Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 146477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Not even close.
Nerves capture me in a chokehold before I finally lift my hand and knock against the heavy wood, ignoring the fancy ornate knocker that looks freshly installed. I blow out a breath, but before I can even take another, the huge door swings open to reveal my mom’s beaming billionaire husband.
Elias Slater.
He stares back at me, offering me a forced smile which quickly turns into a moment of awkward silence between us. The two of us have never meshed well. I don’t have anything against him, I just don’t know him. Nor has he gone out of his way to get to know me either, but I prefer it this way. After all, what’s the point? In a few years, my mother will find someone impossibly richer and Elias will be an afterthought.
Come to think of it, I wonder how tight that prenup was. I’d love to get my hands on a copy of that, if only for a few seconds.
“Harper,” Elias booms, his forced smile morphing into something a little more genuine. “How lovely to see you again.”
“Uhh, thanks,” I say, feeling just as awkward as his greeting.
The words have barely left my mouth before my mother steps into Elias’ side, her face already scrunched with irritation. She doesn’t say a word, just stares at me, her gaze starting at my face before dropping to my body and scanning over every inch of me. “Oh,” she says, sounding off guard. “You’re uhhh . . . It’s nice to see you actually put a little bit of care into your appearance for a change.”
“Good to see you too, Mom.”
“Would it kill you to at least pretend to be happy to see me?” she murmurs, stepping in closer and keeping her tone low. “Everybody is here. Do not cause a scene.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Her lips press into a hard line, and she drops her gaze down my body again, the judgment in her eyes stinging like a bee. And with that, she lets out a huff of disapproval, plasters a fake smile across her face, and turns on her heel to return to her many guests.
I’m left hovering in the open doorway with Elias, and he attempts another welcoming smile. “Don’t take it to heart,” he says almost like a coo. “Your mother loves you. She’s just nervous about the party. She’s put so much effort into making tonight perfect.”
“Right.”
“Why don’t you come on in? Make yourself at home and mingle. Your brother is here somewhere,” he tells me. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you again. How long has it been? Two? Three years?”
Jonah is here?
It was nice of him to call and let me know he was coming. I could have bought something for the kids, maybe arranged some time to catch up after the bullshit parade Mom insists on putting on.
“Three,” I confirm with a cringe.
Jonah and I have a strange relationship. We’ve never had a falling out, but we’ve never gone out of our way to build a healthy relationship either. Jonah was always the kid who could do no wrong. He was the perfect big brother who set the bar so impossibly high that I didn’t stand a chance of trying to reach it. Next to him, I was always pathetic.
He was the favorite. He was coddled and swooned over, celebrated and loved. While I was nothing but a disappointment—the stain on Mom’s shimmering reputation. I’ve always resented Jonah because of it, and that resentment forced a huge wedge between us.
I do what I can to avoid him because the reminder of how inferior I am stings too much. At the same time, Jonah goes out of his way to avoid Mom because the pressure of always having to be perfect is suffocating.
He lives out of state with his wife and twin daughters, raising them in a way that is nothing at all like how we were raised. He’s a great father, the kind I always wished we had growing up, and his wife, Emily, is simply beautiful. Inside and out.
His avoidance of Mom is partially why I haven’t seen him in three years, but I can’t pretend it’s all on him. We’re just shitty siblings. There’s nothing more to it.
I give Elias an awkward smile before stepping through the open doorway. People are everywhere, and despite bringing my A game, I still feel severely underdressed. The women around me look ready for the Met Gala, and all I can do is roll my eyes. They’re aware this is just a dinner party, right?
I try to find amusement in it as I walk deeper into the lavish mansion, passing through the grand foyer and into the open living and dining area. As I gaze around, looking past the people and to the actual home, I pull myself up, my brow arching as I take it all in.