Just keep swimming.
Fitting.
I grabbed the last of the groceries that were on my list and went to pay for them.
Thankfully, I hadn’t seen my mother in all that time.
Unfortunately, I spoke too soon.
I sighed when I saw her standing next to my car, “Move.”
She shook her head, “Kimber, I need you to listen to me.”
I stood there as I stared at her. Not saying a single word.
Then she rushed out with, “We’re broke. Okay. Holly Anne took us to the cleaners. We need you to marry Allan.”
Ah, Allan. The one who offered Grey an obscene amount of money for me.
And my man turned him down.
I felt a smile pull at my lips.
My mother thought it was for her, and I knew she did when her eyes lit. “You’ll do it. Good. The wedding is this weekend. I knew I raised you right.”
I shook my head, “That’s funny. You thought I was smiling for you. Aw, how sweet. Nope, I was smiling because my man turned down his last offer of three million.”
Her eyes went big, “Three million? Why? You're not even worth the seventy-five thousand he was going to give us because we told him you’re a virgin.”
I felt my spine snap straight.
Then, in a tone I’ve never used, I whispered in a deadly tone, “Come again?”
Her mouth opened, then closed, then she tilted her head to the side in confusion, “What?”
“You were going to sell my virginity?” I asked in a bewildered tone as my voice started to rise.
“You thought it would be a good idea to sell my virginity? To a man I don’t know?” I got louder.
“Kimber, keep your voice down.” She shushed me.
“You were going to sell my virginity because the fucking piece of shit you married, who I hate, that I came out of, knocked some bitch up?” I was yelling.
“Kimber! Don’t be crude. And lower your voice this instant.” She snapped.
“I will fucking not. You’re a cuntwaffle. You know, I actually considered having a DNA test, because I could not believe that I came out of your rancid vagina.”
I shook my head. “You backed him when he disowned me. You stood there and didn’t say a word to defend me. Why do you hate me so much?”
She scoffed, “Oh, grow up, Kimber.”
I tried to infuse every ounce of hatred I felt for this woman into my glare, and from the way she stepped back, huh, it worked.
Then, in a soft tone, I said, “You were going to be the only grandmother our children would ever have. I hope you're happy with all the choices you’ve made.”
And with that, I bumped her out of my way.
Had I stood there for another minute, I would have seen regret flash in her eyes, but I was past the point of caring.
