Kara swallowed, glancing left and right. “It’s not that bad. Mortimer said—”
“Mortimer!”
“Yeah, he said that I’d just have to say a few things, and then he’d pay me. It’s not lasting damage. People will find out it wasn’t true in a couple days,” Kara said. “And look.” She lifted her phone and showed me her banking app. “See? He’s already paid me.” There were a lot of zeroes there. “It’s enough to pay for Dad’s hospital bills, and I can put some of it away too. You know, so I don’t have to do porn anymore. This is a good thing.”
“No, Kara. It’s not a good thing. You’re just as bad as Mortimer. You’re a user.”
“I did what I had to do to help Dad,” Kara snapped, tossing her hair back. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
“Oh yeah? Weren’t you the one who lied to everyone about being engaged? For money? You already did the exact same thing as me.”
“That’s different! And how do you even know about that?” I asked.
“Mortimer told me,” she said, simply. “He had some private investigator lady plant a recording thing on Damien at this party you two went to, and then he contacted me and told me what was going on and that he was concerned for your safety because Damien is, like, unstable or whatever.”
“You’re so… how could you believe him?” Was she really trying to pass off what she’d just done as some form of misplaced concern? “I don’t—Kara, you’ve ruined everything.”
“No, I’ve saved everything.” She flashed me the banking app again. “I don’t see you coming up with any great sum of money to help Dad. You’ve always been on this high horse about being there for him and protecting him and all that shit, but you never did what it took to make sure he had what he needed. If you had, he probably wouldn’t be as sick as he is now.”
It didn’t matter that the statement didn’t make any sense. It still felt as if she’d kicked me in the stomach. I could barely breathe as I stared at her.
“Who are you?” I asked. “What happened to the Kara I grew up with?”
“Oh, you mean the one who always lived in your perfect shadow? She got tired of being the one who was always left behind. Miss White-Tail High Dux. Miss Everybody Wants Me.” Kara rolled her eyes. “You’re a failure now, and if you want to get anywhere, you’re going to have to rely on me for a change. And treat me very nicely at that. Especially if you want financial help. Who’s the one who has to pay rent now?”
“You can keep your fucking money,” I said. “I don’t want it. It’s dirty and disgusting.”
Kara blinked like it was unfathomable anyone would turn down cash.
“I’m going to the news stations, the papers, everyone,” I said. “Today. And I’m going to tell them that you lied.”
Kara shrugged. “I don’t care who knows,” she said. “I did what I had to do. I have the money now, and no one can take that away from me.”
“Damien could sue you for slander. And I hope you didn’t file a police report, because you can get in trouble for that too.”
“He won’t sue me,” Kara said. “He likes you, so he won’t sue me.”
“Oh yeah?” I fisted my hips. “Well, you can bet I’ll be encouraging him to do just that.”
“You wouldn’t,” Kara said, laughing. “Come on, we’re twins. Blood is thicker than water.”
“Now it’s thicker than water? Didn’t seem that thick when you were on TV pretending to be me.”
My sister had gone pale. She stowed her phone and folded her arms. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it is, Hazel.”
“You’re not my sister anymore,” I said and walked off, leaving her standing in the hall alone, my insides burning with anger. I would come back later when Kara wasn’t hanging around with Dad. Being in the same room with her was out of the question, right now.
It was time for damage control.
40
Damien
A few days later…
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into the reception area in front of my father’s office. The doors were closed as usual, and the new receptionist looked up from her computer screen. Her eyes widened and she scrambled upright. “I’m sorry, sir, but you’re not allowed up here.”
“Oh yeah?” I laughed. “You don’t even know me.”
“You’re Damien Woods.”
“Shit, OK. I’ll sign an autograph for you later. Right now? I’ve got business to attend to.” I strode past her, ignoring the clatter of her high heels on the wooden floor, and pushed my father’s office doors open.
He was on a conference call, standing behind his desk with a golf club slung over one shoulder. He caught sight of me and froze.
“Hello, Mortimer,” I said.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Woods,” the receptionist whispered, shifting weight from one foot to the other. “I couldn’t stop him.”
“I’ll call you back, Harold.” My father tapped the button on his phone then turned to his receptionist. “You’re fired. Clear out your personal effects and leave.”
The woman trembled on the spot.
“Trust me, you’re better off,” I said to her. I wanted to feel guilty, but my father would’ve only used her until she lost value to him then fired her anyway. This way, she’d wind up skipping out on all the old man sex.
The young woman had gone pale. She fled the room and shut the door behind her.
“Mortimer strikes again,” I said, coldly.
My father stretched out his hand, likely to press a button that would summon security to his office.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“What the hell are you doing here, Damien?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be covering your own ass? You’re the new face of abusive relationships.”
“Shit, you haven’t been
