Page 131 of Wasted
His gaze darkened as his mouth tightened. “I’m surprised at you, Victoria. You will have this girl removed from your house immediately. Do you realize the damage this is doing to your reputation? To this family’s reputation?”
“Now hold on.” Torin aimed his confident interruption at her father. “We’re talking about statutory rape, sir. If it’s true and could be proven. The girl is a victim, not the criminal.” Thank the Lord for a police sergeant, soon-to-be family member, who wasn’t afraid of their dad. But she knew Torin tried to stay out of family dynamics as much as possible while Spring was trying to repair her relationship with their dad.
“I’m aware of that.” Dad’s fingers flexed beside his plate, a clear sign anger was simmering and building inside. It would explode if Victoria couldn’t calm him down. But she couldn’t agree to cast Sydney and her baby out on the street, or even into different housing. She’d promised Sydney she could stay.
“I can’t believe you would say this girl isn’t worth helping because of her ‘class.’” Spring bobbed quotes in the air with her fingers as she stared at their father. “The man who did this to her is in your class. He’s your friend, a member of your own country club, probably from a supposed good family.” Her voice elevated with each word. “And he’s married!”
Victoria sent her a look, trying to warn her to stay out of this. It would ruin her attempts to smooth things over with their father.
Irritation clustered in harsh lines on Dad’s brow. “He is not a friend, merely an acquaintance. He obviously misrepresented himself and does not belong at the Green Hills Country Club. I’ll see to it that he’s thrown out. But that does not change the damage Victoria is doing by becoming involved. I give hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity every year for this sort of thing.” He swung his gaze to Victoria. “Give to a charity to help her, but you will stop your involvement with her immediately, is that clear?”
Her heart pounded in her ears. She couldn’t agree to that. It wouldn’t be right. But if she didn’t, if she crossed Dad in front of everyone, the results could be catastrophic.
“I can’t believe you would want to stay under your father’s thumb for the rest of your life.”
Cillian’s words echoed in her mind. Was he right? That she acquiesced to her father when she shouldn’t? If Cillian were here now, he would be ripping into her dad for his unfeeling harshness and cruelty.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.” Her bold response seemed to come from someone else. “It wouldn’t be right.”
“Unacceptable!” Dad abruptly stood, his chair squealing on the floor as it slid back.
Her heart lurched into her throat, somehow continuing to thump there as she stopped breathing.
“No wonder you’ve gotten yourself arrested for murder, your face and name plastered all over the news.” He waved a hand in the air as if gesturing to the media outlets. “I knew that Doherty boy would ruin you. I don’t know who you are anymore.” He pointed a finger at her. “You have dragged the Weston name through the mud. You are destroying the reputation I’ve worked my entire life to build for all of you.”
Every accusation pierced her ribs, finding a bullseye in her heart. Her limbs trembled. She could only stare at him, that finger, the glare of disappointment and wrath.
“That’s enough, Dad.”
She numbly saw someone rise on her left.
Robert?
“Being accused of murder was not her fault. And now she’s trying to do the right thing to help someone in need. You have no right to blame her for either of those or pretend she is purposefully tainting your name.”
Robert should stop. He should sit down. He had a peaceful relationship with their dad. She couldn’t be the reason for ruining that.
The grim possibility helped her find her voice. “Robert, please sit. It’s all right.”
“No, it’s not.” Hank’s voice was louder than normal, tightened with emotion. He swung his head toward their father. “I can’t believe you.”
“Hank, stop.” She had to do something. Hank was in enough hot water with their dad as it was right now.
“No, I won’t, Vicki.” He shot a glance at her before facing their dad again. “I can’t believe you would accuse Vicki of hurting our family when she’s done nothing but keep us together and happy our whole lives. She just wants to help everyone, including you. She was falsely accused of murder,” Hank flung his hand high into the air, “and you don’t even care about how scary that must be for her or how unfair it is. Your own daughter!”
“You had better hold your tongue.” Dad’s tone was cold as ice. “You forget who you’re talking to.”
“Dad, he has a point.” Spring jumped in again. “And especially about Sydney. I can’t believe it doesn’t bother you that your friend did that to an innocent girl. How can you honestly say we shouldn’t help her and her baby?”
“That’s not what he said.” Treese’s sharp tone sliced the air as she glared down the table at Spring. “You all need to leave Dad alone. He’s totally right.” She switched her angry gaze to Victoria. “You’re not helping Sydney. You’re hurting her by telling her not to get an abortion. It’ll ruin her life.”
“Treese!” Shock pulled the exclamation from Hank. “How can you say that? That not killing her baby will ruin her life?”
“Henry, Jr.” Their father’s hard voice cut through their battle. “That is hardly a medical opinion. You will need to redefine your opinions or keep them to yourself if you are to succeed as a physician.”
“Maybe I don’t want to do that.” Hank crossed his arms and dropped his gaze as he muttered the response.
“The point is that we are all allowed to have our own opinions and should be allowed to make the choices we decide are right as individuals.” Robert somehow maintained his even psychiatrist’s tone as he looked at each of them. “But none of us should blame each other or try to force anyone into thinking as we do.”
