JADE
‘Come home, your mother is sick.’
I stared at the message that had popped up on my screen.
It was from Jack, my biological father.
This was the first message he had sent to me ever since I got back into his life.
The first message was a ploy to get me home.
And it was not out of concern.
It was a stupid request that anyone could sense was a trap.
If Victoria was truly sick, then there was no way I’d know that early.
She would probably already be stone cold before they told me.
I ignored the message and went about my day.
I would not allow their message to get to me.
By the end of the day, Naomi was the one calling.
“What do you want?”
“You think that just because Roman married you that you are now out of our grip?” I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“Did you call to express your frustration to me?” I mocked.
I was trying to hold myself from laughing in her face.
“Oh, now you think you can talk back?
Roman only married you because he needed someone to quiet down the rumours.
You honestly don’t think you are his choice, do you?”
Of course she had to go there.
She didn’t know the way the noise in my brain was already so loud.
I hated myself.
Even though Roman had been nothing but gentle, I still couldn’t stop myself from trying to figure out why he picked me.
“And yet you wanted to be the one in my position.”
She was gagged.
She started spluttering but couldn’t make any words out.
She took a deep breath and clicked her tongue.
“Didn’t you get Dad’s message?”
“I did.”
“And you are refusing to come see Mom?
She is your mother.
The one who carried you for nine months and birthed you, don’t you think…”
“Did you expect me to come running the moment he sent the message?”
“Then…”
“Are you saying I should have left my work and headed over because a woman who doesn’t care about me is sick?” I scoffed and pulled the strap of my bag on my shoulder to stop the tugging tension.
“She has you; why don’t you care for her?”
“No matter what, she is still your mother.
You have to come see her.
To be sure she is okay.”
I allowed the silence between us to linger.
The only sound was the static noise from me moving the phone around my ear.
“I wonder what the media would say if they heard how you are treating your mother after how much she fought to bring you back to…”
“Fine, fine,” I stopped her.
My name in the media automatically meant Roman’s.
I had promised to be a good wife.
There was no way, just a month after our wedding, I’d allow this to happen.
“I will come see her.” I yanked the phone off my ear and pressed the end button too many times.
I sighed and threw my head back.
“Why won’t they just let me have peace?”
The same woman who was supposed to be gravely ill was sitting in the living room with a bowl of popcorn and candy.
Naomi sat by her side, and they both chatted happily while watching a reality TV show.
I stood in awe.
They had made me come here after my very busy day.
I knew she was not sick and that they were trying to lure me back home, but I just didn’t think they would put in the effort to act.
“You called for me.” I moved until I was standing in front of the television.
They both looked at me.
Naomi tossed the popcorn in her hand into the bowl and raised her chin.
“Mom, look…
she came.”
“You knew your mother was sick, and yet it took you the entire day to come see her.”
“And yet here you are, sitting miraculously well.
I guess I don’t need to come,” I said with a biting tone.
“How dare you speak to me that way?” She stood up abruptly.
The bowls on her lap tumbled to the floor and splattered everywhere.
“Speak to you in what way?
You are obviously okay; if not, you’d be in bed resting…”
She raised her hand to stop me.
“I can’t believe how ungrateful you are.”
“And what the hell should I be grateful for?” I snapped back at her.
I didn’t know if I was just becoming bold because of Roman’s influence in my life now, or if this was because I was tired of being trampled on by these people.
“That you found me after twenty-one years of my life?
Or that you favour the daughter who is not remotely even related to you?
Or that you use me as a pawn in your game however you like?”
I took a deep pause.
She stood on tiptoe across from me with a stunned expression on her face, the sound of the television playing in the background.
It was the first time I was standing up for myself with her.
“You dare speak to me like that?”
“How can you speak to Mom like that?” Naomi pouted, ready to play the role of the pitiful daughter who just happened to be perfect.
“She was sick, and you were all she was worried about.
She just wanted you to…”
“Enough,” I stopped her with a stern voice.
“You are obviously well.
If you want to be sick that badly, I have the perfect clinic that would admit you.” I leaned in and, with a whisper, I added, “The psychiatric ward.”
I barely finished the thought when her hand came down on my face.
Not once, but three times.
I reeled back in shock, my hands clutching both sides of my face.
“What did you…?” My voice was shaky.
The bravado I thought I had disappeared within seconds.
“Oh, the cat got your tongue now?” Naomi got out of her chair with a smug smile.
“You dare get entangled with that mess from your past?
How could you go see that poor woman and even take Roman along with you?” Victoria asked.
Her eyes were flaring with anger.
I finally realized what this was about.
She was trying her best to uproot Meredith from my life in every way she could.
Taking Roman with me was just solidifying Meredith’s position in my life even more.
“I am your mother.
How can you treat her like…”
“She would always be a thousand times better a mother than you could be,” I whispered gently.
Victoria’s lips quivered.
She tried to hit me again, but this time I caught her hand and tossed it aside.
She stumbled back and fell onto the couch.
I rolled my eyes.
“You should consider a career in acting.
It might be better than wasting time trying to save a struggling business.”
“I am your mother.
How dare you speak to me like this?
I will make you pay,” she shrieked, getting out of the chair and charging towards me.
I shook my head and took a step back.
She stumbled right through and caught herself.
“Stop calling me for useless things like this.
The only thing binding us together is blood.
And that has never been enough for you after all,” I murmured.
I turned on my heels and walked off, leaving them both reeling in anger.
My cheeks stung from the slap.
I held it, feeling it swelling underneath my hand.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’d get back here this instant and…” Her voice drowned out as I closed the door behind me.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” I grumbled.
I threw my head back and blinked multiple times to stop myself from crying.
She was just not worth it.
I just couldn’t believe her reason for humiliating me was Meredith.
Did she expect me to cut her off?
After she had been a mother, she couldn’t be?