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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