Chapter 3: The Reason Martha Hated Me
The ballroom was so quiet I could hear the soft crackling of the microphone.
Nick stared at the letter.
Then he looked at me.
“Lily, I’m sorry you had to find out this way.””
My hands trembled.
“What does it say?””
Nick swallowed.
“It says my mother doesn’t hate you because you’re poor.””
Martha immediately interrupted.
“That’s enough.””
But Nick kept reading.
“She hates you because you remind her of someone she lost.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Eleanor stepped closer.
“It means Lily reminds Martha of herself before she became obsessed with status.””
Martha’s face hardened.
“Stop pretending you know me.””
Eleanor looked at her.
“I knew you before the money changed you.””
The room filled with whispers.
Nick lowered the letter.
“My grandmother wrote that my mother used to be exactly like Lily.””
I looked confused.
“She was kind. She cared about people, not possessions.””
Martha laughed bitterly.
“And look where kindness got me.””
There it was.
The real Martha.
Not the polished woman who hosted charity events.
Not the woman who smiled for photographs.
A woman who believed love had a price.
Nick stepped closer.
“You became ashamed of where you came from.””
Martha’s eyes flashed.
“You don’t understand.””
“No, Mom. I do.””
She pointed at me.
“She would have dragged you down.””
Nick shook his head.
“You mean she would have reminded me what actually matters.””
Martha looked around the room.
“You’re all judging me?””
Nobody answered.
Because everyone already had.
The guests who once admired her were staring at her differently.
Like they were finally seeing the person behind the expensive clothes.
I touched my hair.
Or what was left of it.
The cut was uneven.
Embarrassing.
Painful.
But suddenly, it wasn’t the braid I was thinking about.
It was the fact that Martha wanted me to feel small.
And she failed.
Because Nick was standing beside me.
“I should have stopped this years ago,” he said.
I looked at him.
“You knew?””
His silence answered before his words did.
“Not everything.””
My heart sank.
“What did you know?””
Nick looked ashamed.
“I knew she had done something similar before.””
“Before?””
He nodded.
“When I was seventeen, my mother destroyed my grandmother’s old braid collection. She said it was embarrassing.””
I stared at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I thought it was in the past.””
Martha suddenly grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.””
Nick turned toward her.
“No.””
She froze.
“No?””
“No. You’re going to stay and listen.””
For once, Martha had no response.
Nick pointed toward the microphone.
“You wanted everyone here to watch Lily be humiliated.””
His voice dropped.
“So now everyone gets to watch the truth.””
Martha’s eyes narrowed.
“You wouldn’t dare.””
Nick smiled sadly.
“I’m your son. That’s why I’m giving you one chance to apologize.””
The room waited.
Martha looked at me.
For a moment, I thought maybe she would.
Maybe she would finally admit she was wrong.
Then she spoke.
“I’m sorry you’re so sensitive.””
The room erupted in shocked whispers.
Nick closed his eyes.
Like he expected it.
Like he was finally done hoping.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another envelope.
“Martha,” he said quietly.
“What’s that?”” she asked.
“This is the last thing you ever expected me to find.””
Her face changed.
“What is it?””
Nick looked at me.
May you like
Then back at his mother.
“The proof that you planned this wedding disaster weeks ago.””
