The Art of Marrying Your Enemy (The Richmond Brothers #2)

46. Daisy

46

DAISY

“ D aisychain.” My dad hugged me. “You were such a trooper. You saved the family.” He cupped my face.

“I’d do anything for you all,” I promised him. “It was my pleasure.”

Reese snickered. “Literally.”

“We’re going to celebrate,” my dad said, giving me another hug. “We’re saved! We have a table reserved at Camelli’s. We’ll order all your favorites, Daisy.”

“Tonight?” I asked, thinking about Aaron all alone in that big drafty mansion.

Or maybe I should just leave him alone.

Did he hate me?

“I don’t know if I’m really feeling it, Dad. You guys go without me.”

“Daisychain?” My father was concerned. “You’re not mad, are you? I know you didn’t want to marry Aaron, but your mom and I are so proud of you for going through with it. You made the best out of a difficult situation.”

“Of course not. I think it worked out okay,” I said, mustering a smile for my dad.

“Are you and Aaron working out?” He grinned. “I always wondered. I saw how he looked at you at the beach.” He elbowed me.

“Gross, Dad.”

“Bring him for dinner. He’s been through the wringer. Should we invite the Ragnors?”

“Better not, Mr. C,” Reese said. “Might bring down the mood.”

She looked over my dad’s shoulder to two men in suits waiting in line.

“Oops. I’m scaring off your customers,” Dad said, jumping out of the way as the men approached. “I’ll pick you up after your shift. Wait, can I have a cookie?”

“Mystic Macchiato is on special today,” I chirped to the man in a skinny tie.

Instead of ordering a coffee, he squared his shoulders.

“Margaret Coleman, I am a lawyer with the Blackman and Birch law firm, representing Mr. Aaron Richmond. I am here to serve you with divorce papers.” He set a stack of folders on the counter.

“These documents include the petition for divorce, which outlines the grounds for the divorce and the relief being sought. You are required to respond to these papers within twenty days. Per the contract you signed, you are entitled to retain ownership of the wedding jewelry set, including the engagement ring, and your wedding dress.”

“The one covered in dark-purple funeral-crepe stains?” Reese scowled.

Yeah, that dress, which was dumped unceremoniously on the coffee cart counter.

“Oh no!” my dad wailed and started sobbing.

“Mr. C.…” Reese comforted him.

The lawyers pointedly ignored him, like the presence of grown men crying around them was part of a perfectly normal Wednesday.

My dad cried into the ruined wedding dress.

I reeled.

“Divorce? You have the wrong person. Aaron… He wouldn’t…”

But he would.

He was evil. An asshole.

Manipulative.

Selfish.

A liar .

The younger lawyer set a metal briefcase on the desk. Using a key, he unchained it from his wrist and unlocked it. My wedding jewelry glittered.

I covered my mouth to stifle the sob.

This wasn’t happening.

“But he said he loved me.”

“Your things have been packed and shipped to your parents’ address,” the lawyer continued in a bored tone while his associate set a cat carrier on the counter of the coffee cart.

The cat inside let out a familiar, baleful meow.

“Aaron Richmond makes no claim on the Scottish fold cat and acknowledges that he is your property.”

“He damn well better not.” Reese had an arm protectively around me.

“Dorian,” I cried, unlocking the carrier with trembling hands.

“This is a mistake,” I told the cat. “Don’t worry. There’s a mistake. Maybe you meant my grandmother or my mom. We have the same name.”

“Are they also married to Aaron Richmond?” The lawyer raised an eyebrow.

“No,” I cried into Dorian’s fur.

Beside me, Reese bristled.

“Fuck you, Aaron. Get the fuck out of here with that dustbin behavior!” Suddenly Reese hauled back and hurled a slice of chocolate babka past my head. “Lying assholes don’t get served at this coffee cart!”

The lawyers ducked and cursed.

Through watery eyes, I saw Aaron, come to gloat as he watched my heart break.

“They are, ah, very efficient. I thought I could order one more coffee…” he said then trailed off.

“You fucking selfish asshole,” I choked out as Aaron stood there, his face set. “You said you loved me.”

“I don’t want you to hate me, Daisy.”

“Fuck you, Aaron.”

“It’s not personal…”

“The fuck it isn’t!”

Dorian hissed at Aaron.

“You are the worst man I ever met.” I grabbed the stack of papers and scrawled my signature with the feather-topped pen from the mason jar. My tears smeared the ink. “I hope you die miserable and alone. You deserve it.”

“I just couldn’t… We couldn’t stay married. I had to do it.” He begged, “Please don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. I fucking loathe you,” I yelled at him. “You disgust me. You bring out the worst in me, you and your fucking creepy sex dungeon.”

“Lalala!” My father clapped his hands over his ears.

“The most revolting thing about you is that you fed me the same stale-ass leftover reheated lie. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that I let myself fall in love with you again. You’d think I’d learn my lesson.”

Instead of screaming at me, Aaron just looked sad.

