“What in the hell are you talking about?” my mother said. She turned and looked at Amanda. “You will get back in there, and we will talk about all this nonsense!”
Amanda shook her head. “No. You can’t tell me what to do any longer. As soon as I finish school, I’m moving. ”
My mother put her hand to her chest. “You can’t move away. We’ll never be able to see our grandchild if you move. ”
“Exactly,” Amanda said with a smile.
“Bradley, talk some sense into your wife. Tell her you made a mistake. ”
“I already asked Amanda to forgive me. I’ll do whatever she asks of me. ”
My mother started laughing. “What are you trying to say, Brad?”
“I’m saying that I’ll stand behind Amanda and whatever decision she makes, Mom. If that means she’s moving to pursue her dream, then I’m moving with her—either as her husband or to be near her and the baby. ”
“What if she divorces you? Are you just going to pine after her and follow her like some lost little puppy?”
“Carol, that’s enough. I think we need to leave and let Brad and Amanda work out their problems on their own,” my father said as he tried to take my mother’s arm.
My mother turned and looked at me. “If you do this…if you leave your father’s company and follow this lowlife piece of trash around the country, I promise you, son, you will regret it. You will not see a dime from us!”
“Carol!” my father said as he tried to get her to stop talking.
“No, it’s okay, Dad. Go ahead, Mom. Make the same threat you’ve been making to me for the last three years. I don’t care anymore. Some things are more important than money. ” I looked over at Amanda, who was now standing there with her mouth hanging open. “You didn’t like Amanda the moment you laid eyes on her. You’ve made our lives a living hell because of it. Well, no more. I’m done. Please leave now, and the next time you want to visit, I suggest calling ahead. ”
I turned and went to sit back down. I raised my eyebrows at Bryan as he smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.
Holy fucking shit! I just stood up to my mother! Finally, after all these year
s, I spoke my true feelings.
I could hear my mother bitching the whole way out.
I sat down in the chair and put my head in my hands. “Oh god. I just lost everything—my wife…my parents…my job. Motherfucker. Everything is gone. ”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I watched Brad as he sat down in the chair. When I heard him say he just lost everything, I couldn’t catch my breath. I turned and walked out of the building and to my car as fast as I could.
Oh. My. God. Now, he decides to stand up to the witch. Damn it!
I almost started jogging. I needed to get away. I got into my car and started it up. Christina Aguilera’s “Stronger Than Ever” started playing, and I put my head on the steering wheel.
I really have to stop listening to this song!
Just then, I heard someone knock on my window. Motherfucker. If it’s Carol, I’m going to punch her fucking lights out.
I slowly looked up and saw Bryan standing there. I opened the car door and got out.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I went off on him like that!” I immediately broke down into tears. “I just wanted him to hurt as much as I’ve hurt. Oh god…I don’t want to walk away from him, but I’m so angry with him. ” I fell into his arms, sobbing. “I just don’t know what to do. I love him so much, but I hate him so much, too. ”
“I know, Amanda, and what you did was exactly what I told Brad would most likely occur. ”
I pulled away and looked at him. “What?”
“Brad knows how much he hurt you. He might have mentally prepared himself for what just happened, but he was not prepared for it emotionally. He needed to see and hear how he has hurt you. He needed to see how his decision to do cocaine cost him everything. In order for him to never want to touch it again…he needs to see the destruction he has caused. ”
“You knew I would react that way?” I asked.