“How could you lie to me?” she sighs, and I swear I hear her crying.
“Mom, what are you talking about?”
My pulse begins to quicken, and I feel like something very bad is coming my way.
“You’re a famous pop star, and you thought it best to keep it from the person who raised you?”
“Mom—”
“No,” she cuts in, her voice cracking. “No, don’t ‘Mom’ me. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?”
“That wasn’t my intention.” I get to my feet so I can pace. Pacing always helps my words flow when my brain falters.
“Then what was the intention, Violet? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like my daughter built an entire life and decided I didn’t deserve to know about it. I deserved to be lied to and look like a fool when I tell my friends that my daughter is a world-renowned surgeon at a local hospital.” She exhales with what almost sounds like a laugh, but I know better. “What a fool I’ve been.”
Her words land harder than I expected.
“Who told you?” It’s the one thought I can’t seem to let go of. Who would have broken their NDA to out me like this?
Has it made it to social media?
She goes quiet on the other end of the phone.
“Mom?”
I hear her click her tongue. “I’m calling you, Violet, to tell you that I’ve found out something huge. Some major truth that you’ve been hiding, and your one concern is how I found out?”
My heart shatters as my face falls into my hands.
“I worked two jobs so you could have opportunities. I drove you to every music lesson as a child, and every competition. And somehow, in the middle of all that, you found the ability to lie to me about medical school and went on to become, what do they call you? A ‘global pop phenomenon’.”
She says the phrase like it personally insults her.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three sharp raps on my door have me dropping the phone from my ear.
Skye.
“Mom, I’m sorry to do this—”
“You better not hang up on me!”
“I’m not,” I tell her as another knock hits the outside of my hotel room door, louder this time.
I reach for the door, opening it without checking the peephole, and my stomach drops.
Oh.
You have got to be kidding me.
Theo is standing there with his hair a mess and his eyes blazing with some kind of rage that usually starts a public drama.
Fantastic.
He pushes past me before I can even say anything.
“Are you serious right now?” he demands.
