Page 86 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

“Your only job was to love him, you know?” I cock my head at her, tapping my phone against the arm of the chair.

“And I could excuse that maybe, I could. I know things can go wrong in people’s heads more intimately than most, so I get that maybe something went wrong in yours.

” Her expression morphs into one of confusion, but I look her up and down thoughtfully.

“Maybe the spiral just started one day and no one was paying close enough attention to get you the help you needed.” I settle my gaze back against her rapidly emptying green one before finishing point-blank.

“But what I can’t excuse is everything he’s endured. ”

“I don’t know who you think you are, little girl,” she spits my way, rallying quickly. “But if I have to ask one more time—”

“ I. Do. Not. Care. ” I lean forward, hissing out the words while narrowing my eyes at her.

“I couldn’t give two fucks whether you know who I am or what you think about me because you are already that obsolete in your own son’s life.

” My shoulders rise with a quick breath before I quiet my voice to warn her.

“Let me be clear about the fact that unless it’s at his request, you will never lay eyes on Hayes again. ”

“What are you talking about?” Her face falls, that perfect mask truly fracturing for the first time since I walked in here. “Haye—”

“Shut up,” I snap as she starts to call for him, continuing before she can try again.

“You know, it wasn’t all that hard to find with some time and the right people.

All those payments throughout the years for counselors and extra nannies and camps that he probably could have really used but never received.

” Tapping my phone against the arm of the chair again, keeping the evidence quite literally close at hand.

“Not to mention the people you were constantly bringing around him at all hours, if they can even be called that.” I lift a brow at her, offering the phone instead of smacking it across her perfect face like I’m tempted to do.

“Would you like to see? I also have copies of documents showing you diverting a sizable amount of every payment his father has made since the time he was about six into a personal account of yours overseas.”

The account being out of England makes more sense now that I know her background, and I might even have been more forgiving if it had been for her family or something worthy, but it wasn’t. It sat there for her personal use alone.

“How did you even—” she starts then stops quickly, panic flaring in her eyes that has anger pouring from her mouth. “Anything you might have managed to get your hands on was obtained illegally, which means you can go to hell.”

“Hmph,” I snort softly, the sound half amused because— “It doesn’t matter though, does it?

Once information gets out there and the truth is known, there’s no taking it back.

” The panic starts to take over her face at the undeniability of that, and I shrug carelessly.

“And sure, maybe I’ll get a slap on the wrist, but I honestly have no idea how the information was obtained, only that I paid dearly for it.

” I let a little giggle bubble past my lips that’s just this side of crazy before reminding her, “Because I’m just a little girl, right?

I don’t think anyone would look too long at me when they have all that embezzlement and fraud to sort through. ”

Making it clear just who has the leverage here.

“I could have excused you not loving him.” I narrow my eyes at her with the words that make me sick but are still the truth.

“As impossible as I find that.” The pain not just in my body but my heart too—both because of and for him—and it makes me hiss at her.

“But I will never forgive the abuse that he endured because of you.”

“The boy is perfectly fine,” she spews bitterly, beauty visibly distorting again. “He’s alive, isn’t he? He wasn’t molested or kidnapped—”

“He wasn’t loved either.” I stand suddenly, righteous fury blooming that pushes me to take a step toward her. “He wasn’t cared for or nurtured, and you couldn’t even be bothered to have enough basic empathy for your own child to give him to the one parent who might’ve given half a shit.”

“You have no idea.” She stands when I’m about halfway to her, seeming to tower over me in her heels. “No idea what my life turned into after I got pregnant and then Drake got bored and the fire—”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I do not care .” I gasp for a breath, coming to a stop as she moves closer. “And if you make me repeat myself again, you will not like the world I drop you into.”

“I can’t help but wonder.” Her gaze narrows with a familiar calculation, dropping to my neck and staring at the mark there.

“Why is it that my normally flagrant son has been so quiet when it comes to you?” Those green orbs lift back to mine with obvious cruelty there.

