The Geek Revolution ✓

57 | daughter

"When she and Terrence told her parents, they were adamant she had to keep the child. They were heavily religious and anti-abortion. But they were convinced she had failed their family. The church. Suki was preparing to face a shit storm — ostracisation, bullying, ruined employment prospects, financial strain, a dwindling support network."

Grimly, I nod. As far removed from the entire situation as I am, I have been in Carsonville long enough to understand what Delaney is talking about.

While the town is not so small that everyone is growing up in each other's houses, it's small enough for news to travel like a hot flame on dry paper, and small enough for its core values to be traditionally conservative.

"Her parents decided to move to Washington. She said Terrence tried to help. He really did. But there was not enough support for her here in Carsonville, financial, emotional, educational. Plus, she didn't really have a choice since she was sixteen at the time. Suki told me she never heard about the false rumours about her."

Delaney continues, "But if she had to guess, Brittany probably spread them after she left to help her family save face. The Stansons were very close to the Yamatos because they went to the same church, they were both a part of the Japanese-American community. Sounds like a Brittany thing to do, she said. Brittany looked after me in ways I didn't know I needed."

I guess I can understand that. Madison told me the ways Brittany defended her against her own bullies, even if it meant becoming one herself. It sounded like Brittany turned into a vicious protector of vulnerable girls. Suki might just be one of them.

Drew's eyebrows pinch quizzically, like nothing of what Delaney said makes any sense. "What? So that whole drama about her was a scam? We all felt sorry for her, only to have the rumour be partially true?"

In an instant, Delaney's frazzled demeanour vanishes, replaced with a piercing stare towards Drew. "Well, can you blame her? We know better than anyone how vicious this town can be. And she was sixteen."

"Okay, okay," Drew exclaims. "I'm not judging her at all. Just... so weird." Clearly, he's having trouble wrapping his head around the whole Terrence-has-a-baby thing.

"Besides, it seems to have worked out exactly how she wanted. She got to start afresh and finish her last year of high school on her terms, supported by family and without a fixed schedule."

"Well, would you look at that," Leah marvels. "The Monarchy actually used their social influence for good."

"I know. But Suki said she couldn't be happier with how things panned out, so as her kind-of friend, I'm happy for her."

That's that, then. Suki is fine, Terrence is fine, everything should be fine.

But an annoying thought in the back of my head reminds me of the pressing issue at hand: how I wanted and attained each of the Monarchs' secrets, but am clueless as to whether I can, in good conscience, even use the information I found. When I started digging, I never expected to stumble on a minefield this large.

"What about Terrence? This must be what Brittany is exploiting. How can he ever leave her side with something like this weighing on him?"

With Derek, Reece and Madison, I was hopeful that Brittany's tight grip on them could be eventually released. Their secrets didn't seem insurmountable. But this is a person's daughter we're talking about — and if Terrence has stuck by such a villainous woman's side through this much, I don't think he'll ever leave. He'd probably do anything for his daughter.

"No idea. Here I was thinking about the least taxing way to flunk my exams," Drew's lips curl into a mocking smile, "—when a guy my age has a daughter."