“I didn’t have a choice. My mom needs me. You don’t.”

Reese sucked in a breath.

I stared at Aaron for a long moment. Aaron, the boy I’d crushed hard on, the man I loved more than anything. Neither of whom were ever meant to be mine.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t. I don’t need you, Aaron Richmond, and I wish I’d never met you. You ruined my life,” I said, trying to be as ice-cold and cruel as him. “But then, you ruin everyone’s life, don’t you?”

“Oh, Daisy.” My mom hugged me when my dad ushered us into the restaurant.

I immediately started sobbing. No one around us paid attention. Crying in a public place was peak New York City.

“I thought we were going to have a baby.”

“At your age?” Drew joked.

“You shouldn’t joke about Daisy’s fertility.” Alex hit our brother with her napkin. “She may have just lost her last shot at having children with a man who isn’t a bum. Don’t worry, Daisy. I don’t think anyone will care if I have a baby before you, even though I’m younger.”

“Daisy isn’t that old,” Reese countered.

“Betty’s not responding to me. I can’t believe she didn’t give me a heads-up.” Granny Madge mashed her phone screen. “I’m getting my Wednesday night poker-club girls, and we’re going down there. She doesn’t get to dis my granddaughter.”

“Drink some wine.” My mother filled up my glass.

“No, have some fried calamari.” Drew handed me the basket.

“You’ll find someone better,” my dad said too loudly. “This will be a good thing, Daisy. You’ll see. Aaron doesn’t deserve you. In fact, I never liked that guy anyway. There’s a new matchmaking service that Mrs. Davenport used for her son.”

“You mean Wigham?” I cried. “He’s in his fifties, and he lives in his mom’s basement. He doesn’t shower.”

Jordan gave me a pointed look. “Did you shower today, Daisy?”

As I sobbed, Brooklyn stole my wineglass.

Drew shoved fried fish in my mouth.

“Don’t waste your tears on him,” he said. “There’s no way that Aaron’s going to find anyone as great as you.”

“You’re being sus.” Alex narrowed her eyes at Drew.

“What? A guy can’t be there for his sister that just got dumped in public with only an eleven-and-a-half-million-dollar set of jewels as payment.” Drew dipped another calamari ring in marinara sauce and offered it to me. “You know what you need?” He threw an arm around my shoulder. “You need to start a new business. How about a restaurant with your favorite brother? We can call it the Dungeon.”

The twins and Gran all collapsed on one another, laughing.

“That is not funny,” I sobbed. “Dad!”

“I had to tell your mom!” he cried. “I can’t keep secrets from your mom.”

“I hope you were using protection, Daisy,” Peggy tsked. “You don’t want to be tied to Aaron with a baby, do you?”

I had, or I thought I did.

“She didn’t need it where they were going, Mrs. C.,” Reese told her solemnly.

I grabbed the bottle of wine and downed the rest of it while my mom threw down her napkin.

“You need to hurry up and find a man,” Granny Madge urged. “Make him jealous. Show him what he’s missing out on. He’s going to have some model with the personality of a packing peanut on his arm one night and wish he hadn’t tossed you out.”

“So…” the twins drawled, “Aaron’s single and ready to mingle.”

“Gross,” I said. “He’s old enough to be your father.”

“Yum, daddy!”

“Mom!”

“Girls!” my dad scolded the twins while they made sex-kitten noises.

I pitched a fistful of oyster crackers at them.

“Daisy, do not throw food. I know you’re going through a difficult time, but that’s no excuse to forget your manners,” my mom chided, picking up the crackers.

“Let the woman blow off some steam, Peggy,” Granny Madge said, signaling the waiter. “Let’s go ahead and get her an order of tiramisu. Also two more bottles of wine. The good stuff. None of that grape-juice shit. Then we’re going clubbing.”

“No, I just need to concentrate on my PhD,” I said pathetically.

“And maybe think about finding a job?” my mom prodded.

“Or,” Drew said, “an investment opportunity?”

“Can I borrow your jewelry for my wedding?” Alex asked. “Therapists recommend you replace bad memories with the good.”

I thunked my head on the table.

“Everything will be okay. We’ll redo your bedroom,” my dad promised.

I peered at him.

“I’m not moving home, guys. I’m not that bad off. Reese and I will go back to that single-girl life.”

Reese made a face. “Sorry, Daisy. I signed a lease with Isla and Juniper from our PhD program.”

“You abandoned me?” I wailed. “My own friend?”

“I thought you and Aaron were in your happily-ever-after season. You were going to have a baby!” she cried.

“I’m homeless,” I sobbed.

“You’re not, Daisychain.” My father wrapped his arms around me. “You can stay with me and your mom forever and ever. I’ll get your old bedroom at the apartment ready for you. I’ll make you your favorite popcorn. We’ll have movie night.”

Granny Madge slapped him with her napkin. “The hell is wrong with you? Daisy. You, me, Reese. We’re planning a girls’ night. You’re gonna get back out there and ride some cock. Fuck Aaron.”