Page 81 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

Anger bubbled up behind my rib cage.That’s it.The old Ellie would probably have swallowed the barrage of insults and guilt trips without thinking twice. But the newly updated, vastly improved, Ellie 2.0 wouldn’t take this lying down.

“In case you’ve forgotten, you were the one—”

But she cut me off. “Are you in Port Benedict? With that man who nearly killed you?”

I could feel blood rushing to leave my face.How did she know?

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You are, aren’t you?” She spat out the question, her voice full of contempt. “Eric wouldn’t say anything. I found out on my own, no thanks to you.”

My mind raced, trying to connect the dots, figuring out where or how she could possibly have heard about it. Alec had beencareful to post pictures only on Facebook, where Jacqui had her only account, and our family members were excluded every single time. Eric and Naomi were the only people who knew where I was, and I knew they would not say anything.

Who else could have tipped her off?

“Who told you? And what do you want, Mom?”

“Do you know how damaging it would be to have our family name associated with someone like him? Someone from a dishonorable family, whose father is a criminal?”

“His dad may have abandoned them, but he’s not a criminal,” I said. “His mother had to work hard to provide for the children on her own. Alec even had to move here for a job to support his mom and sisters financially. They’re a hardworking, honest family.”

Her reply was a sneering laugh. “Is that what he told you? That he moved away for a job? Oh, darling, he’s not being honest. He’s a liar, just like his dad.”

What did she mean by that? My mind went into a tailspin.What am I missing?

“Nothing good could come from socializing with him and his family. If people—our business partners, the media—found out that a member of our family is fraternizing with someone like him, it’s going to be a catastrophe.”

“Stop exaggerating.”

“I’m not. This is serious.” She sounded offended. “Eric and George’s new brewery just launched, and they can’t afford any negative press associated with it.”

I scoffed. “Of course. The business comes first, second, third, and last. The rest of us are only an afterthought.”

“It has to come first. How do you think we could give you and Eric the best education money can buy? Afford all your medication? Your dad and I started from nothing, and we had to work our tails off when we founded the business. Everything that you and Eric had growing up, the private schools, the overseas trips,it was because we worked so hard and sacrificed so much. To give you two a good life. To guarantee a lasting legacy for our family.”

“I don’t want a legacy. I just wanted a normal family.”

But my mother was unstoppable, on a roll.

“I won’t let you ruin everything that we’ve worked so hard for, over him. So if you have even an ounce of empathy in your body, you’re going to leave that man and fly back home first thing tomorrow morning. You hear me?”

My backbone was screaming bloody murder, wanting to get a word in, to remind her I was an adult. I didn’t have to put up with her controlling and manipulative ways anymore. She needed to stop, and it was way past overdue.

“No. Who I see, or what I do, is none of your business. It’s time you stopped running my life. Ifyouhave an ounce of empathy for your daughter, back off and leave me alone.”

I hung up, my body shaking with anger. My phone vibrated again, but I switched it off with a snarl and shoved it back into my pocket.

The night was crystal-clear, with stars dotting the brilliant evening sky. I started walking, aimlessly, and found myself in the lush, darkened garden. The full moon cast shadows over the trees as I wandered along the jogging path, trying to calm myself down.

But the more I thought about her call, her words playing on repeat, the angrier I became. My brain raced, trying to figure out what had just happened. How did she find out where I was? Did Alec make a mistake, not omitting our families from his posts?

But more importantly, what did she mean about Alec being a liar?

Switching my phone back on, I sent rapid-fire text messages to Eric and Naomi, asking if they knew how she’d found out.

I needed some answers.Now.

Turning around, I rushed back toward the main building. I slipped into the restaurant, where the dinner was already winding down. Rob was chatting with a few people at the bar, but Alec was nowhere to be seen. I found him in the lobby, frowning at his phone. Gritting my teeth, I quickened my stride, marching toward him with purpose.

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