Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
Mom sips on the champagne, her fingers sliding over the page of the magazine, before she flips it over. Soft music is playing on the speakers of the store, and I finally pull the curtains of the dressing room open. Finally, Mom looks up as I step outside, looking at myself in the big mirror.
“Not that one,” she clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “That shade of green washes you out. Try the next one.”
With a sigh, I turn to look at her, tired. “Mom, this is the ninth dress I tried on. Do I really need more dresses?”
“A woman can never have too many elegant dresses,” she closes the magazine, finishing the champagne and setting the glass on the table. “But I need you to look your best.”
“What’s wrong with our seamstress?”
“Nothing is wrong with her. I adore Eden, but I need a new dress for you for tomorrow night.”
“No,” I whine. “Don’t tell me it’s another party?”
I do love all the events my parents drag me to. But between being caught up with Soren, studying for my exams, and trying to deal with the fallout of Sawyer’s unexpected marriage, I’m drained. I just want to sleep, eat, and repeat.
“A celebration,” Mom says, but she’s avoiding my eyes. “I just need you there.”
My brows narrow in suspicion. “A celebration? Of what kind? All the holidays we celebrate have passed.”
“Well…”
“Oh, God,” realization dawns on me when she looks down. “It’s for Sawyer’s marriage, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Soren was right,” I groan. “We’ll all be celebrating together. Let me guess, this is to make up for the fact that Sawyer and Astrid eloped?”
“Why were you speaking to Soren in the first place?” She asks, her tone accusatory.
“Oh, give it a rest, woman,” I roll my eyes. “Would you rather have me be involved with Soren, or Sawyer with Astrid?”
She pauses. “Touché. But your father won’t feel the same way.”
“What Dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” I shrug, grabbing the other dress. “Besides, I think he’s too busy dealing with Sawyer’s marriage to be dealing with my situationship.”
“I think you’ll love that one,” her eyes fall onto the dress. “If you don’t, I’ll find a white one.”
I burst out laughing. “And risk Astrid pouring wine all over me?”
“That’d prove that she’s not the right fit for Sawyer.”
“Yes, but now that she’s your daughter-in-law, it reflects you, too. Don’t be too rash, I know you don’t like her.”
“It’s not that I dislike her. For God’s sake, she’s young enough to be my child. What I don’t like is the fact that she’s the reason my children aren’t speaking to one another.”
I sigh, entering the dressing room, and closing the curtain. I strip out of the previous dress, putting the new one on. I zip up the back, then return to the main area.
“As long as you’re on my side, I don’t—” I cut myself off when I see the look of shock on Mom’s face. Her eyes look all over me, head to toe, a couple of times, “—care. What are you looking at?”
“That is your dress, baby.”
With a frown, I turn to the mirror, and I’m momentarily stunned into silence.
The dress is in a dark shade of fuchsia, floor-length with long sleeves. It’s pure silk, and it hugs my body in all the right places, accentuating my curves without making it seem too inappropriate or exposed.
“Oh, it’s perfect. I’m getting this.”
“I’ll pay for it,” Mom smiles. “I did drag you all the way here.”
“Thank you,” I beam. “Can I invite Grace?”
“I invited the family already, but if you want, sure. She’ll be there anyway. You can invite Avalon and Lila, too.”
“Lila’s gone home to celebrate her Mom’s birthday, and Avalon’s busy.”
By busy, I mean she’s going to Colton’s for the weekend. He lives two hours from the academy, and from what Avalon has told me, he lives in a mini castle. I don’t blame her for wanting to go there instead of a dull party.
“Alright. Let’s get you some jewelry and shoes, and call your hairstylist and makeup artist.”
“I already have jewelry."
She lifts a brow. “Oh? You bought something new and didn’t show me?
I decide to keep her in suspense a little while, so I go back into the dressing room, changing into my clothes. I put all the previous dresses back on their hangers neatly, and put the one I’ll be getting aside.
When I come back out, she’s tapping her foot against the marble floor impatiently. “You like getting on my nerves, huh?”
“Just a little,” I grin. “But, let me show you.”
I returned all the dresses and asked the lady at the front desk to pack up the one I chose. Then, I pull my phone out and show Mom a picture of the pink sapphire set, the ring on the white gold band, and the pendant on the white gold chain. It’s thin, and it makes the gem stand out.
“It’s beautiful,” Mom gasps, taking the phone out of my hands, zooming in on the picture. “He must’ve spent a fortune on this.”
“He did,” I confirm with a nod. “But it looks fantastic on me, doesn’t it?”
“That, it does,” Mom smiles, returning my phone. “But be careful, baby.”
“About?”
“I don’t like the Fords,” he bites the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out how to articulate her thoughts.
“But this has nothing to do with them. I’d tell you this if it were any other boy in question.
You’re jumping into this a little too quickly, and I’m scared it’ll leave you broken and hurt. ”
I frown. “Didn’t you and Dad get married right after the Academy, though? You were about my age.”
