Forest Lake

Chapter 49

Emma POV

To say that I was nervous would be an understatement.

I hadn’t seen my dad in 9 years, and I really didn’t expect my mom to be here. What was I supposed to say to them? What was I supposed to do?

Mason noticed my nervousness and took my hand in his.

“If you want, I can call and tell them not to come.” he said softly.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Mason asked. “Are you feeling okay? Does your chest hurt?”

“I am fine, Massy.” I smiled at him. “I am just nervous.”

“I will be right here the whole time.” he mumbled, kissing the top of my head.

I smiled at him just as we heard someone knocking on the door.

I took a deep breath and Mason placed his arm around my shoulders.

“Come in.” he shouted.

The door opened and my mom and dad walked inside.

I kept my eyes on my dad. I hadn’t seen him in 9 years, but he was just as I remembered him. Nothing has changed, except his age. He did look a little bit older.

“Oh, my little girl.” my dad said and started walking toward me.

“Stop.” Mason said sternly. “You will not touch her.”

“I am not going to hurt her, Mason.” dad said, looking at me.

“I don’t give a shit.” Mason said. “Sit down and don’t come near her.”

I moved my eyes away from dad and looked at my mom. She was staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Sit down, Patricia.” Mason said angrily.

My mom narrowed her eyes at Mason. “You can’t talk to me like that. I am your mother.”

“You stopped being my mother the day you took my sister away from me.” Mason said as he chuckled darkly. “Now sit the fuck down.”

My mother sighed, but sat down on the chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her eyes on Mason.

“You are so beautiful, honey.” my dad said, making me look from my mom to him. “I missed you.”

Mason tightened his grip on me.

I studied my dad’s face. I was confused. If he missed me, why didn’t he reach out to me? Why did he separate Mason and me?

“Emma, honey, I am sorry about everything.” my dad continued. “If I knew what your life with that woman would be like, I would have kept you with me.”

“George, please.” my mom sighed. “You didn’t want her.”

It felt like a knife pierced my heart.

He didn’t want me?

“Enough!” Mason exclaimed loudly.

He was clenching his fists, and he looked pissed off.

“It’s okay, Mason.” I said, taking his hand in mine and unclenching his fist.

“It’s not okay!” he said, looking down at me. “They are hurting you again!”

I took a deep breath and looked at my dad.

“Why did you tell Mason that I didn’t want to see him or talk to him?” I asked him calmly.

I already knew the answer, but it was hard for me to accept it. I couldn’t believe that my parents were that selfish. I wish that there was another explanation.

“You already know why.” my dad said quietly. “I know that Mason told you.”

“He didn’t tell me.” I said, shaking my head. “I listened to your conversation that day. I just can’t believe it’s true. I can’t believe that you could be that selfish.”

“Selfish?” my mom exclaimed. “We were at each other’s throats all the time. We didn’t want you to listen to that all the time. We knew it would be best to separate.”

“Yes.” Mason said angrily. “The two of you should be the only ones who were separated. You should have never separated Emma and me!”

“I am sorry, Mase.” dad sighed, lowering his head.

“Sorry won’t undo what you did.” Mason said angrily.

There really wasn’t another explanation? Not that I would accept anything they said. There wasn’t a good enough reason for them to separate us. I was just hoping…

I sighed internally.

I didn’t know what I was hoping for.

Now that I was looking at my dad, I knew that nothing he would say could make it better.

Nothing could make me forgive them for what they did.

“I can’t forgive you.” I said. “You took my brother away from me. You left me with a woman who didn’t want me. I raised myself. I fed myself. I almost died because she didn’t take care of me. You said that you didn’t know what my life with her would be like, and that’s okay. You couldn’t have known. I couldn’t have known. But you would have found out if you reached out. You would have found out if you talked to me or visited me. You would have found out if you hadn’t taken my brother away from me.”

“I was working, Emma.” my mom said as soon as I finished. “I couldn’t be around all the time.”

“Don’t!” Mason shouted. “Stop talking! The only fucking reason you are here is because I want Emma’s money back. I don’t want to listen to your excuses. You don’t have any.”

“What money?” my mom asked nervously.

I could tell she knew exactly what Mason was talking about. And I knew that Mason could tell as well.

“My inheritance money.” I said, trying to stop my voice from shaking. “The money that my grandparents left me.”

“She didn’t give you the money?!” my dad shouted, his head snapping toward my mom. “What the fuck, Patricia?!”

“She is a child.” my mom sighed. “What would she do with 50 thousand dollars?”

“50 thousand dollars?!” I asked, shocked.

I looked up at Mason and he nodded.

“She will need that money to move out.” Mason said coldly, looking from me to our mom. “I suggest you give it back to her by the end of the week.”

“Or what?” my mom sighed, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, due to the unfortunate circumstances, we are now close to a bunch of detectives.” Mason said, clenching his fists again. “I wouldn’t have a problem telling them about this.”

“Not to mention what would happen to your career if I told them what you did to me, mom.” I said, trying to sound brave.

Standing up to her was very hard. She was my mom. I loved her. I wanted her love and care. I always did what I thought she would want just to see that she loved and cared for me.

“Are you blackmailing me, Emma?” my mom asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

I tensed up and immediately regretted saying anything.

“Stop looking at her like that.” Mason said, gritting his teeth. “She is not blackmailing you. That money is hers. She deserves it and you will give it back.”

My mom wanted to argue, but Mason interrupted her.

“I’ve had enough.” he said as he stood up. “Both of you can leave now. This was a terrible idea. I wanted to honor Emma’s decision, and I did. But I am done. The only thing you did was hurt her again. You didn’t even bother to ask how she is.”

My dad glanced at me and wanted to speak, but Mason raised his hand and stopped him.

“It’s too late now, George.” Mason said. “I think that Emma was loud and clear when she said that she wouldn’t forgive you. You can leave now. Patricia, you have until the end of the week to give the money back to Emma or I will report you.”

“Emma, honey…” my dad started speaking, but Mason interrupted him again.

“I told you to leave.” Mason said angrily.

“Is that what you really want, Emma?” my dad asked.

I gulped and nodded. I just couldn’t forgive him.

Dad looked at Mason before he stood up and left the room.

“Goodbye, Patricia.” Mason said coldly. “I will see you at the end of the week.”

Mom shot us both a glare before leaving the room as well.

Mason sighed and turned back to me. “I am proud of you.”

“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to cry or not. They didn’t deserve my tears, but they were my parents. It hurt to be treated like that.

“You were very brave.” Mason said as he sat down next to me and wrapped me up in a hug. “It couldn’t have been easy to stand up to her like you did.”

“It wasn’t.” I mumbled.

Mason kissed the top of my head, and I relaxed into his arms.

Even though the conversation didn’t go very well, I was glad I talked to my parents. I didn’t want to ask myself ‘what if’ one day and now I wouldn’t. Now I knew exactly who my parents were.