Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
I roll my eyes.
“I’m sure they didn’t hire you for other reasons. Not because they found out that I’m your daughter.”
“No, that’s not so,” my mom counters. “The client is Griselle Beauvais, whose daughter is from your high school. She said you used to go over to their house and hump the sprinklers in their lawn.”
“What?” I cry with outrage. “That’s a lie! That’s so gross! Who would even think of something like that?”
My mom’s expression is doleful now.
“Griselle said Marcella would invite you over after school on sunny days. You’d get into your bikinis to lay out by the pool, but you have a filthy mind, Amy. She said you’d take your bikini bottoms off and literally push your pussy down on the lawn sprinkler to get off. Then, you’d ask Marcella to turn the sprinklers on so you could feel the water jetting against your insides.”
“Are you kidding?” I shriek, practically tearing at my hair with rage. “These are lies! These are nasty, filthy, disgusting LIES! I would never! That’s so sick and twisted!”
“But it doesn’t matter, don’t you see?” my dad interjects. “Now that you’re working at a fetish shop, it gives their accusations credence. You’re a dirty girl, and unfortunately, everyone knows you’re our daughter. So like I said, Amy: get married, or get out.”
“Or what?” I howl. “What are you going to do to me? I’m an adult!”
“Yeah, but you’re an adult who has no money,” my dad says in a dry tone. “How much does A Woman’s Secret pay you? Minimum wage? Or even less?”
My mouth snaps shut.
“For your information, Chloe’s still getting the business off the ground,” I say in a stiff voice. “Sales are booming, but she had a lot of start-up costs. She’s going to pay me as soon as she can.”
“So your friend’s not paying you anything,” my dad drawls, one eyebrow raised. “You’re working for free. You’re basically a volunteer.”
“No!” I whine. “As soon as Chloe improves the business’s liquidity, she’s going to pay me. She says I’m first on her list.”
“Right, after she pays her suppliers, the bank, her rent, her taxes, and god knows whoever else,” my dad adds in a sarcastic voice. “You won’t be seeing any money for a good long while, I can assure you.”
I’m just about to protest again when my mom steps in.
“Don’t fight about money because it’s going to be a thing of the past. Your fiancé isn’t so bad. He’s a nice guy, and he has plenty of money.”
“Oh really,” I say in a sarcastic tone. “He’s such a great catch that he’d marry a loser like me.”
“Don’t be so negative,” Amity scolds. “Sure, he happens to be in rehab right now, but just give it a little while. Once he’s out, he’ll be as good as new. Really, Amy, you’re lucky to marry him.”
That does it. My parents are insane. They’ve accused me of being ugly, unwanted, unemployed, and basically every terrible thing that they can think of. To add insult to injury, now they want to foist me off on some drug addict who’s still in treatment! I don’t think so.
“I don’t need any part of this,” I say in a cold tone while standing up. “I’m not getting married to some random dude. This isn’t India. Nor is it the Middle Ages. I’m out of here.”
“Oh really? Where will you go?” my mom asks as I stalk out of the kitchen.
“Don’t worry,” my dad soothes her. “Amy has no place to go. She’ll be married and out of our hair soon enough, Amity.”
“What a blessed relief,” my mom murmurs.
I ignore them as I march up the stairs, my back straight. But tears smart my eyes, and as soon as I close the door to my room, I collapse into sobs because unfortunately, Andrew’s right. The truth is that I have nowhere to go. I have no money, no connections, and no real skills either. I could work in fast food again, but where would that get me? And at the moment, Chloe can’t afford to pay me for my labor. So what options do I have? What should I do? I take a deep breath and swallow hard around the lump clogging my throat. The future isn’t looking good … but I sure as well am NOT going to be married off to some horrible dude whom I’ve never met in my life.
2
Amy
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Chloe murmurs into my phone screen. Her big brown eyes blink as they fill with tears. “I still can’t believe it! Your parents want to marry you off to a dude who’s in rehab at the moment? I mean, why not just foist you off on an ex-con while they’re at it?”
“I know, right?” I murmur, suddenly feeling very tired. “I mean, they should just set me up with the Unabomber. That’s how little Amity and Andrew think of me.”