We just want to keep you safe.”
“That’s not what you want.”
Sandra let out a muted grunt of surprise. Emily couldn’t
really believe she’d said that out loud either. “It is. We do want
to keep you safe. We love you.”
“You want to control me. You want to mold me and shape
me into your idea of what a Radcliffe should be, but I’m never
going to fit. I’ve told you that before.”
Going for broke, her mom changed direction again. “If you
come home, we can talk about putting some of your pieces
into my art show. I want you to go to law school so that you
always have something to fall back on, no matter what
happens. We can talk more about advancing your art career.
The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
Emily’s hands shot out and grabbed the wheel to brace
herself against her mounting excitement. She knew she
couldn’t just give in. There was something else. There had to
be something else. “What else?” she asked, and waited.
The car was plunged into silence for so long that Emily had
to swipe her phone screen to make sure the call was still
connected. It was.
“The PR team had a suggestion. They thought it would be
better if you got an annulment because your marriage was,
well, because you were taken advantage of and seduced by an
older woman who married you because she thought she could
get ahead. Your dad already has some people digging into her
background. We know she owns a tiny store that is barely
staying afloat. That’s all we know right now, but I’m sure
there’s more.”
“Mom!” Emily wailed. Her heart dropped and her stomach