I’d told him to get the hell out. My sister didn’t know. And she never would, because in the time I was there, I’d also witnessed his abuse and how accepting she’d become to it. Her faith in him made it so her trust in anyone else had dwindled. I could only tiptoe around the subject.
Instead, I moved out the next day and called my mother. She always answered but either hung up on me or explained I’d have to make things right with my coach before she would feel like my mother again. This call was only different in that she wanted me to make things right with Felix. Her response still festered in my heart.“What were you doing that night? Did you leave your door open for him as an invitation? My God. You’re in another woman’s home—your sister’s, Mia. And his family just gave your father a great job. Just say sorry and move on. I raised you girls not to make a scene. Be a Darling.”
Be a Darling.Ihung up on her then.
I pulled the curtains closed hard on the view and on the memory. Since that day, I’d started saving and dropping money into an account for my sister. “Marian, you just have to get on a flight if you’re unhappy. I can help with the rest.” My sister might not have known about me and Felix, but I knew about her. She’d called me the first time he’d forced himself on her, and then she’d begged me not to say anything.
“I’ll think about it.” She wouldn’t. “The savings account I started doesn’t have nearly enough, Mia. It takes time. He’sgot so many connections. And I don’t know … We’re going to have a baby together, and I don’t work. He provides for me, you know?”
“I know.” It was the line she always gave me, but when I dropped money into that account this summer, it was going to be enough that she wouldn’t need to worry about the financial side of it anymore. “As long as you’re safe and think you’ll be safe when your baby comes …”
“I love the baby so much already.” She sighed, like the thought of her love hurt. And I wanted to sigh with her, because what did you do when a man trapped you with a tiny little human that you already loved? I couldn’t fault her for wanting to stay. She continued, “If I’m honest, the weather’s been absolute shit lately. It’ll be a hurricane if I leave. Mom and Dad will—”
“They’ll get over it. They’ll get over it because they’ll have a grandkid and their daughter to protect.”
“What if they don’t though?” she whispered. “What if they never forgive me? Their reputations will be ruined.”
“The alternative is you’ll be ruined,” I threw back, my anger starting to snowball even as I tried to roll it back up the hill. My sister couldn’t handle that right now. “Who cares about reputation? They should move from that godforsaken town, quite frankly.”
“They’ll never move.” She sounded so dejected.
“Okay. And that’s fine … But you will. You just need to get here, and I’ll help with everything else. I’ll be the freaking sunniest day ever.”
“I might need you to fly with me,” she whispered the confession, as if ashamed, but it was the first time she asked, the first time she went that far in contemplation. “I don’t know if I can do it alone.”
I jumped onto the hope and rode it quickly forward. “Oh, Mare, I’ll come. Just let me know the day. I promise.”
I hung up with a heavy heart, though it held some tiny sliver of optimism. She was considering leaving, and that was the first step.
Maybe I was too preoccupied yesterday and with the phone call today, or maybe I subconsciously just didn’t want to email him after how our interaction ended the day before, but I turned in without emailing Jameson and woke when a message came through hours later.
I expect a report daily regarding my daughter’s studies.
I stared at that screen like my eyes had laser beams that could melt the phone.
It’s 2 a.m.
Oh good. You’re awake. Then you can give me that report for yesterday and today now.
Wow. Or he could fuck right off.
I should have texted that back to him. Instead, every person in the world including my parents would be proud to know that I responded just as a Darling should.
Apologies. Franny had unexpected visitors yesterday that she was able to interact with in the morning, as you know. She loves seeing you every chance she gets. Today was a fun reading day where she made huge strides in reading to Malek and me.
There. Professional. We’d gotten rid of the distractions yesterday like he wanted. So there we were, acting like boss and employee. I laid there for two whole minutes before I kicked the plush sheet off and went to splash water on my face, hoping it would cool me down. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was sprouting curls every which way while steam practically shot out of my ears with how red my cheeks were with anger.
I hated being a Darling. I hated suppressing everything I was feeling. I hated that it was expected of me.
I considered changing out of my pajamas with the low-cut tank, but screw him and his rules.
I left my room needing a glass of water because if I didn’t distract myself, I’d probably text him something I’d regret.
Now, did I sort of hope Jameson got an alert that I left my room and looked to find me flipping off the security camera in the corner of the hall, sure. And maybe I’d regret that too later.
I mean, obviously, I needed my salary. It’s what was going to help Marian and me later this year, and I actually enjoyed teaching Franny every day. Something about that girl holding my hand and asking for a heart-in-pinkie promise got to me.
I was being stupid acting out, but hopefully Jameson’s guards were the only ones watching the cameras now considering they didn’t sit outside my door anymore. Plus, Jameson barely did anything himself when it came to his estate anyway, the prick. He wanted to text me about his daughter when he could have been spending quality time with her throughout the day. Franny yearned for more interaction with him. She had talked about him incessantly all afternoon and told me how great of a doctor he was.
