Chapter 11
“I was worried about Amanda too. But neither Garrett nor I are
experts in psychology. There wasn’t much we could do there,”
Adelaide explained calmly.
“Still trying to talk back to me?!” Jeanette got so angry that she raised her hand to slap Adelaide.
“Mom!” Spencer showed up just in time and grabbed Jeanette’s
wrist. “Garrett is coming over for dinner tonight, and the whole
family will be there. If you slap Adele now, how is she supposed
to face everyone tonight?”
Adelaide stood there with no expression on her face. She wasn’t
moved by Spencer’s sudden help. Even without him, she wasn’t
planning on taking that slap without fighting back.
“She’s an ungrateful brat! Why are you protecting her?!”
Jeanette snapped.
Before Spencer could say anything, Adelaide forced a smile that
didn’t feel real. “Fine, if you think I’m an ungrateful brat, then I
- am. But Mom, the Pierce family has some reputation in
Evercrest. If word gets out about what happened in the room last night, do you have any idea what people will say?”
“Adele, keep it down,” Spencer said, grabbing her hand.
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“Nobody outside knows our family business. If they do, it’s because you can’t shut your mouth!” Jeanette yelled, poking her finger at Adelaide’s nose. “Without us, where would you be?
Could you have married someone like Garrett? You need to
know who you are! We’ve taken care of you all these years, and
you should know how to be thankful!”
Adelaide pulled away from Spencer and stood right in front of
Jeanette, speaking her mind, “I won’t argue that you took care
of me. But Mom, Amanda is your own flesh and blood, the
daughter you finally found.
“I know you and Dad wanna make it up to her, but there has got
to be a line. Garrett and I are married now. Is it right to let your
daughter try to get with my husband?”
“Seduce your husband?” Jeanette’s voice rose, sharp with anger.
“If it weren’t for us, do you really think you’d even know
someone like Garrett? Don’t forget, everything you have was
supposed to be my daughter’s.”
She finally said it.
Even when she didn’t say it outright, Adelaide could see it in her
eyes. Jeanette saw her as a thief who stole the life meant for
Amanda.
Adelaide had never brought it up, just to keep the peace. She
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wasn’t planning to come back much after getting married
anyway.
But now she was getting divorced. They kept pushing her, and
Jeanette still tried to guilt–trip her. They brought this on
themselves.
Spencer saw she was about to speak and tried to stop her.
But she sidestepped and shot back, “So if I say I want to cut ties
with all of you right now, you’d be fine with it, right?”
Jeanette hadn’t expected this. Just as something clicked, she snapped, “Every time it’s the same thing. Adelaide, I swear-”
A deep voice cut in. “I could hear you yelling from outside. Should I call the neighbors so they don’t miss anything?” Jeanette’s husband, Finley Pierce, walked in from the front
door.
The room went quiet.
Jeanette pulled herself together, but her tone stayed sharp. “Look at her. Just one day into marriage and already talking
back.”
Finley looked at Adelaide, his expression cold. “Come to the
study!”
She followed him upstairs, calm.
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Once the door closed, he sat down on the couch, his voice firm.
“Your mother’s right. One day in, and you’re already throwing
out everything we taught you? Don’t forget you’re my
daughter.”
ADNS
Chapter 12
