Chapter 3

For a moment, the slap left me too stunned to move. I held a hand to my cheek, then stepped forward to confront Helen.

Yale immediately turned to shield her and Paige.

"Xandra! My godmother has a quick temper. She didn't mean it."

Paige stayed behind him. "Don't stop me, Yale. A shameless woman like her needs to be taught a lesson."

"Exactly!" Helen pointed at me. "If you really know my godson, why didn't he invite you to dinner tonight? I've seen plenty of shameless whores like you."

She rushed at me, still shouting.

Yale blocked my way but did nothing to stop either of them. Dad was the only one who moved to protect me. Before anyone could react, Helen's palm struck his face instead.

The room fell silent. Dad didn't get angry. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, then smiled at Yale. "It's all right. Just a misunderstanding. We're almost family, and Helen has a quick temper. I understand."

He was still gripping my hand, as though he feared I'd make things worse because she'd hit him.

He was always telling me how capable Yale was. "He made his own way. He's already a lead surgeon at a major hospital, and he's still young.

"You'll have a good life with him. I can't give you that life, but if I've helped you find a good man, that's enough for me. Let the little things go, as long as you're happy."

So Dad kept giving way.

When Yale threw out the homemade pickles Dad had carried more than a thousand miles, Dad waved it off. When Yale refused to contribute to the wedding, Dad handed me his savings passbook, its edges worn soft from handling. "I've put this money aside for you," he said.

Even when Yale wouldn't come home with me for the holidays, Dad made excuses for him. "He works hard all year. The holidays are his only chance to rest. That trip would wear him out. We should be understanding."

And for all that understanding, we got insults and slaps.

Yale seemed to come to his senses at last. He grabbed my hand. "Xandra, calm down. I apologize for my godmother. She's only looking out for me."

I hadn't hit or insulted anyone. Still, I was the one he wanted to calm down.

Only then did he turn to Helen and Paige.

"There's been a misunderstanding. Xandra's my fiancée, and that's her father."

Paige looked me up and down. "That's her? Yale, your taste is terrible."

Helen gave a cold snort. "This morning you said you barely knew her. Now she's your fiancée? Even if she is, she has no business living in your house before you're married. Has she no shame?"

Yale said nothing. He let them insult me without telling them that my family had paid the down payment on this house.

I let out a breath, took Dad's hand, and headed for the door.

Yale caught my arm. "Where are you going?"

I pulled free and looked straight at him. "Yale Xavier, we're done."

The hallway was dim, but the swelling on Dad's face stood out. So did the drops of blood on his collar. Yale followed us out.

"Xandra! We can talk about this. Why are you throwing a tantrum? If you leave, who's supposed to look after my godmother?"

This time, Dad didn't ask me to stay. His hand shaking, he reached past me and pressed the elevator button first.