Chapter 233

When Logan and I finally made it to their table, we, and my mother, sat down.

“So what is this all about?” I asked before even looking at the menu.

“We’re making amends,” Mom said, “But there’s no need to rush. Order something. Let’s eat. We have all lunch.”

As if on cue, the waiter saddled up to our table. “Can I start you folks off with something to drink?”

“We’re ready to order our meals,” Dad said.

Scrambling, I grabbed the menu. Logan openly frowned at Dad.

Regulars here, Mom and Dad of course knew what they wanted right away. For Logan and me, it took longer to decide. I pointed to the first thing on the menu, not wanting to take up too much of the waiter’s time. Logan ordered what my Dad was having.

I wasn’t even hungry; I’m far too nervous for that. But I panicked under pressure, immediately shifting back into the little girl who was just happy to be included in her parents’ plans.

If this was a sign of things to come, it didn’t bode well.

I glanced at Logan, feeling slightly overwhelmed. He calmly slipped his hand around the back of the chair.

People at nearby tables subtly lifted their phones now and then to take candid photos of us. My mother preened every time she noticed. Dad didn’t seem to care as much, though I noticed he had recently shaved and was wearing one of his nicer plaid shirts today.

I doubted those changes were for me.

“Darling,” Mom said, looking back at me. “Your father and I have been talking it over for days and days. We’ve really changed. We can admit we were… unkind in the past, but if you give us a second chance, you’ll be surprised and happy by how we are now.”

“We want you back in the family, Hazel,” Dad added.

Strange, I didn’t remember ever being officially out of it. As far as I could tell, we all stopped talking to each other, since our relationships had seemed completed. I had enough money to not need their support anymore. They were happy to focus entirely on Natalie.

“I’m sure Natalie would be more receptive to your offer,” I said.

“Natalie is a terrible, cruel child,” Mom said, her lips twisting downward into a harsh frown. “She never really appreciated us, or the many things we did for her. And of course when our friends found out that she wasn’t even ours…”

She put on a fake voice, “Why do you put up with such a brat who isn’t even your flesh and blood?”

Her voice back to normal, she added, “We really couldn’t argue with that logic.”

Except, they could have. They should have. Natalie was most definitely a brat, and cruel, and terrible, but she was still one of the two daughters they adopted. By adopting us, Mom and Dad had taken on the responsibility of loving us unconditionally.

Ever, there love had conditions. For most of my life, I had thought those conditions applied to me and not Natalie, but now I could see, we both were never quite good enough in the eyes of our parents to deserve their full love.

“Why now?” I had so many questions. This seemed like the best place to start. “We haven’t spoken in a very long time. Why would you come around now?”

The timing was incredibly suspicious. There had been nowhere to be found while I struggled and suffered in this war against Mr. Hatfield Senior. So many times, they could have come forward to publicly support me.

Instead of my own parents, I had to rely on the support of the Christopher’s to help me guide me as parents should.

Where were my parents then?

Why come around now, when the tide of public opinion was washing more in favor of Logan and me.

“We finally realized the mistakes we’d made,” Mom said. “That takes time.”

“Did you watch the interview yesterday? Did you hear what Natalie said when she called in?” I asked.

“No,” Mom said, just as Dad said, “Yes.”

The glanced at each other.

“Yes,” Mom said, just as Dad said, “No.”

Like that, the reality of what was really going on set into me with crystal-clear clarity.

They had seen the interview and heard how Natalie said they valued her more than me. Nothing Natalie said painted them in a good light as parents.

Always, my parents only cared about their own reputation and how they were perceived. They didn’t actually care about their own children.

For a long time, Natalie was favored because she was more beautiful and more outgoing. She made the best impression among their friends and acquaintances.

Now, however, the tables had turned. Natalie was the outspoken, gold-digging embarrassment, and I was the one gaining popularity and favor.

“Admit it,” I said, my voice calm – eerily so, like the rest of me. “You only want me back in the family because you look bad now.”

I felt like something inside of me finally snapped. Maybe the younger version of me inside of myself finally turned their back on these people, no longer willing to accept the pain they offered. They weren’t worth the trouble or the aggravation.

“Natalie called you out in front of everyone,” I continued. “Your reputations are in shambles. Your friends probably didn’t realize how big of assholes you truly are. But they now know. And you realize the only way back into their good graces is for me to accept you back into mine.”

Mom and Dad both pale. Mom, sitting fully upright in her chair, starts squawking like a bird.

“I… It’s… That’s… Ah…”

Logan gave me a small, supportive smile, encouraging me.

Suddenly, with him beside me, I felt the flood gates open and years of repressed truths started pouring out of me.

“You’ve always treated me like trash,” I told them. “On good days, you ignored me. On bad days, you made me Natalie’s servant. You never supported anything I did. I had to drop out of soccer because you refused to drive me to practice or pay for my uniform.”

“We’re not made of money,” Mom said. “You should have paid for it yourself.”

“I was six,” I countered.

“You are making excuses,” Mom said. “If you wanted to play soccer so badly, you would have found a way to get there on your own.”

God, they really hadn’t changed at all.

“Growing up, you locked me in my room for days, only sliding candy bars under the door.”

“Milk chocolate has milk in it,” Mom said.

“You constantly berated me, calling me ugly and useless.”

“We made you strong,” Dad said.

“No,” I snapped. “You pushed me down again and again, making me believe that I belonged in the dirt. That your table scraps were all I could ever hope for in life. Thanks to you, I didn’t think I’d ever find someone who truly loved and appreciated me. I didn’t even know what that felt like!”

Those phones were facing our table once again. This time, I suspected, they were recording.

I didn’t care.

“I will never want back into your family,” I said with finality. Looking at Logan and the pride in his face, I added, “I already have one of my own.”

For a moment, Mom and Dad were speechless, expressions reflecting their shock.

Then, Mom’s brow lowered. Her upper lip curled. When she spoke, venom dripped from her words, “You ungrateful bitch.”