Chapter 16
WILLOW
After a cozy, yummy dinner and a whole night’s worth of steamy lovemaking on Christmas Eve, the four of us attend Christmas Day lunch at Thornwood Manor.
The festive spirit is evoked by the red, gold, and green ornaments, the twinkling lights, the gilded bows, and mistletoe hanging from every fixture; the smell of cinnamon and hot chocolate, the roast beef and rosemary potatoes, the mince pie and yule log slices; the glass reindeer and vintage teddy bears resting on the windowsills everywhere.
All this, paired with the majestic Christmas tree in the foyer, has created a warm and welcoming home.
Everything else, however, screams at me to go back to Cole’s penthouse as Sheila takes her seat at the head of the table.
“I’m so glad you could all make it,” she says, smiling at the brothers as she straightens the fashionable apron over her dark red, knee-length dress with a white, embroidered collar.
“You, too, Willow,” she says but forgets to add the faux enthusiasm she had for Cole, Toby, and Asher. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
“We’re always comfortable here, Sheila,” Toby bluntly replies. “It’s still our home.”
That goes down with the bitterness of a lemon for their stepmother, but she smiles, nonetheless, determined to play the role of the gracious host.
“Where’s Dad?” Cole asks.
Katrina and Terrence sit next to Sheila. To her right, there’s an empty spot, presumably reserved for William, while the four of us are relegated to the other side of the table.
“He may or may not join us,” Sheila replies with a sad look on her face. “He wasn’t feeling too great this morning, so I asked him to rest for a little while longer.”
“Why don’t we just go upstairs and check on the old man?” Asher suggests with a raised eyebrow, not taking his eyes off Sheila.
She gives him a cold smile. “He’s sleeping. And given his poor health, it’s better not to disturb him.”
“Do you think I’m going to suggest he go sledding? I just want to say hello and Merry Christmas,” Asher says.
“Let’s just wait and see if he comes down,” she insists.
I don’t like the tone of this conversation, and the tension only serves to make things worse.
For the sake of harmony, I choose to smile and play my part, shifting the focus to Terrence and Katrina, instead.
They look tired and not at all the happy couple I thought they’d be, and part of me can’t help but wonder why that is.
I thought they were perfect for each other, but I suppose two miserable halves can’t make a happy whole.
“So how come you two cut your honeymoon short?” I ask the newlyweds. “Weren’t you supposed to be in Switzerland until after New Year’s Eve?”
“We were, but Terrence had to come back for work,” Katrina sighs and pours herself perhaps a little too much wine. “We’ll try Switzerland again another time, I guess.”
“I wasn’t too happy about it either, babe,” he tells her. “But duty called.”
Sheila holds back a smile.
Cole looks between them. “Why? What happened? Last I checked, everything was fine at the office. The board is off until after the holidays. Most of our staff have already gone home.”
“Well, given your father’s worsening condition, I convinced him to let Terrence take over for some of his upcoming meetings and votes,” Sheila says.
Her matter-of-fact tone sets Cole off. “That’s what I’m here for. Terrence doesn’t have the clearance nor the experience, and not even the appropriate job title, to vote on my father’s behalf.”
“Yet Bill agreed. It’s a great opportunity for Terrence to learn more about the business he will one day inherit.”
Preemptively, I take Cole’s hand under the table to soothe his swelling anger because I understand how infuriating this must be.
“Terrence isn’t inheriting Morgan Enterprises,” he says, his tone clipped.
“We are,” Asher adds.
Sheila gives him a wry smile. “You and Toby will serve an advisory role at best. Bill and I agreed—”
“See, it’s this whole ‘Bill and I’ part that doesn’t make sense,” Toby cuts in. “You’re not qualified to agree with anything pertaining to the company our father built. Until we get a chance to talk to him and to the family lawyer, no business decision should be passed without our approval.”
“Your father is sick, not out of his mind,” Sheila replies. “He knows what he’s doing.”
