Page 70 of Juliet's Echo

“And Axel is married.” I countered

“A full-course meal has never stopped a man from ordering a side dish.”

“Ma!”

Her palm smacked the table hard enough to make nearby patrons glance over.

Immediately, I lowered my voice.

“Look here, you little ingrate,” she began. “Do you know where I’d be right now if I didn’t have you? Hmm?”

Silence.

“In the lap of a millionaire.”

I clenched my jaw. She really thought her behaviors were discreet. There wasn’t an available millionaires lap she hadn’t sat on.

“But I slipped up and got pregnant with you. I wanted an abortion, but your grandmother saw that pregnancy as a certified meal ticket. So, I did the right thing. I married your imbecile of a father and kept your ass in Gucci and gold.”

Each word felt like a slap.

“This is the least you can do for me.”

“But Ma...” I said softly.

“But Ma, my fake ass,” she mocked. “You think I came this far to struggle? Hm? Hell no. Not for image, not for you, and damn sure not for love.”

She leaned forward, her eyes hard as stone.

“Now fix your fucking face, adjust your attitude, and help me secure the future.”

A slow smile crept across her lips.

“I know for a fact you've given that pussy away for less.”

I wanted to launch my apple juice at her head, but settled for an aggressive eye roll instead.

“Ma, you may not care about the rivalry you're going to create with Mrs. Everette, but I don't feel like dealing with Juliet.”

“Juliet?” she asked. “That's the daughter, right?”

“Yeah. We're not exactly friends.”

“Good. Then you don't have to live with the fact that you fucked your friend's brother. I mean, you'd eventually get over it, but it's best not to burn unnecessary bridges.”

She said that shit like it was wisdom passed down from the ancestors.

“Ma, please,” I groaned.

Before I could continue my plea, she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

“Focus on the bigger picture, Ava. That girl has been through enough, and I'm pretty sure she's not worried about who hops in and out of her brother's bed.”

My brows furrowed.

“What does that mean?”

“Oh, nothing.”