Page 48 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

She wasn’t going to get into it with her mother who only saw things through her own eyes. “Was there anything else you wanted?”

“I was checking up on you,” her mother said. “With the trial and everything. How is it going? I’m sure Elise is holding everything up while she tries to take what should be yours and Jordan’s.”

It always came down to possessions with her mother. “Nothing has changed,” she said.

She’d told her mother months ago where things stood. The policies and investments in her and her sister’s name and everything else were frozen.

“Your father always had to be in control of everything. I’m not surprised Elise was left with nothing.”

She ground her teeth. “Are you saying that Dad was controlling and violent? Because if he was ever going to be angry or violent it would have been with you. His wife who cheated on him.”

Her mother snorted. “Your father never showed much emotion at all,” her mother said. “No, I believe nothing that Elise is saying, but he controlled everything when it came to money. You don’t know what it’s like because he gave you and Jordan everything.”

Probably because he was trying to make up for the fact that their mother left them.

“You wanted some fancy life that wasn’t Dad. You got it.”

“Your father had it and never spent it,” her mother said sarcastically. “He gave me an allowance for the household and that was it. Everything else was invested.”

“You had a job,” she said. “I heard you arguing back then. Dad told you that you could use your money for anything. He paid for everything else. I’m not sure what more you wanted other than to travel and it’s not like he could.”

“I could have fought him for so much when we divorced,” her mother argued.

“No,” she said. “You couldn’t. I know now. Pierre talked you out of it, didn’t he? He didn’t want the attention on the fact that he was having an affair with a married woman any more than you and Dad wanted it.”

Her mother was silent.

Pierre was fifteen years older than her mother. She was guessing he was seventy or close to it now. Her mother was even younger than her father, but not by that much. Just five years.

Pierre had some import export company or something that Justine didn’t care much about. But it gave her mother the glamorous life she always wanted.

“It doesn’t matter,” her mother said.

Which meant she was right. “Whatever,” she said. “I’ve got someone coming over soon, so I’ve got to go.”

“Are you dating someone?” her mother asked.

She wanted to say no or that it was none of her mother’s business, but maybe if she said yes and then hung up on her mother it’d be better and keep her wondering.

“I don’t know,” she said. She couldn’t even bring herself to do that much.

“So it’s a guy that is coming over?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” she said. “And I need to run.”

“Have fun,” her mother said.

“Sure,” she said and hung up.

She finished setting up the cheese, fruit, crackers, nuts, and some meats on the board. She was just putting dark chocolate pieces on it when her buzzer went off.

She ran to the door and down to let Garrett in.

“Hi,” he said. “Were you looking forward to seeing me?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling.

He laughed. “That’s good,” he said.

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