I suspected she thought I wasn’t good enough for her son.
I suspected she believed her family was superior to mine.
What I didn’t understand was how far she was prepared to go to maintain control.
I had mistaken ordinary cruelty for the worst she could do.
I had mistaken Grayson’s calmness for honesty.
And I had mistaken being kind to Saoirse for listening to her.
That last mistake still hurts the most.
Because the warning had been there.
She hadn’t demanded that I believe every word she said. She hadn’t asked me to take sides or start a family war.
She had offered nine words.
*Whatever they put in your name, get your own solicitor.*
I laughed because I didn’t want to believe that the man I loved might be capable of deceiving me.
Then I carried her warning straight back to him.
I thought I was being fair.
