“Dad tried to kill himself?” Stephanie couldn’t believe what her mother was saying.
“Oh yeah, the stress of having a family so young, then having twins, and Scott having issues. It was just too much for him. He was there for over a year.” Her mother relayed the information as if she was talking about a character in a book or on TV. Actually, no. Stephanie had seen people care more about characters in books and TV than her mother seemed to care about her father in this moment.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that? Why didn’t you tell me he was sick?”
“Oh please, he just wanted attention,” her mother scoffed. “And you were too young to understand what was going on. You didn’t need that burden. You were just a little girl.”
Stephanie flinched at her mother’s words as she sat back in her chair. She’d actually felt them like a physical slap across her face. Not metaphorically. She’d felt the sting across her cheek from her mother saying she was just a little girl that didn’t need that burden. All her mother had done was pile burden after burden on Stephanie’s shoulders and now she had the audacity to claim that was her reasoning for keeping vital information about her father’s mental and physical health from her.
“Anyway, when he got out he divorced me. Can you believe it? Me? Like it was my fault. And he changed his will only naming you and the twins as his beneficiaries. So naturally, I’m contesting it, because there’s no—”
“You’re the one contesting the will?”
“Of course I am. I deserve that money. Your father left me alone to raise you kids. I deserve that money. I earned that money. I’ve been waiting years for him to kick the bucket so I could finally get what I had coming to me. Finally, get my reward for sacrificing the best years of my life on being a mother to his children. So, when Mason called me and told me that Jasper had passed—”
“Mason called you?!” Mason barely knew her mom. They’d only dated a year while she was still around. They’d gotten along, but only because her mother had acted like the sun rose and set with him because his family was well off.
“Yeah, he said that Jasper had passed and that you weren’t taking it so well and I should come here and see if you needed me to help out with Simone and Scott.”
Stephanie lifted her arms as she shook her head. “So you decided to contest the will?”
“Well, first, yes. I figured get the ball rolling with that. And then come see you. And it’s perfect timing because the hearing is in a couple of days and if you relinquish your rights, things should go a lot smoother. And I’m not just thinking of myself, when I get the money it will help you, too. I can take Scott out of that awful home and back with me. That thing costs an arm and a leg that you can’t afford and he should be with his mother.”
Stephanie watched as her mother’s lips kept moving but she couldn’t hear her. All she could hear was a loud buzzing. Her mother had come here to steal her children’s inheritance and she was trying to bribe Stephanie to go along with it by promising to rip Scott from the only place where he’d ever been happy. The only place that he’d ever had a good quality of life in, just so she wouldn’t have to pay for it anymore. She remembered her bank account and the payment getting reversed and wondered if she had Mason to thank for it somehow. If he’d somehow orchestrated the situation so that Scott would have to leave Brookside hoping that Stephanie would have no choice but to let her mom take him.
Unfuckingbelievable.
Standing up with a calm that took her by surprise, Stephanie placed her hands on the table and leaned forward slightly. “I’m going to leave now. And when I get back you will be gone. If not, I will call the police. There will be no trace that you were ever here. If I even find a napkin is missing, I will call the police.”
“Stephiebug, don’t be ups—”
Stephanie continued, “You’re not now, or ever will be welcome here. I never want to see you again. If I do happen to pass you on the street, I will not acknowledge you. You are dead to me.”
“You can’t do this!” Stephanie could see the panic in her mother’s eyes as she saw her chance at the money slipping away. “You can’t keep me away from the twins, away from my babies.”
“If Simone wants to have a relationship with you, then she can. Away from here. Away from me. As far as Scott goes, I can keep you away from him and I will. I am not only his legal guardian I also have power of attorney. If you try to go near him, I will get a restraining order. If you violate that restraining order I will press charges.”
Stephanie shut her computer, grabbed her purse and walked out the door, ignoring her mother’s protests. She had no idea if her mom was going to take her seriously or not, and she really didn’t care. She was taking back control of her life and her next stop was Mason’s and then Brookside.
***
Ace turned his wrench, adjusting the clutch cable on his bike when he heard a noise.
Lifting his head he saw Stephanie in the same sweats and shirt she’d been in yesterday, standing in the driveway, cursing. “Shit!”
“Hey.” He put the tool down and grabbed a rag to wipe off his hands. “Everything okay?”
“No.” She shook her head and let out a forced laugh. “I forgot that I let Simone take my car to school and I need to go take care of something really important—”
“I’ll drive.” Ace pulled the keys to his truck out of his pocket and hit the FOB. Before he made it to the passenger side, Stephanie was already in and shutting the door.
Okay. No time for chivalry. Got it.
Picking up on the fact that she was in a hurry he rushed to the driver’s side and hopped in. As he drove, Stephanie sat beside him in total silence. He’d never seen her like this. She was obviously upset, but her face was unreadable. As much as he wanted to know what was wrong, he could sense that if she wanted him to know, she would tell him. So instead of pressuring her, he just drove.
He was halfway down Main Street before he realized he didn’t know where he was going. “Are we going to Brookside? The hospital?”
“No. We’re going to see Mason. He’s staying at his parent’s house. They live on the golf course.”