[A/N. I'm already thinking about two more stories continuing on from this
one, but I am not sure whether or not this is a good idea!]
SIXTEEN:
"When I told you I had no money that wasn't technically true. I've got the profits from the sale of the Logan estate in the bank. I've also got money my real grandfather, the judge, gave me for college." I admitted.
My mother raised an eyebrow. "So why are you telling us this now? Have you come here to gloat about how rich you are?" She asked.
"No!" I protested. "I wouldn't do that Mommy, and I'm surprised you'd even think I would."
"Touchy." Archie muttered and I shot him a dark look. He shrugged and got up to get a drink. "G&T Gina?"
"Yes, thanks Archie." My mother replied, and she leant back on the couch with a sigh. "Well Melody- get on with it. We don't have all night."
I frowned, shocked that she would be so openly rude. "Well it's like this Mommy. When I found out that Uncle Jacob could be my father I left Provincetown in a hurry. I didn't even explain to Cary why. Instead I just ran away in the middle of the night like a coward. But in all this time I've never been able to get Cary out of my mind completely. I love him."
"Spare us the soap opera drama." Archie said coming back in and handing my mother her drink. "What's this got to do with the dosh?"
"Archie's right Melody. We were planning on going to a bar near here to celebrate with some of our friends. You know I'd take you along- I think some people you met in my old apartment block would be there and they'd remember you as my little sister- but it's going to be a pretty good party, not the sort you'd be used to." My mother explained.
"Okay," I said coldly. "This is my proposition: Mommy, I need to know who my father is for sure. If you can tell me the truth I'll give you some money."
Archie and my mother exchanged looks, and I saw Archie's smirk.
"That's it?" My mother asked incredulously. "That's all and we get the money?"
"That's all. But there is one little catch." I said, and I saw my mother sigh.
"A catch. There's always a catch with you isn't there Melody?" She asked.
"How much is the money?" Archie interrupted. "If it isn't enough, if it's not worth it I'll advise Gina not to say a word."
I glared at him. "Enough money to pay your rent comfortably here for the next year. Is that enough for me to get the truth, MISTER Marlin?"
"You always were a smart mouthed little bitch. Let me tell you now if you were my child I'd have given you a spanking to remember a long time ago." Archie snarled at me.
"If I were your child I would have ran away a long time ago." I replied.
"What's the catch then Melody?" My mother interrupted our arguing.
"The catch is this: I'm going to have a contract drawn up, and should you lie to me about this you won't get a cent." I said.
Archie snorted. "Why would she lie to you? Your own mother lie to you?" He asked frowning. "You should show some respect-"
"-with all due respect, Mr. Marlin," I said angrily. "My mother has proven herself on countless occasions to be a liar. As if faking her death to get away from her parental obligations weren't enough, she also lied to me in order to get money off me!"
Archie muttered something under his breath I couldn't quite catch and got up and walked down the hall to where I presumed their bedroom was.
"Melody, I never meant to hurt you. We've spoken about this before and I thought you understood that I-"
"-Mommy I don't want to talk about that again." I said with a sigh. "All I want is to know the truth so I can get on with my life. Oh, and Mommy, Teddy Jackson has consented to take a blood test to determine whether or not he is my father, so don't bother lying." I hadn't been planning on telling her this, but I felt as though it would be wrong to trick my own mother, no matter how shabbily she may have treated me in the past.
"I lied about Jacob. I lied about him because I didn't want anyone going round to the Jackson's place and making a scene. I thought if there was the chance that someone else was your father they'd be more likely to keep quiet." My mother said, her head bowed. "You've heard, of course, how your father and Uncle Jacob had a fight on the beach before Chester and I left for Sewell? Well it was partly because I blamed Samuel for the baby, and partly because I told Chester that there was also a chance that Jacob could be the father. Chester was furious! But I had to tell him that, just to make sure he didn't get back into contact with the family."
I couldn't believe it. "So why on earth did you tell me this? There's no reason for me not to marry Cary and you've led me to believe there was. You are the one responsible for all our pain and suffering!" I cried.
"Oh come on, think about it Melody. You could be a star. An actress, a music star- you could be anything other than a smelly fisherman's housewife!" My mother said rolling her eyes. "I did it for your own good."
"My own good?" I yelled. "You're sitting here and telling me it was for my own good? Let me tell you what I think Mommy. I think you thought if I didn't marry Cary I might change my mind and come back to you and you and that moronic boyfriend of yours could get your grubby hands on my money. And furthermore you thought how nice it would be to sever my ties with Provincetown, with the Logan family, who all know so well what you're really like!"
"That's not true Melody." My mother said. "I know you don't want to believe me-"
"-Why should I?" I yelled. "Give me one reason why I should believe anything you say!"
Archie came back into the room. "Stop this racket!" He snapped at me. "Don't upset Gina now when she's got a party to go to. She'll be the star there, and if she is upset it might harm her chances of getting more work."
