Great-Grandma doesn't even wait for an answer from me. I’m sure my own face says it all. She shoves the envelope down into her handbag hanging from her wrist. Humphrey and Martha rush to her side as she turns and slowly exits the building.
I stand there watching, my throat in the pit of my stomach.
I want to yell and plead and scream.But wait. Wait! I’m a good person. I’m not like Hilary. Or Cousin Gina. I’m a good person. Right?
My entire identity revolves around not being a snake like the rest of my family. But what if I’ve been lying to myself all along?
All I know is, I’ve never seen the old woman so crushed and so silent. I’d prefer her shouting at me any day, rather than leaving me in this deafening silence.
I never meant to hurt Great-Grandma. All I ever wanted was to be the kind of woman that my family could be proud of. And I thought the best way to get there would be to build a successful business, make a name for myself and finally achieve financial independence.
To me, it made sense. But I see now that none of it matters.
I realize now that I’ve become exactly like the people I despise most. My cousins. My half-sisters. My father. None of them give a crap about me or anything I do. The only one who’s ever given me the time of day is Great-Grandma.
And now I’ve gone and blown it.
Damn—shattering her trust in me really freaking stings.
Hilary’s plastic face appears in front of me. “Happy birthday,sister.” Her voice grates my nerves worse than the sound of her fake, pointy acrylics scaling down a chalkboard.
“You…” I say, my voice shaking as I take a step closer. “You selfish, miserable woman. You just can’t handle seeing anyone happier than you. This wasn’t even about the money, was it? You’ve been trying to find new ways to ruin my life since I was eight, but this time? This time, you’ve gone too far! You probably just gave our grandmother a heart attack out of sheer, spiteful jealousy! I hope you enjoy your perfect little life, Hilary, because you will never, ever be as happy as you are right now.”
By the time I finish chewing out my evil queen of a sister, I realize my voice is echoing in the big, crowded room. I don’t even care.
She all but spits in my face. “I’m delighted, Julissa. Delighted to see you back in the gutter you tried to crawl out of. The gutter where you belong.”
A veil of red blurs my vision. I lunge at her.
Big strong arms catch me before I can land my first blow.Fuuuuckkk!
“Baby, calm down please,” Lincoln says by my ear. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
Somewhere through my swinging arms and flailing legs, I catch sight of the crowd around me. Dozens of disgruntled faces silently saying they always knew I was no good.
Perfect. Just perfect.
I can’t bring myself to meet the eyes of any of the bystanders who are watching. I catch a quick glimpse of Lincoln's disappointed face before I turn on my heel and flee.
I don’t wait for anyone’s opinion. I refuse to listen to another word out of anyone’s mouth.
I shove past Lincoln’s shocked business associates and run out the back door of the town hall. Angry tears fall as I dart across the parking lot and end up in the nearby playground. I drop down onto an empty swing set and cry and cry and cry.
I’m really wishing I would have renewed my passport last year when I received that expiration notice in the mail, because fleeing to Canada is looking more and more like a smart move right about now.
The sound of music and laughter resumes in the distance, giving me a tiny bit of comfort. At least the party goes on without me.
Like always, I sense him before I hear him approaching. When Lincoln’s hands land on my shoulders, I flinch.
“You should go,” I sniffle, wiping my nose on the sleeve of my dress. “You have more important things to be fixing. Your business contract is broken, and your new associates are probably ready to burn the building down. With you in it.”
“Well, if the building is on fire, good thing I’m out here then,” he jokes softly.
I swipe furiously at my wet eyes. “How can you make light of this? Everything is ruined. We’re over, and the contract’s done.”
He drops to his knees in the sand in front of me. “Jules, I don’t care about the contract. I care about you.” The urgency in his voice catches my attention. “Listen to me. I. Care. About.You.”
“Don’t say that…” I whisper.Don’t give my desperate heart false hope.
