Chapter 12 - WHAT EVERYONE WAS REALLY AFRAID OF
The Mercers met once more at Barbara’s house.
Lawyers were not present.
Maddie almost refused to go.
She changed her mind because Barbara had asked Ethan and Cody to come too.
Maddie wanted everyone who had laughed beside the pool to hear the same facts at the same time.
Bradley stood near the fireplace.
Barbara sat at the dining table.
Ethan could barely look at Maddie.
Cody looked irritated.
“So what?” Cody said. “We’re all supposed to apologize because Brad made a bad joke?”
Maddie turned toward him.
“You blocked the ladder.”
Cody stopped talking.
Bradley said, “Leave them out of this.”
Maddie almost laughed.
“That’s interesting coming from you.”
Barbara told Bradley to explain the document.
“Mom.”
“Explain it.”
Bradley looked at Maddie.
“I knew you wouldn’t give me the money if you knew you weren’t on the property.”
Nobody moved.
Maddie had expected denial.
The admission hurt differently.
“Why?”
Bradley’s eyes reddened.
“Because I needed one thing that wasn’t yours.”
“With my ninety-two thousand dollars.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then tell me what you mean.”
Bradley finally did.
He was afraid of becoming his father.
His father had spent the last decade of his life depending financially on Barbara while reminding everyone that the house was “his.”
Bradley despised him for it.
Then Bradley’s own business failed.
Every month Maddie carried them made him feel closer to the man he hated.
Instead of admitting that shame, he turned Maddie into its source.
“When you paid for things,” Bradley said, “I felt like everybody could see it.”
Maddie looked around the room.
“Nobody could see it. I spent years making sure they couldn’t.”
Barbara covered her mouth.
Bradley looked down.
Maddie continued.
“You didn’t hate that I embarrassed you. You hated that I knew the truth.”
Bradley said nothing.
“And Saturday?”
His voice was barely audible.
“I wanted them laughing at you instead of looking at me.”
Maddie nodded.
Finally, one part made complete sense.
May you like
Cruelty had given Bradley ten seconds of status.
It cost him his marriage.
