Ugly(68)

“Trent thinks I’m too fat.”

“Oh, well, then…” She pauses then whispers in her lowest voice, “please eat more.” She steps back, and kisses me on the cheeks. “You’re my only daughter-in-law and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” I answer her with a smile. I get a good look at her and see the dark circles under her eyes and her face looks haggard and sunken. “Are you okay?” I ask, concerned there’s something going on with her.

She smiles and brings me in for another hug. “I’ll be fine, dear. I’ll be fine.” She carefully places her arm around my shoulders and she walks us further into the entertainment area.

“Hello, Mr. Hackly,” I say as I walk past him.

“Lily,” he barely stops talking with Terri to acknowledge me.

Quietly, I sit beside Lina and say hello to anyone who looks my way. Martin is always the happy brother, and he’s not here yet. I welcome having him around because then I don’t feel under so much scrutiny from John’s lecherous, watchful eyes.

His gaze is always so sleazy and makes me feel very uncomfortable. He glares at me, as if he wants to consume me and rip me apart. “How are you, sweet Lily?” John asks when he comes into the room.

“Fine, thank you,” I answer coldly. I feel my shoulders stiffen and my body breaks out in goosebumps, and not the good kind.

“Tell me something, Trent?” John says, interrupting the conversation Trent and his dad are having.

“What would you like to know?” Trent asks.

“Whiskey, it’s good for you,” John says as he hands Trent a glass a quarter filled. “My question to you is, does Lily taste as sweet as I think she would?” he chuckles, then looks at me. Trent laughs it off, and goes back to talking to his dad. I suddenly feel like I’m going to vomit. What a horrible and poor excuse for a man. “Just joking, darlin’,” he says to me as I try to shrink into the chair.

I can’t stand this man. He’s so disgusting, with his inappropriate sexual remarks and the way his beady eyes always follow me around.

“Tell me, dear. Are you going to give me a grandbaby one day soon?” Lina asks in an almost hushed tone.

I look away from her begging, brown eyes. I don’t want to tell her about all the miscarriages, or the cause of them either. She looks frail and only marginally like the woman I met all those years ago. If I tell her, it will make her cry and I don’t want that. Instead, I lie. “We’re not ready yet.”

“You can’t wait too long, I’d like a happy home filled with love and grandbabies before my time on this earth is over.” Lina looks away and sighs. It seems as if the statement she’s just made has more meaning than she’s willing to share.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I rub my hand up and down her back. The moment my hand moves toward the bottom of her back, she winces and propels forward on her seat. “Tell me, Lina. Please tell me,” I beg her as I move my hand away at lightning speed in case I’m causing her pain.

“There’s nothing to tell.” She gives me a weak smile, and flicks her eyes over to where Mr. Hackly is sitting. “Nothing at all. Everything’s perfect. Well, it would be, if we had a baby in the family.” The joy in her words is contradicted by the sadness and heaviness in her eyes.

“Lily, can you come help me in the kitchen?”

I visibly shudder because the words are spoken from the one person who makes me ill. An electric bolt of fear tears through me and I can’t help but shake at the thought of being alone with John.

“I’m not feeling well, John. Lily’s just sitting with me, to make sure I’m okay,” Lina says as she squeezes my thigh.

“Thank you,” I whisper so low I’m sure Lina didn’t hear me. But she does, because she gives me the smallest of nods, telling me she understands.

“As we were saying, tell me about how the baby-making plans are going.”

“Lily, I really need some help,” John yells out and comes to the entertainment area door.

“I’m sorry, I tried,” Lina says in a soft and hushed voice.

“She’s lazy like this at home, too. I told her to make a pumpkin pie but she couldn’t be bothered. She said she didn’t have time. Like the little job I let her have takes up so much of her time,” Trent always mocks me and my work. I hate when he speaks so badly about me, but I also know if I say anything, he will get even more vicious and nasty. Sometimes, it’s best to just shut up and not fight back. “Get up, Lily. Go help in the kitchen.”