“And so do I,” Terrence chimes in with an arrogant grin. “I’m an asset to this company, whether you guys care to admit it or not.”
Katrina clinks her glass with a fork. “Alright. How about we leave the shop talk for later? Because I am positively starving.”
“Honey, stick to your wine,” Terrence berates her. “Clearly, I’ve got some issues to address with my brothers.”
“We’re not your brothers,” Toby snaps.
Sheila stands. “No, Katrina is right. This is supposed to be Christmas lunch. We’re supposed to sit down, eat and drink, and enjoy this day like a family. With a little bit of luck, Bill will join us by dinner, and you can address your concerns with him then.”
“You dragged me back from Switzerland for this crap,” Katrina tells Terrence, her voice tight, almost a hiss.
“Not here, honey. Not now,” he replies.
I almost feel sorry for Katrina again. She gives me a look, though—it’s heavy and poisoned with contempt, but I choose to ignore it as Toby gives my free hand a gentle squeeze.
“Fortunately, I have some good news to share,” I say, hoping to brighten the mood or at least distract everyone from this powder keg regarding the family business. “The Hamiltons have agreed to do their wedding with us.”
Sheila stares at me for what feels like forever. I can’t tell whether she’s angry or disappointed. “I’m glad to hear that,” she finally says. She’s disappointed, definitely disappointed. “So your agency is safe from bankruptcy following my son’s botched wedding?”
“Botched?” I gasp. It’s like she’s asking for a fight today, yet she’s the one calling for calm and unity. “Excuse me, what do you mean by botched? The ceremony went off without a hitch.”
“And then your business partner almost died after your plate was poisoned,” Sheila replies coarsely. “I don’t know what kind of shady people you’re involved with, Willow, but you brought that into my son’s wedding. You ruined their perfect day.”
“The perfect day that I organized and executed flawlessly until the unfortunate incident.”
“Seriously, Sheila?” Cole nearly growls. “We’re doing this now?”
She sits back down and takes a long sip of her red wine, swirling the ruby-colored liquid in her mouth like a professional sommelier before she swallows.
The Morgan brothers throw daggers with their eyes, while Terrence and Katrina watch from the sidelines, wide-eyed and embarrassed, but at least they’re quiet for the moment.
“My whole purpose was to make sure that wedding turned out to be a great success,” I say, my voice trembling slightly.
“I’ve never had dealings with shady people of any kind.
I’ve kept myself out of trouble always. So whoever tried to poison me, I’m not directly associated with him or her, that much I can tell you.
And my business took a hit, too. On top of the damage you inflicted with your negative lobbying, I might add. ”
“My negative lobbying?” She sounds insulted, but I see right through her act.
“We all know you talked smack about Willow’s agency to some of her former clients,” Toby says.
“You know nothing,” Sheila shoots back. “If I wanted Willow’s agency to go under, why would I ever push to have her plan my son’s wedding? If anything, what that poisoning incident did was prove that Willow has no business working in this industry. It was my mistake, unfortunately.”
“I find it fascinating how determined you are to turn this supposed family dinner into a colossal shitshow,” Asher tells Sheila. “It’s like you can’t help yourself. You see Willow, happy, thriving, and building her own business, and you can’t stand it.”
Sheila gives him a cold, quiet glare.
At the same time, Ian comes in with more wine while a maid adds a couple more platters of pastries to the table.
We all sit back in silence, watching Ian as he smoothly uncorks the bottles and pours wine into our glasses, then refills the water.
I steal a glance at him, and he responds with a subtle smile, as if to wish me luck for the remainder of this lunch.
Toby squeezes my hand again. Asher drinks some water and clears his throat. Cole never takes his eyes off Sheila, the hatred in his eyes burning brighter than ever. There’s a history here, pages I’ve yet to read. That much is obvious.
“On another note, I just wrapped up a merger with Nova Tech,” Asher says.
Terrence gasps, a smile crossing his face. “Whoa, the Swedish app giant?”
