CHAPTER 3 — The Name Vanessa
The silence stretched for nearly a minute before Jason finally broke it.
“It wasn’t supposed to get this complicated.”
Olivia laughed once.
A dry, broken sound.
“Complicated?”
Her voice rose slightly for the first time.
“You have another woman, Jason.”
A pause.
“And money you’re hiding from your own mother.”
Jason looked away.
That was answer enough.
Margaret appeared at the top of the stairs, her presence sharp as steel.
“I knew it,” she said quietly. “You were never good enough for this family.”
Olivia turned toward her slowly.
“No.”
Margaret frowned.
Olivia continued:
“I didn’t ruin this family.”
Her hand rested protectively over her unborn child.
“You did. All of you.”
Jason whispered, “Olivia…”
But she didn’t look at him anymore.
“Who is Vanessa?”
The name hung in the air.
May you like
Jason didn’t answer fast enough.
That delay told her everything.
