Chapter 2

The scenery blurred past the car window. I swallowed hard against the bitterness rising in my throat.

There had been good times once. I'd stood by Adrian through the years when he was framed and went bankrupt.

He'd held my hand and given me a beautiful wedding, and I was the only one he saw.

Whenever my mother or I was wronged, he'd been angrier than we were -- stubborn enough to chase down whoever was responsible and demand they make it right. Back then, he was just a small-time businessman, a far cry from who he was now.

He'd said: "Lily, I'll take care of you and Mom for the rest of my life."

Now I sat in the back seat, watching Rose ride shotgun, laughing without a care in the world.

She caught me looking and turned around. "Lily, don't be mad at me. I'm doing this for your own good. It's not like you can use it anymore. At least with my name on it, people actually see it. Without me, it'd just sit in a drawer."

I bit my lip until it bled and said nothing. Today was the day my mother's medication was due to be changed. I didn't want to cause problems.

When I stayed silent, she pouted. "Adrian, Lily isn't still upset with me, is she?"

Adrian reached over and ruffled her hair, his voice impossibly tender. "How could she be? Who could ever stay mad at you?"

"Prove it, then. Make Lily say I'm clever, or I won't believe you."

A wave of nausea hit me, and I couldn't hold back a bitter laugh.

"Oh, you're clever, all right. His dirty little secret, so terrified of the stigma you wormed your way into my family -- passed yourself off as my mother's daughter. My childhood sweetheart? The second you showed up, he became yours. And when his business went under, you washed your hands of him and ran off to study abroad. Now that he's rich, here you are again. Who could possibly be more clever than you?"

She clearly hadn't expected me to say that. She gaped, then came the sound of sniffling. The car screeched to a halt, and I lurched forward.

Adrian's voice was cold as ice. In that moment, I might as well have been his worst enemy.

"Take your things and get out."

The car sped off. My phone screen reflected a face frozen in disbelief. I forced the corners of my mouth into something like a smile. I should have held my tongue. What was the point of winning the argument? My phone was already dead, and now I'd have to walk to the hospital.

By the time I arrived, night had fully settled in -- only to be told that my mother's new medication had been canceled.

I grabbed the doctor's arm.

"That's impossible. We agreed the new prescription would start today."

The doctor wouldn't meet my eyes.

A dull, creeping pain spread through my chest. My mind went white.

I borrowed the doctor's phone and called Adrian. His voice was flat. "What is it?"

Rose's laughter rang out in the background.

I fought to keep my voice steady. "Did you stop my mother's medication?"

"Don't make it sound so dramatic. I'm just teaching you a lesson."

"I've been too easy on you all these years. That's why you think you can get away with anything."

"Remember: not everyone is yours to push around."

I clenched my teeth. My eyes burned.

"Have you forgotten who worried about your stomach problems, who brought you meals over and over again?"

"Who defended you in front of everyone? I took odd jobs in secret just to ease your burden."

"My mother was so good to you. How could you cut off her medication for Rose? How could you be so heartless?"

A long silence. Then a quiet sigh.

"That's exactly why I only stopped it for one day."

"You brought this on yourself. You and your little stunts -- that's why I cut off Mom's medication."

I choked back a sob.

"Tell me what you want. Do you need me to get on my knees and beg Rose? Would that make you happy?"

"Rose is too kind. She'd never want that. Stop making a scene."

The line went dead. When I called back, his phone was off.

My arm dropped to my side. I held my mother's hand and wept in silence.

"Mom, I regret it. I regret ever falling in love with Adrian Cole."

I dialed a number I still knew by heart. "Elliot, you once mentioned you knew a specialist in neurological treatment. I want to take Mom abroad with me."

"Done. I'll arrange everything."