Page 61 of Liberating Lily

Sure. Right. That would be so much easier.

“I’m not going to do this, Mother. I’m not dating Rick.”

“You are dating Rick. You are going to marry Rick.”

“No!”

“He’s already told your sister that he’s dating you,” her mother said calmly.

How could she be so calm when she was hurting her own daughters like this?

“Then I’ll tell her the truth!”

“Oh, Lily, I didn’t think it would come to this. I thought you would obey me. But I can’t have you ruining my plans.”

Her mother picked up her phone and typed in something.

What was she doing?

And why was Lily standing there? She needed to leave . . . she had to go and explain to Clem what was going on. She turned and headed toward the door.

“She thinks you’ve been sleeping with him behind her back.”

Lily froze at the door. Those words stabbed her in the stomach. The pain was unreal and had her bending over and gasping for breath.

What . . . no! No, that couldn’t be right.

Her mother was lying to her.

She had to be, because if that was the truth . . . oh God.

“Clem . . . she wouldn’t think that.” Lily turned to her mother, aware that she must look as devastated as she felt.

“Of course she would, Lily. Because Rick just told her that.” Her mother held up her phone. “That was our plan if you didn’t do what we wanted.”

It was the truth, wasn’t it? Rick the Dick had done that. And her mother had told him to. Had planned this with him.

Lily was going to be sick.

Bending over, she vomited all over her mother’s pristine beige carpet.

“Lily, what a reaction. That is disgusting. What is wrong with you?”

What was wrong with her? What was wrong with her mother? Standing, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth.

“I’m not doing it. I don’t care what you told Clem. And I don’t care what you want. What Rick wants. I’m not dating him or marrying him or betraying my sister. I’m leaving. Now.”

She turned and reached for the door handle.

“Lily, I didn’t want to have to do this.”

“Do what?”

“I really thought you would comply. You’re usually so obedient. Not sure why you think you get to do what you want now, but you don’t. Because you’re my daughter, my asset, and that means you do what I say.”

Shaking her head, Lily turned just as her mother lunged at her. Opening her mouth, she screamed as the older woman pinned her against the closed door.

“What are you doing? Let me go!”