Chapter 7
Meggie was able to sell the car, and she was happy when they paid her in cash.
They were even willing to say that she’d sold it to them for a lot less than she had, so that they’d only have to pay taxes on the amount that they agreed on.
Something to do with the mileage or something.
She didn’t have a clue, but she had stashed away over three grand from the deal, and now that ugly car was no longer sitting in her driveway.
She was going to have to have a talk with Doone.
The way things had been going as late was nothing that she deserved.
She wanted to be taken to her appointments, not driving herself.
Meggie didn’t know what was wrong with Doone, but it was going to stop right now.
This wasn’t the way that she raised her, damn it.
Picking up her cell phone, she was just contemplating whether or not to call Doone when her phone rang.
Smiling at the picture that came up, she put the phone to her ear and waited for her daughter to say how sorry she was before she spoke.
There was no way she was going to forgive her for her treatment, so she’d better be thinking of ways to get back into her good graces.
“I know that you’re there. I can hear you breathing.
And if this is another attempt to put me in my place, it’s not going to work either.
I’m still mad at you, and I don’t care if you know it or not.
” She drew in a deep breath to talk to her daughter, tell her off more like it when she spoke again.
“I’ve spoken to dad. He said you never had cancer.
Nor were you as broke as you told me you were.
I wonder what the welfare department is going to think when they find out that you had access to hundreds of thousands of dollars that you shared with dad. ”
“You aren’t to believe a word that he tells you about anything.
Do you hear me? I deserve your loyalty in all of this because I put up with you more than he had to do.
” Doone asked her why she’d felt that she’d had to put up with her.
“You never wanted me to have the things that I deserved. Never once did you take my feelings into consideration when you went off and did things on your own. Well, that’s going to change from now on.
I’m going to be your number one priority from now on, including over that man that you’re living with. ”
“He has a name. It’s Falkner Dixon. He’s a doctor, too.” She didn’t care what he said he was; Meggie wasn’t going to believe him. “I couldn’t care less and I’m sure that he wouldn’t either what you think about him. I’m going to marry him and soon, and there isn’t anything you can do about it.”
“What makes you think that you’re going to be able to do anything once I’m finished with you.
I’m going to tell him just what sort of person you really are.
” She thought about what Doone had said.
“What do you mean you’ve spoken to your father and he told you that I didn’t have cancer?
How would he know? He left us when he had a woman hanging on his arms that meant more to him than we did.
You have to remember what he did to us.”
“I remember what he did to you. He didn’t leave me for being a liar. He left you. And tried to get in touch with me over the years, but you wouldn’t allow it.” Meggie’s head was hurting; she was so angry. “There was no other woman, only you, and he didn’t much care for you either.”
“Are you saying that you don’t care for me, Doone?
I don’t deserve this. I was there for you when you needed him.
” She said she wouldn’t have had to be there if she’d allowed her to know that her dad was trying to get in touch with her.
“Like I started to tell you before you interrupted me, I deserve all your time and energy. I gave birth to you, and it wasn’t easy either. ”
“Dad told me that you had a very easy pregnancy and that you didn’t even have morning sickness.
Your labor and delivery were just as easy, and you were only in hard labor for about an hour before you gave birth to me.
Is that all you’ve done is lie to me all my life?
” She said that her father didn’t know anything.
“How about the doctor who delivered me? He had a great deal to say when I told him I was thinking about having children, and I didn’t want to go through the same laborious trouble that you did.
He did nothing but gush about how you went through it all like a trooper and didn’t even need any drugs for the pain.
Christ, I’ll ask you again. Did you ever not lie to me about anything? ”
“I know what I did, and you’ll not bring that up to me again.
I don’t deserve you speaking to me like this either.
If you want to have a relationship with me, you’d better be changing your tune and give me what I deserve, Doone, or so help me, I’ll make you regret it.
” She told her that she already regretted everything that she’d ever done for her.
“Lies. You loved giving me what I deserved. Now you’re going to continue to do so now that you think you know the truth about things.
There will be no more talk about me driving places.
I sold the car so that it can’t be an issue again. ”
“Good for you.” She didn’t know what she expected her to say, but it wasn’t for her to be glad about the fact that the car was no longer going to be an issue.
“I hope you have a good time walking to all the places you have to be. Or perhaps you can use that money to call for rides all the time. I’m certainly not going to be taking you anywhere anymore.
I’m going to start making a life for myself, and that won’t include you. ”
“We’ll see about that. You’re going to be at my beck and call because I deserve everything that you can get me.
And it’s going to start with you getting rid of that man.
He’s a bad influence on you, and I won’t have it.
” She waited for her to say that she would do as she wanted her to do, but all she did was laugh.
“I don’t know what you find so funny, but I won’t put up with that either.
What if I told that man what sort of person you really are?
One that leaves her mother when she needs her the most.”
“If you’ll remember, he’s met you, so he knows just what sort of person you are.
And your lies about me won’t bother him in the least. As I pointed out to you, he’s met you and knows just what sort of person you are.
” She asked her what that was supposed to mean.
“It means, Mother dear, that he’d no more believe you than it was raining if he was standing in the downfall himself.
He’d find some way of disputing your word. ”
“I don’t deserve this from you.” Doone laughed again.
“This isn’t funny. I’m trying to tell you the way things are going to be from now on, and you, as my daughter, will give me whatever I desire because I deserve the best. You’re going to be taking me to places when I tell you, and you’ll do it with a smile on your face. ”
“Let me tell you how it’s going to be in real life.
I’m not doing shit for you anymore. I’m not going to be at your beck and call.
I’m not going to be taking your phone calls anymore after this one, nor will I be getting you anything you think you deserve.
I’m going to be dishing up my own version of what you get, and trust me when I tell you it will be just exactly what you deserve.
You might not want it, but it’s going to be something that has been coming to you for a long time.
” The laughter again got on her last nerve. “I cannot wait to see you in court.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” There was only a dial tone as an answer. “Pick up this phone right now, Doone, or so help me you’re going to make me angry. Hello? Doone McFarlen, pick up this phone right now.”
By the time she realized that Doone wasn’t going to be speaking to her anymore this afternoon, her head was hurting so badly that she was sick with it.
The pain behind her eyes felt like her eyes were bulging out, and she was sick to her stomach.
Going to her room, she was ready to lie down when someone came to her front door.
She didn’t have the energy to mess with anyone right now.
Going to the door when it sounded like whoever it was wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. Snatching the door open, she asked the person, none too nicely, what they wanted. She didn’t know which one of them was more surprised, the man in a nice suit or the two officers who were with him.
“Ms. McFarlen, my name is George Hasher. I’m here on behalf of the Department of Welfare.
You have been found fraudulent in your paperwork, and I’m here to have you removed from the housing that we provided for you when you said you were in need.
” She didn’t understand and said as much to the man.
“You lied to a government agency, Ms. McFarlen, and I’m here to make sure that you are out of the house that we so graciously provided for you. ”
Still not understanding what they were saying to her, she was out of the doorway and into cuffs before she could ask again what they were talking about.
She was screaming at them to let her go when it seemed as if the entire neighborhood came out of their houses and were gawking at her.
Finally, they put her in the cruiser and left her there with it running.
If she could get into the front seat, she’d run them all down, including the police that seemed to be standing around with their thumbs up their asses.