"Stuff her work." I snapped back at him. "And stuff you too. You know something? You're not half the man my stepfather Chester was! Not even a third the man he was!" I was on a roll now, and I was angry and hysterical. To think my own mother could have done something so selfish which might have ruined my happiness forever.
Archie's lip curled as he stepped towards me. "Maybe I should show you what sort of a man I am kiddo." He said with a grin.
"Archie don't!" My mother said, and Archie stopped dead in his tracks in shock.
"What?" He asked.
"Just go and get ready, I'll get changed in a moment." My mother said, and Archie left the room.
"Isn't that nice?" I asked her. "You saved me from him this time, when last time you didn't even believe me about him!"
"We are going to the party. You're welcome to stay here the night since I assume you'll be flying back in the morning?" My mother asked, not responding to my comment.
"Yes, I'll be flying back to Provincetown first thing in the morning to see whether or not I can repair the damage to my relationship you've caused me." I replied coldly. "However I think I'll spend the night in the hotel."
"Money to burn hey?" Archie asked, coming back out, changed. In his fairly nice suit he looked weedier to me than ever. And the way he strutted- he actually strutted- made me stifle a laugh. It was just plain embarrassing!
"Thank you for telling me the truth Haille Logan." I said. "In future I no longer wish to have any contact with you. As far as I am concerned I have no mother."
I turned on my heel to walk out of the apartment, but my mother grabbed me by the arm. "Wait!" She said.
Despite my words I thought maybe, just maybe, she was going to say something that would make it all better. Make me love her again! I know that sounds silly, but every girl or woman wants their mother to love them!
"What about the money? We get the money right since I've told you the truth now?" My mother asked.
I couldn't speak for a moment I was so shocked. All she cared about was the money. "Yes you will get the money. Unlike you I keep my promises. But let me tell you something- I now believe that every word they said about you back in Provincetown was true. You're nothing but a low down, lying, whore."
My mother's face went pale and before I knew it she'd slapped me across the face so hard my neck jerked back with the impact.
"How dare you?" She cried. "I gave birth to you. My own flesh and blood!"
"Giving birth to someone doesn't make you a real parent." I told her, remaining calm despite the terrible stinging pain on my cheek. "Goodbye Mr. Marlin, Miss Simon. I hope everything goes well for you. I'll make sure the money is deposited in your bank account as soon as I can."
And I left. But once I was outside I let myself cry. I meant every word I said: as far as I was concerned now I had no mother. The fact that she only cared about money, and had been so incredibly selfish when it came to my happiness hurt me more than anything had ever hurt! All I wanted to do was to get back to Provincetown and hope it wasn't too late to mend bridges.
SIXTEEN:
"When I told you I had no money that wasn't technically true. I've got the profits from the sale of the Logan estate in the bank. I've also got money my real grandfather, the judge, gave me for college." I admitted.
My mother raised an eyebrow. "So why are you telling us this now? Have you come here to gloat about how rich you are?" She asked.
"No!" I protested. "I wouldn't do that Mommy, and I'm surprised you'd even think I would."
"Touchy." Archie muttered and I shot him a dark look. He shrugged and got up to get a drink. "G&T Gina?"
"Yes, thanks Archie." My mother replied, and she leant back on the couch with a sigh. "Well Melody- get on with it. We don't have all night."
I frowned, shocked that she would be so openly rude. "Well it's like this Mommy. When I found out that Uncle Jacob could be my father I left Provincetown in a hurry. I didn't even explain to Cary why. Instead I just ran away in the middle of the night like a coward. But in all this time I've never been able to get Cary out of my mind completely. I love him."
"Spare us the soap opera drama." Archie said coming back in and handing my mother her drink. "What's this got to do with the dosh?"
"Archie's right Melody. We were planning on going to a bar near here to celebrate with some of our friends. You know I'd take you along- I think some people you met in my old apartment block would be there and they'd remember you as my little sister- but it's going to be a pretty good party, not the sort you'd be used to." My mother explained.
"Okay," I said coldly. "This is my proposition: Mommy, I need to know who my father is for sure. If you can tell me the truth I'll give you some money."
Archie and my mother exchanged looks, and I saw Archie's smirk.
"That's it?" My mother asked incredulously. "That's all and we get the money?"
"That's all. But there is one little catch." I said, and I saw my mother sigh.
"A catch. There's always a catch with you isn't there Melody?" She asked.
"How much is the money?" Archie interrupted. "If it isn't enough, if it's not worth it I'll advise Gina not to say a word."
I glared at him. "Enough money to pay your rent comfortably here for the next year. Is that enough for me to get the truth, MISTER Marlin?"
"You always were a smart mouthed little bitch. Let me tell you now if you were my child I'd have given you a spanking to remember a long time ago." Archie snarled at me.
"If I were your child I would have ran away a long time ago." I replied.
"What's the catch then Melody?" My mother interrupted our arguing.
"The catch is this: I'm going to have a contract drawn up, and should you lie to me about this you won't get a cent." I said.
