Page 139 of The Rules We Broke
“And not only does he love her,” she said bitterly, “but he wanted tomarryher. Before he even went to college.”
I blinked. “How did you know that?” I couldn’t imagine Brady announcing that to his mother.
Elizabeth scoffed. “Don’t you think I knew why he was working so hard that summer at Dillon’s farm? We didn’t want him working, but he insisted—said he needed the money.” She paused, her voice thick with resentment. “Then I found the ring. In his sock drawer.”
My heart stopped.
“What ring?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t play stupid with me. The ring you sent back with all of his things.”
Oh, my gosh. So that was what had been in the burgundy box all of these years. I remembered that summer, and how tired he was from baling hay, but he was so happy. Now, I knew why. I wanted to run up and look at it, but I couldn’t leave my aunt alone with her.
“I never opened the box,” I whispered.
My reaction surprised her. And my aunt.
Aunt Lu’s eyes widened slightly, and I realized—sheknewabout the ring, too. Of course she did.
It hit me like a flash. She was the one who’d gone through my hope chest. The information she’d told Brady she’d come across—it was the ring.
Elizabeth pressed on, her voice cold and matter-of-fact.
“Well,” she said, “I knew I had to put a stop to it. He was too young. And I couldn’t have him tied toyourfamily. So, I told him you were seeing someone else.”
I stared at her, stunned.
“It wasyou!” I gasped. The betrayal burned through me.
“Why would you do that?” I demanded. “What did I ever do to you?”
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, her expression twisted with resentment.
“It’s not so much what youdid,” she said. “It’swho you are.”
She might as well have slapped me.
“You’re so perfectly beautiful and talented,” she continued, gesturing toward my aunt. “Just likeher.”
Aunt Lu sat stoically, unmoved.
“I saw the way Isaac looked at you growing up,” Elizabeth said, voice rising. “And recently. Yes, he despised you, too—but only because you reminded him of what hereallywanted.” Her eyes narrowed. “But in the end, you won him over, didn’t you?”
I wanted to say,Bitter much?But honestly, part of me felt sorry for her.
Don’t get me wrong—I still couldn’t stand her lying, manipulative self. But I didn’t envy her. Not one bit.
Aunt Lu, who had sat quietly with grace and dignity, finally spoke. “Elizabeth,” she said, “if Isaac loved me . . .why?”
We all knew what Aunt Lu was really asking.
Why had Isaac cheated on her? Why had he told her she’d ruined everything? Why the lifetime of hate?
Elizabeth didn’t answer right away. For a moment, I thought she wouldn’t.
But then, maybe realizing she had nothing left to lose, she turned to face my aunt.
