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We walk to a beautiful living room I’m sure I didn’t see the last time I was here. It’s all white—furniture and rugs included—with light blue accents.
“You’re referring to Eleanor? She’s your stepmother, right? I remember you mentioned her at that dinner.”
“Yes, she is, but I love her like she’s my real mom. Even more because she chose to stay with me and my sister when no one else wanted us—not even our father.”
I don’t even know why I’m saying so much. I didn’t plan to open up like this, and I’m annoyed with myself for being so foolish and giving this woman ammunition to insult me like she did before.
“What am I doing here, Mrs. Pappakouris?”
“You can call me Medeia.”
“I don’t feel like calling you Medeia yet. First names are for friends, and you didn’t seem interested in being mine when you first invited me to your house.”
“I want a chance to start over with you, Brooklyn.”
“Why?”
She serves us tea. “I could lie and say I suddenly woke up and realized you’re a wonderful person, but that’s not my style. So I’ll be honest: I want to fix things between us because my only, very beloved son is in love with you.”
“That doesn’t seem like a good enough reason. We could break up tomorrow, and then all your effort would be for nothing.”
She sweetens her tea and then smiles. “There are two things you need to know, Brooklyn: one about me and the other about Athanasios. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep my son’s love. I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“Even if it means putting up with a woman you dislike?”
“I don’t dislike you. You just weren’t my choice for a daughter-in-law,” she says. And despite the sharpness of her words, I admire her honesty.
“Febe was,” I finish for her.
“Yes, but Athanasios doesn’t love her. He told me he’ll stand by your side until his last breath on Earth. That’s the second thing I said you needed to know: I’m not the best person in the world—I’m pretentious and full of flaws—but I love my son and, above all, I know him well. You two aren’t going to break up. You’ll get married and give me many grandchildren. Athanasios isn’t the kind of man who loves more than once. He’s decided you’re his, and he won’t stop until he makes it a lifelong commitment.”
Athanasios
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Two Months Later
Day of the Trial
There aren’tmany things on Earth capable of stirring emotion in me, but watching Brooklyn testify and describe in graphic detail the terror she felt the day those two bastards—three, actually, though one has already gone to hell—tried to kill her nearly tore me apart inside.
Today is the final day of the trial, and the entire family has gathered to support her, including William and L.J. Even my parents are here, at my mother’s insistence.
My woman’s ordeal has stretched over two weeks, and while I already admired Brooklyn, I can now say I’ve become her number one fan.
There’s one person, however, who isn’t present—the one we most want to see punished: Shelley Edward.
The wretched woman is as slippery as a snake. Odin told me yesterday that every time Beau gets close, she evades capture.
However, he gave me some good news just a few minutes before the trial began: he’s uncovered the full truth about my biological mother.
It’s only because Brooklyn needs me that I haven’t gone to see him yet. I’m torn between my past self and my present self. One, weighed down with guilt, wants revenge against those who hurt the woman who gave me life. The other, hopelessly in love with the woman who has become my world, wants a future with her, wants everything with her.
Finally, both the defense and prosecution deliver their closing arguments, and the jury retires to deliberate.
We have no idea how long it will take. It could be minutes or weeks, so we all gather in the hallway to wait.
“Thank you all for coming to support me,” Brooklyn says to our friends and family.