“Indeed. We’ve got projects in the pipeline for the next three years. And I’m expecting tripled revenues before the end of the decade, for sure.”
“Congratulations!” Katrina says. “I heard it through the grapevine that they were looking for an American counterpart to work with. I had no idea it was you who got their attention.”
Asher nods once in appreciation. “Thank you. I like to play my cards close to my chest in these matters.”
“If only you could do that with your private life,” Sheila quips.
My God, she is relentless. I
t’s so hard not to roll my eyes.
“Maybe we should just leave,” I whisper to Cole.
“I’m beginning to agree,” he says.
Toby isn’t ready. By the look on his face, I’d wager he’s just getting started, and my nerves are in a twist as I prepare myself for the worst, because I know he’s not backing down.
This man will burn every bridge in sight to defend his brothers and me.
It’s an otherwise admirable trait, except Sheila scares me when she’s out for blood the way she appears to be.
“What is your problem exactly?” Toby asks Sheila.
“Your disgusting lifestyle,” she flatly replies. “I mean, I’m not surprised you roped Willow into this. When you’re fat and desperate, you’ll take anything you can get, but you’re making the rest of us look bad.”
Cole straightens in his seat. “What did you just say?”
“The unpleasant truth, it seems.”
“Mom, maybe don’t—” Terrence is about to intervene, much to my surprise, but she raises a hand to silence him. And like the good boy he supposedly is only with her, he obeys, much to Katrina’s visible chagrin.
“The truth is, you’re making a mockery of the Morgan family and the Morgan name,” Sheila says.
“I’ve heard it all over Manhattan and all over the Hamptons, as well, that you’re sharing a woman.
And then you have the audacity to parade yourselves with her in public.
And at my son’s wedding, too. I would’ve tolerated it better if you’d kept it in the family, at least, but you’re soiling our reputation. ”
Cole’s grip tightens on my wrist as he looks at Sheila.
“Our family took a hit the minute my father brought you in. Everybody knew that you were after his money. To this day, they call you the Black Widow behind your back, wondering how long before your second husband drops dead, just like your first,” he says.
“Unfortunately for you, Sheila, we’re here.
And you’ll have to contend with the three of us. You’re not getting away with it again.”
“I don’t know what you think I’m getting away with, Cole. I married your father out of love. It’s time to get over it. Nobody likes a sore loser,” she replies.
The words hit me like rocks on the head. “A sore loser?” I mumble.
Terrence lowers his gaze, a smirk testing the corners of his mouth. “You didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Terrence, don’t—” Cole tries to stop him, but it’s too late.
“Mom and Cole dated for a while before she met Dad.”
“Bill Morgan is not your father!” Toby snaps and gets up from his seat.
I, on the other hand, am stuck on what Terrence just said. “Wait… What? Sheila and Cole? When?”
Cole is about to get up and reach across the table to shut Terrence up for good, but Sheila shoots up first. I yank my hand from Cole’s grip at the same time. The confusion that follows brings a heavy, awkward silence to the table as I pull away, nausea unfurling in the back of my throat.
“Willow,” Cole starts to say, but I shake my head at him, then look at Toby and Asher. It’s written all over their faces. They knew, and they didn’t tell me.
“It’s true,” Sheila says, growing increasingly satisfied with my reaction. “Before I met Bill, the love of my life, I was with Cole. And it was good; it was really good while it lasted. It wasn’t my fault, though, that it didn’t work out.”
“This must be some kind of fever dream,” I mumble.
Asher gets up, but I take a few more steps back.
“Willow, hold on,” he tries to stop me.
I can’t be here another second. “It’s too much,” I say. “Too much.”
I register the smirk on Sheila’s face, a smug smile on Terrence’s. The conflicted look on Katrina as she watches me rush out of the dining room with tears in my eyes. I hear the Morgan brothers’ footsteps behind me, Cole’s voice rising like thunder against Sheila.
It’s too late.
The damage is already done.