“The girls have always come and gone with him, but the thirty million dollar girl is quite a feather in his cap, isn’t she? ”

I can’t help the sickness that turns my stomach at her words, even knowing that they’re the furthest thing from the truth. It’s still too fresh after everything from last night, and I watch as she sees the hit land, the joy that lights up her eyes even more.

“Even if you don’t come close to the rest in anything other than value.” She laughs loudly. “So why is it that he’s been hiding away with you like he’s ashamed? What are you two hiding, Ophelia —”

I close the distance between us before she can get another sound out, getting right up in her space to stop the poison she’s dripping.

“Let me be crystal clear here.” Her shocked gaze locks with mine, and I blink, making sure she can see just how much I mean it while whispering viciously.

“If you go low, I will drag us straight down to hell, and I’m not sure you’d share my appreciation for the flames there.

” I barely resist the urge to scratch at her for the pain she caused the person who completes my heart.

“Be grateful to whatever god Hayes believes in that I wasn’t your child, because I would have left you there to burn that day and never looked back. ”

She takes a step back, true fear flashing across her face, and I follow despite the pain that shoots up inside of me with every step. Right up until she’s backed up against the sofa to make sure she fully understands.

“You will not contact him ever again without an explicit invitation,” I order, voice dead with the instructions I’ve been mulling over for months now.

“His father will be receiving notice after Christmas from my lawyer as to the change of his permanent residence and that any further money designated for him is to be set outside of your control.” A scoff leaves me at the horror that fills her face at that more than anything else I’ve said.

“I’ll leave it up to your son to decide what to tell him as to the why of it all, but since you’ve been essentially blackmailing him for over a year now, I wouldn’t have high hopes if I was you.

” Her mouth falls open, and I let my eyes roll over her face with a quick perusal.

“I’d say it was nice to meet you, but Hayes keeps telling me to be more honest.” I lift my lips, bringing my gaze back to hers, “So you can get the fuck out of my house now.”

She stands there, shocked eyes unmoving from mine for a couple seconds, and I start counting.

Deciding I’ll give her until ten given the circumstances, her gaze finally falls from mine and she steps to the side, walking past me for a few steps before coming to a sudden halt that has me glancing back.

My eyes land on where Ollie is standing in the foyer and staring into the living room with my parents on either side of him.

His mouth hangs open as my father takes it all in, and my mother stares at me carefully.

Talan is slightly behind them now and looking equally as surprised because I should have known the snoop wouldn’t leave without seeing the show.

Fuck.

“Perfect,” Miranda spits out, eyes on my parents like she might finally get her way now. “Maybe one of you can explain how you raised a child so disrespect—”

“Did she lie?” my mother cuts in, her eyes moving to Hayes’s mother with a quick smile.

“My daughter is many things, but she is not often wrong when it comes to facts.” She takes a step forward while tipping her nose into the air, calling up every bit of the socialite she usually likes to keep tucked away at home.

“So I will ask again, did she lie?” She barely gives the silence a beat before stepping to the side and waving her hand toward the front door.

“Then please follow her advice and remove yourself from our home. Hayes is over eighteen and does not need your permission to be here. If you stay any longer, I’ll consider it trespassing and call the police. ”

The two women hold each other’s gazes for a long moment before Miranda eventually gives ground, looking away and continuing her walk to the front door without another word.

Leaving all of us holding still until we hear it close, but even then my mother holds up a hand, demanding silence while motioning for Talan to check that she’s really gone.

Ollie mouths a quick “What the fuck?” at me right before Mia pokes her head out of the kitchen with wide eyes, really just making it a party as Talan calls back, “She’s gone. ”

“Ophelia,” my father starts off instantly, staring at me with a chastisement that I understand considering that I wasn’t counting on them coming home early and catching all that plus my freshly fucked look. “Would you like to explain what all that was about?”

“Um.” I flick my eyes between him and Ollie, trying to guess from my twin’s look of panic and not getting anywhere. “How much did you hear?”