Page 127 of No Way Home
“Believe it,” Mom said, acid in her tone. “It’s a stupid piece of paper thatyoumade up. It’s not binding.”
“What’s next?” Billy huffed. “Are you going to slash my tires?”
“Maybe. It was pretty cathartic last time.” Mom laughedmaniacally. But then it died, and her voice turned cold and controlled, “You’re going to pass Maggie because her efforts were sabotaged, and you know it.”
“By who?” He scoffed. “Topher? Maggie already tried that load of?—”
“Stop your blabbering,” Mom seethed, “and let me say what I need to say.” There was heat in her voice that said,Don’t mess with me, Billy. Not today. “I don’t have time to go round and round over that selfish, entitled prick of a manchild you raised. Not whenmy son,” her voice trembled, “the kindest, most selfless, mature youngmanyou will ever meet, is at home right now, body busted, heart destroyed from losing his soulmate.” Her voice dropped so low I almost couldn’t hear, but there was no mistaking the intensity of her next words: “A woman whose deathyouare partially responsible for because you failed to diagnose her the entire time she was your patient.” I wished I could’ve seen Billy’s face right then. She’d clearly shamed him into silence. “Maggieis the one who figured out what was wrong with Sage. Not you, in case you forgot. You will not be failing her.”
“Lemon, I’m sorry for your loss.” Billy treaded carefully, as if he were diffusing a bomb. “You know I am. I sent flowers to the funeral home.”
“I think you meant to say your wife sent flowers,” Mom said.
“Same thing,” Billy said.
“Not hardly. Whose idea was it?” Mom asked in a knowing tone.
“Fine,” Billy snapped. “It was Mindy’s, but that’s not important. You’re not being fair. Sage’s heart sounded normal. It could’ve slipped past anyone,” he said, likeSage was just some random patient, and not someone we'd never get over losing.
“Stop disrespecting Sage’s memory with your sorry excuses! If you had an ounce of humility, you’d say, ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t catch it. I could’ve done better,’ and actually mean it. Lucky for you, I don’t have time to talk about all the ways you let my boy and his newborn daughter down. The way you let a-all of us down,” she choked. “Nor do I have the emotional stamina! I’m here for one reason and one reason only. To discuss your imbecilic, jackass decision to fail Bowen’s beloved Maggie.”
Billy snorted. “That’s funny. I thought she was Griffin’s beloved.”
“Shut up!” Mom yelled so loudly it made my neck prickle. I’d never heard her this upset in my entire life.
“Clem, do you need me to come in?” Dad asked, his tone as careful as Billy’s was a moment ago.
“No, baby,” she said sweetly, like she hadn’t just lost her crap on her ex. “We’re wrapping things up. Billy’s about to do the right thing. Now,” she threatened.
“Lem,” Billy said. Dad’s fists curled. “Sorry! Lemon!” Billy corrected as if he could feel Dad’s anger through the door. “But I can’t pass Maggie. I have a system.”
“I don’t care about your system. Youcanpass her and you will,” Mom said simply.
“And what happens if I don’t?” he mocked.
“Funny you asked,” Mom said.
My entire body went stiff as I pictured what was happening on the other side of the door. Mom sliding the folder across the desk. Billy’s eyes widening. All the blood leaving his face as he stared down at the naked pictures Mom took of him and the woman he’d cheated with the day Aunt Sophie was buried.
Right on cue, he bleated, “You kept the pictures? You told me you deleted them!”
“I did,” Mom said, with diabolical exuberance.
“ButIdidn’t!” Dad bellowed, followed by a delighted,heh, heh.“She took them onmyphone, remember?”
Billy swore.
“Hashtag karma,” I said.
Holden chuckled on Dad’s other side. “Man, I love justice.”
“It’s simple,” Mom said. “Pass Maggie, and I won’t upload these to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Nor will I send them to Mindy and your mother.”
“You wouldn’t,” Billy said. “You don’t have it in you. If you did, you would’ve done it years ago.”
The laugh Mom unleashed was downright terrifying. “That’s where you’re wrong, bucko. I’m not the young, scared, beaten-down girl I was when you broke my heart to pieces. Now, I’m a confident, well-loved?—”
“Damn straight,” Dad whispered proudly.
