Chapter 3

The next day, I went to the family council.

Gordon, one of the capos who handled council business, was there too. As soon as he saw me, he walked over and looked me up and down.

"Ms. Sloane, I got a phone call last night.

"Someone raised concerns about your character. They said you're falsely accusing a family member of destroying your application.

"Do you have anything to say?"

I stood there quietly and knew right away what was going on.

Before I could speak, I saw Beth and Colton come out from inside, with Diane standing beside them.

Beth's eyes were red and swollen. The second she saw me, she ducked behind Colton.

When she did that, Diane's face darkened.

"Look at what you've done to our Beth. She's terrified!

"Let me tell you something. If you don't apologize today, you'll regret it!"

Diane said it like a threat.

Colton stood beside her with a hand on Beth's shoulder and gave me a weary look. "Monica, it's not too late to apologize to her.

"If you apologize now, I'll withdraw the complaint."

As I listened, my fingers twitched. So he was the one who'd reported me.

Just then, Gordon stepped in, glanced around at all of us, and asked me, "Ms. Sloane, what do you say to these accusations of threats and false claims?

"In this family, that's a serious offense. We don't turn on our own."

Before I could say anything, Colton answered for me. "That's just how Monica is. We've been together a long time. I know her well.

"If she says she'll do something, she'll do it."

I looked at Colton, and all I felt was disgust.

He said, "She goes to extremes. She's capable of anything. You have to protect my sister.

"My sister only spilled something on the papers by accident, and Monica took them with her anyway.

"She threatened my sister right in front of me. I was afraid she'd do something to Beth, so I came here first."

When he finished, Gordon turned his eyes on me.

I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Beth started crying.

"I didn't mean to. I never wanted to ruin Monica's papers. My hand was shaking, and I couldn't hold the wine bottle steady.

"I know I was wrong, and I already admitted it. But I never thought Monica would threaten me. I was so scared I couldn't sleep all night."

Then she looked at me. "Monica, please don't hurt me.

"I'll apologize to you."

Diane's face hardened with every word.

"I didn't make any malicious accusations. She ruined the application. That's a fact, and that's all."

That was all I said.

But Diane jumped right in to accuse me. "You threatened her, and because of you, our Beth didn't sleep all night! You did it on purpose!

"You want her dead!

"There's nothing to look into. Throw her out of the family right now. Someone like her staying in the family is bad for all of us!"

Colton stood beside her and listened quietly. From beginning to end, he didn't say a single word in my defense. He even pulled Beth behind him, angling his right shoulder to shield her.

Seeing that, I felt even colder inside.

"Colton, let me ask you something. Is that really what happened?" My voice was quiet.

Colton looked into my eyes and seemed a little flustered. But after Beth tugged on him, his expression hardened.

"Monica, you brought all this on yourself.

"If you'd just apologized to Beth last night, none of this would have happened! I didn't have a choice.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Monica."

I asked, "For my own good?"

That made me laugh.

He came closer and looked down at me. "I can't watch you keep going down the wrong path. Apologize now, and this ends here.

"I'll talk to Beth for you and get her to forgive you.

"You can apply to the council again next year."

Watching him play the decent man made my stomach churn.

"You're doing it for me?" I asked.

Colton nodded.

I took a breath, turned straight to Gordon, and pointed at Beth. "She didn't spill it by accident. The signatures were soaked through. If it had really been an accident, the ink wouldn't have smeared this badly. And if she spilled it by accident, why didn't she wipe it up right away?!"

My voice was loud, and everyone in the hall turned to look at me.

I saw Beth's face go pale.