Page 95 of Bitter Confessions

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. They’re very attached to you.”

Her eyes filled with tears. Her niece and nephew lit up her world, but if this was the beginning of the end with her family, she had to get used to this.

“I’m sorry, Minnie.”

She wasn’t interested in Ariana’s apology for not giving Roth a chance or for her low opinion of her. She locked her emotions down and returned to the former topic.

“How are you going to handle this?”

“I’ll call my counselor and schedule an appointment.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“It will.” Ariana reached into her purse and pulled out an unmarked pill bottle. Even as a myriad of emotions raced over her face, she resolutely put the bottle in Jasmine’s hand.

“Are you going to have withdrawals?”

Ariana cast an embarrassed look at Mo and Johan, who sat, as they always did, in utter silence. A dark flush made Ariana look like she had bad sunburn.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Is there anything I can do?” She slipped the bottle into her purse. Ariana relaxed the instant it was out of sight.

“No. You’ve done more than I deserve. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. This isn’t your burden to bear.”

“It shouldn’t be yours either. Your doctor didn’t have to put you on OxyContin. There are alternatives.”

Ariana stared at her for a long moment before murmuring, “Roth’s thorough, isn’t he?”

“Dad never got the best of him. What does that tell you?”

Ariana’s fingers trembled as she smoothed her hand over her coat. “What will he do if I can’t...?”

She grabbed her sister’s hand and squeezed, willing her to hear. “You don’t need to think about that. You’re going to get past this.”

Ariana’s glacial-blue eyes were bleak.

“You will,” she said, infusing her tone with steel. Ariana had to get past this. She had no choice. “OxyContin is at the forefront of an epidemic you and millions of others didn’t ask to be a part of.”

“Others go on it and don’t get addicted like me,” Ariana said in a subdued tone.

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I...” Ariana began, but she stopped when the car slowed.

As Mo opened the door, Ariana prepared to slip out and looked back. There was so much naked emotion on her face... Jasmine reached out, but Ariana held up her hand so she wouldn’t touch her. Ariana took a deep breath. Despair, worry, and embarrassment were covered up by a benign social mask. Ariana took Mo’s hand and gracefully exited the vehicle before gliding toward her building with her head held high. She watched her sister disappear inside before her attention moved across the street. Even as Johan prepared to pull away from the curb, she thrust her door open.

“Jasmine!”

Mo’s bellow didn’t stop her as she stepped out of the vehicle into traffic, blind to anything but her single-minded need to cross the street as quickly as possible. Horns blared. A taxi whizzed by with inches to spare before Johan grabbed her arm and tried to haul her back to the safety of the car.

“I need to talk to him,” she shouted over the street noise.

Johan didn’t argue but held up his hand to the oncoming cars as he and one of the men from her second security team jogged across four lanes of traffic.

“What’s gotten into you? He isn’t going to be happy about this,” Johan said darkly. He didn’t release his hold on her, even though they were on the sidewalk and heading into Roth’s office building.

“Don’t put it in your report,” she advised as she jabbed the elevator button.

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