to stick up for her besides Powerfluff. I have no doubt the cat made a mess on purpose to get back at her family, and I’ll be buying her treats or a new toy, whatever she wants.
Rachel’s gaze narrows. “What do you mean by that?”
I shrug. “Just that Abby might tell everyone how she found you, her sister, with Jake, her boyfriend at the time, during her maid of honor speech. I imagine there’d be a lot of talk if that happens.”
“She wouldn’t.” Rachel practically spits the word, but then she looks worriedly at her mom and Jake. “Would she?”
As they debate Abby’s loyalty to the family, who treats her worse than a stray cat looking for scraps, I follow her lead and head upstairs. Once again, I’ve had enough of this family. Self-centered doesn’t begin to describe Rachel. She’s a galaxy unto herself. I have no idea why her parents and Jake put up with her the way they do.
The guest room door is ajar, so I don’t knock. Abby is sitting on the bed with Powerfluff.
I take a spot next to her, noticing the wet tissue wadded up. I don’t ask if she’s okay, because I know the answer. “Hey.”
Her eyes gleam with tears. “I can’t believe them.”
“Not sure I made things better after you left,” I admit.
She blows her nose. “What happened?”
“I told them Rachel might think twice about having you as her maid of honor because you could tell everyone how you found her with Jake, your boyfriend at the time, during your speech.”
Abby laughs, and the sound brings me so much relief. I don’t want her to spend Christmas Day crying. “I never thought of that. Not that I want to be at the wedding at all.”
“Don’t blame you.”
“I don’t know why I let Rachel get to me like this. Every time, I tell myself it’ll be different. But…”
“It’s always the same,” I finish.
She nods, sniffling.
I want to ask the question that’s been on my mind since last night. “Why do you let your family treat you so badly?”
She raises her chin. “You’ve treated me badly since you started at the office. Why would it be different here?”
I flinch. “I…”
Words fail me. She’s right, and I feel horrible. But how I feel doesn’t matter. This is about her. I was a jerk at work to keep anyone from seeing how much I liked her. Never once did I consider how my treatment would make her feel.
“I’m so sorry, Abby.” A part of me wants to tell her about my crush, but I’m not sure this is the right time. Still, I need to say something more about my behavior. “I’ve never been a manager before and have a lot to learn. I hope you forgive me.”
She rubs Powerfluff, and the silence in the bedroom intensifies. It’s uncomfortable, and the tension in the air is palpable.
Maybe I need to say more… “Abby—”
“You’re forgiven, but you need to work on your managerial skills.” Her tone is one hundred percent professional, as if she’s compartmentalizing her emotions. “Mr. Patella wasn’t perfect, but he always kept his door open and was friendly to everyone.”
Okay, I get that. Her ex-boss had people skills. I have none, but I’m still better than he was at numbers. The office is back to making a profit each month since I took over. “Would you help me do better? At work, that is.”
I don’t know why I clarify what I mean. She’s smart enough to figure it out.
Her gaze remains on mine. “Yes, I’ll help you, and in your defense, you’ve never been as bad as Rachel.”
“Thank you.” Relief makes me relax, and I take a deep breath. “This isn’t nice to say, but your sister is a real jerk.”
