Severing Ties (Book 2. Ties)

1. Never Getting Her Back

What the hell was wrong with my life? That was a recurring question in my head. It was like every summer something tragic had to happen. I'm so dang salty. 2008—my brother, Johnathan, crossed the line and went over to the side where all the dead walk around (wherever that may be). 2009—I found out that my dad, Nicholas, had cheated on my mom, Élisabeth, twenty-three years ago. What was worse was that during the time he had an affair, his mistress on the side became pregnant. The woman my father had the fling with was my ex-boyfriend's mom which meant we shared a half-sister, Nicole.

I had overheard my father and Claire speak about their past relationship and the daughter they had in common. It was Nicole's wedding day when I discovered all the lies that had been happening. I broke things off with my then boyfriend, Levi. That same night I flew to New York where my aunt and uncle lived. Joy was my father's older sister who I loved and appreciated. She had been caring and thoroughly attentive the few times I had gone to New York, always making me feel at home.

I lived with my aunt Joy and my uncle Peter and their son, Ezra, during that summer of sadness. It was a rough and unhappy summer for me. For two days I stayed in my bedroom all day, and my aunt would come in to offer me food or ask if I wanted to do something. I would always decline nicely and continue my moping alone. But on my third day there, I had a visitor.

My mother showed up. "What are you doing here?" My body remained in bed with my two-day-old pajamas and slightly greasy hair.

The woman shut the door behind her and walked to me. "I'm your mother, and you have to be with me." She sat at the edge of my bed.

"I just want to be alone right now, Mother. When you went to France for weeks, I didn't follow you. Besides, I'm eighteen, and I'm not going back to to Texas with you," I said stubbornly as I sat up in my bed.

"Who said we're going back to Texas? And I gave you three days to think."

I stared at my mom with displeasure. "Three days is nothing; you don't play fair."

"Life isn't fair, May," she said seriously.

"Oh I know all right. That statement has been proven many times to me." I stayed quiet for a second as I tried to digest what she had said before. "What do you mean we're not going back to Texas?"

She looked away before answering. "Your father and I are getting a divorce." She stopped and set her eyes on me, waiting for a reaction. My eyes widened, but I quickly gained my composure back. "When I was pregnant with Johnathan, your father looked at someone else to give him the pleasures I had stopped giving him when I was around four months along in my pregnancy."

"Ew, Mom, I don't want to hear this!" I threw a pillow over my face.

"Mackenzie, you need to hear this; stop being immature," my mother scolded.

"Sorry," I muttered and sat back up.

Once I was situated, she continued with her speech or more like story telling time. "I did not have any pregnancy symptoms until I was almost five months, and the symptoms hit me hard when they did. I was basically on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. As a result, your father had an affair during that time." For a second, she looked like she was going to cry but stopped herself. "I hired a detective because I suspected something. And sure enough, he was doing someone on the side."

"Mom!" I had never heard her speak so explicitly.

"Sorry." She smiled apologetically. "I told the detective that all I wanted to know was what he was doing not who. Stupid me, right?" She scoffed and bit her lip for a second before resuming with retelling her past. "I confronted him, and he begged me to stay. At that point I did not know Claire Ellison or that she was the one who had an affair with my husband. I only found out it was her when you told me."