Archie snorted. "Why would she lie to you? Your own mother lie to you?" He asked frowning. "You should show some respect-"
"-with all due respect, Mr. Marlin," I said angrily. "My mother has proven herself on countless occasions to be a liar. As if faking her death to get away from her parental obligations weren't enough, she also lied to me in order to get money off me!"
Archie muttered something under his breath I couldn't quite catch and got up and walked down the hall to where I presumed their bedroom was.
"Melody, I never meant to hurt you. We've spoken about this before and I thought you understood that I-"
"-Mommy I don't want to talk about that again." I said with a sigh. "All I want is to know the truth so I can get on with my life. Oh, and Mommy, Teddy Jackson has consented to take a blood test to determine whether or not he is my father, so don't bother lying." I hadn't been planning on telling her this, but I felt as though it would be wrong to trick my own mother, no matter how shabbily she may have treated me in the past.
"I lied about Jacob. I lied about him because I didn't want anyone going round to the Jackson's place and making a scene. I thought if there was the chance that someone else was your father they'd be more likely to keep quiet." My mother said, her head bowed. "You've heard, of course, how your father and Uncle Jacob had a fight on the beach before Chester and I left for Sewell? Well it was partly because I blamed Samuel for the baby, and partly because I told Chester that there was also a chance that Jacob could be the father. Chester was furious! But I had to tell him that, just to make sure he didn't get back into contact with the family."
I couldn't believe it. "So why on earth did you tell me this? There's no reason for me not to marry Cary and you've led me to believe there was. You are the one responsible for all our pain and suffering!" I cried.
"Oh come on, think about it Melody. You could be a star. An actress, a music star- you could be anything other than a smelly fisherman's housewife!" My mother said rolling her eyes. "I did it for your own good."
"My own good?" I yelled. "You're sitting here and telling me it was for my own good? Let me tell you what I think Mommy. I think you thought if I didn't marry Cary I might change my mind and come back to you and you and that moronic boyfriend of yours could get your grubby hands on my money. And furthermore you thought how nice it would be to sever my ties with Provincetown, with the Logan family, who all know so well what you're really like!"
"That's not true Melody." My mother said. "I know you don't want to believe me-"
"-Why should I?" I yelled. "Give me one reason why I should believe anything you say!"
Archie came back into the room. "Stop this racket!" He snapped at me. "Don't upset Gina now when she's got a party to go to. She'll be the star there, and if she is upset it might harm her chances of getting more work."
"Stuff her work." I snapped back at him. "And stuff you too. You know something? You're not half the man my stepfather Chester was! Not even a third the man he was!" I was on a roll now, and I was angry and hysterical. To think my own mother could have done something so selfish which might have ruined my happiness forever.
Archie's lip curled as he stepped towards me. "Maybe I should show you what sort of a man I am kiddo." He said with a grin.
"Archie don't!" My mother said, and Archie stopped dead in his tracks in shock.
"What?" He asked.
"Just go and get ready, I'll get changed in a moment." My mother said, and Archie left the room.
"Isn't that nice?" I asked her. "You saved me from him this time, when last time you didn't even believe me about him!"
"We are going to the party. You're welcome to stay here the night since I assume you'll be flying back in the morning?" My mother asked, not responding to my comment.
"Yes, I'll be flying back to Provincetown first thing in the morning to see whether or not I can repair the damage to my relationship you've caused me." I replied coldly. "However I think I'll spend the night in the hotel."
"Money to burn hey?" Archie asked, coming back out, changed. In his fairly nice suit he looked weedier to me than ever. And the way he strutted- he actually strutted- made me stifle a laugh. It was just plain embarrassing!
"Thank you for telling me the truth Haille Logan." I said. "In future I no longer wish to have any contact with you. As far as I am concerned I have no mother."
I turned on my heel to walk out of the apartment, but my mother grabbed me by the arm. "Wait!" She said.
Despite my words I thought maybe, just maybe, she was going to say something that would make it all better. Make me love her again! I know that sounds silly, but every girl or woman wants their mother to love them!
"What about the money? We get the money right since I've told you the truth now?" My mother asked.
I couldn't speak for a moment I was so shocked. All she cared about was the money. "Yes you will get the money. Unlike you I keep my promises. But let me tell you something- I now believe that every word they said about you back in Provincetown was true. You're nothing but a low down, lying, whore."
My mother's face went pale and before I knew it she'd slapped me across the face so hard my neck jerked back with the impact.
"How dare you?" She cried. "I gave birth to you. My own flesh and blood!"
"Giving birth to someone doesn't make you a real parent." I told her, remaining calm despite the terrible stinging pain on my cheek. "Goodbye Mr. Marlin, Miss Simon. I hope everything goes well for you. I'll make sure the money is deposited in your bank account as soon as I can."
And I left. But once I was outside I let myself cry. I meant every word I said: as far as I was concerned now I had no mother. The fact that she only cared about money, and had been so incredibly selfish when it came to my happiness hurt me more than anything had ever hurt! All I wanted to do was to get back to Provincetown and hope it wasn't too late to mend bridges.