At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

“What’s this about?”

She turned around and swiped at her eyes. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Our entire life? You might need to be more specific.”

“Since you’ve been back in town.”

“Oh, why would that be? Is it because you’re contesting Gran’s will?” I asked sarcastically.

“That’s not personal, honey. You know it isn’t about you. It’s not that I want you and your brother to have nothing. I just think that Gran changed her will under duress. It was done a mere two months before her death when she was dying from cancer.”

“Because of the fight you had with her. It was her money. She could do with it what she wanted.”

My mom nodded. “I know. I agree. But it was all split up between us for decades. It seems unlikely she’d change her mind about that on her own after so long. I pushed all of her buttons growing up, and she never cut me off before.”

“Well, she finally saw who you were.”

She tilted her head. “Do you really think that?”

I crossed my arms. “I was there. I remember how upset she was.”

“Enough to cut me off forever?”

She had been, but my mom would never accept that. I thought Gran should have done it a long time ago. Mom had abandoned Gran in the same way that she had abandoned me. That was what she did.

“You really think that,” my mom said softly. “I thought we could get along. We could see eye to eye on this.”

“Why? Why would you think that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No?”

“Like mother, like daughter.”

I blinked at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re sleeping with my attorney. He has enough money to comfortably take care of you. We can call it even then, honey.”

I balked at her words. The horror and outrage dawning on me. “That’s why you’re here? Because you found out that I’m dating Derek?”

“Of course. I understand your long game.”

“How did you even find out?”

“What does it matter? I’m not mad. I’d probably do the same in your situation.”

My face went slack. She thought I was sleeping with Derek to get his money. Just like she had always done. It was her only logical explanation to finding out that we were together. And I couldn’t fucking believe it.

“Gross, Mom. No! Derek and I are not together for his money.”

“That’s not what his wife is saying.”

I reared back. “Derek is divorced. Are you saying that you heard about us from Kasey?”

She snapped her fingers at me. “Kasey. Yes, that’s her name. Derek’s wife. I met her at a golf tournament this morning with my latest beau.”

“Ex-wife,” I corrected. “They’re divorced. Not together.”

My mom shrugged, and a sly smile touched her lips. “You’re sure?”

My stomach knotted at that question. At the way she thought that she had me here. “Yes, I’m fucking sure. And if you’re here to extort me because the guy I’m seeing has money, you’re in a losing battle. That is never going to happen.”

I couldn’t believe that Kasey was claiming to still be married to Derek. But on the other hand, I could. Or to think about how my mom had heard about it all and twisted it in her head. That somehow, I was like my mother. It infuriated me. I was nothing like her. Nothing.

“It’s time for you to go,” I said, storming to the door. “I thought you were going to actually be a human being, but apparently, I was wrong.”

“Marley,” she said with a shake of her head.

But I yanked the door open and pointed for her to leave. “Go.”

Then, something flipped in my mom’s brain. It was like a lightbulb. I’d seen her do it to Gran so many times that I shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d do it to me.

“Fine,” she snarled. “You want to think we’re so different, but Derek is just manipulating you.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you even going on about?”

“You think that he likes you? He’s trying to win a case. For being so smart, you sure are stupid sometimes. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

There was nothing at all that I could say to that. This was classic narcissist bait. No matter how I felt, I couldn’t show it. Was it possible that Derek was using me to try to win this case? Sure, anything was possible. Was it probable? No. Not the way he’d talked to me today. Not after all this time. Derek didn’t need to resort to that shit to win me over or to win the case.

“Go,” I repeated.

“If I were you, Marley Sue, I would make sure that what you’re getting out of this is everything you think it is. Because that boy is going to realize that you’re not worth it any day now, and you’re going to be left with exactly as much as you had before—nothing.”