“The main difference being — we were friends our whole lives. You and Soren are like oil and fire. It’s bound to be a disaster.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, Mom,” I smile and kiss the top of her head. “But I’ll be okay. I’ve got this.”
“Alright, let’s go, then.”
Mom pays for the dress and hands me the bag as we walk out.
It’s chilly outside, and I tighten the thick coat around my body, shivering a little.
The streets of New York are as busy as ever, with a thick layer of snow all around us.
It’s barely past five in the evening, and it’s already too dark outside.
“How about we grab a bite?” Mom offers. “I barely get to see you these days.”
“That sounds lovely,” I interlock my arm with hers. “Where to?”
“I don’t know, let me check,” she pulls her phone out, then starts typing a message to Elliot. The response comes very quickly because, aside from being the house manager, he’s also acting as her personal assistant, which she is paying for as a separate position, of course.
“Alright, there’s a good restaurant down the street. We can walk there.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mumble. “These boots weren’t made for snow.”
Mom chuckles. “But they are quite pretty. They look familiar, though.”
“They should,” I grin. “They’re yours.”
She rolls her eyes. “Now, about tomorrow…”
A small groan slips from me while we walk down the crowded street. “What about it?”
“Be on your best behavior, and for the love of God, avoid all elevators.”
A coat of blush appears on my cheeks, but I brush it off in the cold weather that’s affecting me. “Yes, ma’am. Anything else?”
“Try not to look at Astrid like you want to murder her, please. I get that we don’t like her and all, but there will be a lot of people there, and I don’t want unnecessary gossip surrounding you. I need at least one child to be proud of.”
“Got it,” I nod. “What about Sawyer, though? Don’t tell me they’re going to be living with you?”
Mom gasps, horrified. “God forbid. The plan was always for you two to get the hell out of my house when you get married. It hasn’t changed just because his choice of a spouse is questionable. I can’t have you two ruining my peace forever.”
I roll my eyes. “You’ll cry when I officially move out.”
“Tears of happiness, yes,” she drawls out. “But in all seriousness, I’m not sure where her parents stand, but your father hasn’t changed his mind about cutting Sawyer off financially.”
“That’s what he deserves.”
Mom sighs, stopping briefly and turning to look at me.
“Perhaps. And I hate Sawyer for what he did. I hate him for choosing Astrid over you in such a serious matter. It’s not how I raised him.
But in the end, he is still my child, Sophia.
I can’t shut my heart off for him. I can’t just be indifferent to my baby. ”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “I know. So, are you helping him?”
“To teach him a lesson, your father has revoked all the business rights. Sawyer’s still throwing a fit, but he’ll get his inheritance. After that, your father won’t help him financially at all.”
“Is he still going to be working for the company?”
“That will eventually be your choice.”
I blink, taken aback. “Pardon me? My choice?”
“Sawyer will continue to act as the COO until you take over as the CEO. After that, it’s your choice. He won’t get his share of the company, though.”
“What about the restaurants? Those were originally supposed to be mine, not the oil company.”
“I’m hoping to convince your father to give him that instead.”
“Knowing Sawyer, he won’t settle for that.”
Mom sighs, and we continue walking toward the restaurant in complete and utter silence between the two of us. The street is packed, the cars honking, and all the noise manages to filter out the thoughts I’m having.
“Baby?” Mom calls out, and I glance at her.
“Hmm?”
“Do you think you’ll ever forgive him?”
“No,” I say without missing a beat, although my heart feels as if someone had stabbed it.
“I can’t. Because no matter what, he chose someone who wanted to hurt me so badly and didn’t care.
It was sheer luck that Aria was there and wanted to help me.
If she hadn’t, those images would’ve been everywhere by now, and I’d be ruined.
He didn’t care about that, and he still doesn’t. ”
“I understand,” Mom nods, but a look of pain flashes in her eyes. “I won’t ask again.”
I know this is difficult for her, too. Sawyer and I used to be as thick as thieves, and the fact that he allowed a woman to destroy our relationship hurts Mom, too.
Well, in all fairness, Astrid did little.
If Sawyer truly cared about me, he wouldn’t have picked her.
She’s to blame for the images being spread around, but not for Sawyer choosing me.
It’s all his fault. And I know him like the back of my palm, sooner or later, he’ll regret it, and come running back.
I’ll be waiting to ruin him because anyone who dares to hurt me doesn’t get to just apologize.
Holding grudges may not be healthy, but revenge always feels good.
I’m vindictive, and I’ll never abide by ‘forgive and forget’, because I can’t.
I’ll never forgive him, since I know that sometime in the future, it will fucking hurt him.
And when the time comes, I’ll be ready with pitchforks.
Mom and I enter the restaurant, and we’re seated within minutes. I take the coat off and hang the bag with the dress and my handbag on the chair, looking around. It’s a pretty restaurant, very cozy with polite and kind staff.
“What are we ordering?” I ask, opening the menu.
“Whatever you want, your father is paying anyway.”