Unlucky in Love

"I honestly have no idea what to do," I told my dad.

I was out walking Poppy, and my dad had called me to ask how Isabel was doing. I gave him the shortened version of our little conversation (her accusation and my outburst) and he seemed to not be paying any attention.

"Just don't do anything, Ember. Give her space."

"She's eight years old," I said flatly. "I'm not going to give an eight-year-old space, especially when she's staying in my house and being a little brat to everyone."

He sighed on his end, and I heard a female voice talking to him quietly. I waited for about a minute, and then he came back on the line. "Ember, we're going to take the next flight out, okay?"

"Why?"

"So we can pick up my daughter and so I can meet my granddaughter."

I sighed quietly. She's been here for nine months, and he hasn't even bothered to ask for a picture. "How convenient that you're meeting my daughter when you have to come get yours." I said, keeping my voice calm. "How long will you stay for? Until tonight?"

"As long as I'd like to, Ember." He told me in his usually stern demeanor. "I have to go, I'll see you later on tonight."

Ashton hung up, and I flipped my phone shut and slipped it into my purse. Poppy and I continued to walk down the road, and I tried to avoid Leah's house, but with no luck. Poppy just had to be drawn over here. I tugged on her leash to get her to come across the street to go home, but she started to bark up at their house repeatedly.

"Poppy!" I hissed, and she just kept barking.

Leah came out and stood on her porch, her arms folded across her chest. "Can you keep that bitch of yours quiet, please?"

"Sorry, she just won't stop barking."

"Yes, like that's an excuse."

I rolled my eyes and tugged on her leash with enough force to get her to follow me across the street and into the house. But she barked the whole time and even inside the house. I let her off the leash, and she went to her dog bed and whined, her eyes still in the direction of their house.

I sat down on my knees next to her. "Poppy, what's wrong?" I murmured, stroking her ears. She started to growl, and then Dominic came down the stairs and she barked sharply at him. "What the hell is wrong with our dog?" I hissed at him.

He glanced across the street and sighed, not wanting to tell me something. "I kind of sold her one of the puppies."

I stood up without even thinking about it and went over to him. "What did you do?"

"I sold her a puppy."

My hand shot across his face hard enough that I heard it smack sharply. "How could you do that?" I screeched. "I told her I didn't want her to have one!"

"Ember, she gave me seven hundred dollars for one of the girls."

"Which one?"

"The really dark one," he said.

Poppy growled even more. "That one was Poppy's favorite. It's no wonder she hates you now."

Dominic scoffed. "The dog doesn't hate me." he argued.

"I would hate you,"

"I would never sell one of your children."

I sat down on the edge of the couch and looked at Poppy, who was growling and whining mournfully. "I wish our parents had felt that way."

Dominic sat next to me. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged simply. "We were sold. I was sold to you so my parents could live a life of luxury."

"You weren't sold," he argued. I gave him a look. "Okay, you kind of were."

I nodded and stood up. "Oh!" I turned to face him. "My dad's coming in tonight to get Isabel, and to meet Emma."

"Great," he said sarcastically.

* * *

"Where's my little princess?" Ashton asked when I opened the door for him.

"Upstairs," I said, holding the door open for him. He went past me, followed by a woman with dark auburn hair and brownish-green eyes. "So I take it you're Margeaux?"

She smiled at me. "Am I that obvious?"

I scoffed. "No, you just seem like the type to go after a rich, widowed, father of two." I said with the same tone she had. Her smile instantly faded. "But please, make yourself at home!" I said, my voice perky and upbeat.

Margeaux walked past me and followed my dad upstairs. A few minutes later, they came down with Isabel and all of her stuff.

"Thank you for letting me stay for the week." Isabel said in a tone that sounded rehearsed.

"Sure," I muttered.

The door opened and I smiled widely when Dominic came in with Emma. She really was the best thing in my life.

"Hello, Dominic," Ashton said politely.

"Hi, Ashton." he replied. He handed Emma over to me and went into the kitchen to put the groceries away. I had given him a list, and I so hoped he stuck to it.

Margeaux cleared her throat. "Ashton, sweetheart, we should probably be going. I don't want to inconvenience your step-daughter any longer than we already have."

"Step-daughter?" I asked sharply. I turned to my dad. "Wow, you're really sinking that low?"

"Ember," he started in a pleading way.

I held up my hand. "Don't bother, Mr. Devereux. Just take your kid and go." I went into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table, holding Emma on my lap.

I was actually disowned by my own father.

"Ember," Ashton had followed me to the kitchen. "What did you expect me to tell her?"

"That I'm your daughter!" I cried.

He sighed, and I stood up and went to face him. "Ember, how would it look if I told her that I had a daughter who got married and had a baby at eighteen years old?"

"It was your idea!" I yelled at him. "I wouldn't have gotten married if you and Mom hadn't been so consumed with your own lives! You willingly gave me up for your own needs. You didn't even think about what I wanted! All you could think about was your company, and your wife who kept draining your bank account! God, Dad, do you have any idea what it's like knowing that you're just a pawn in somebody's sick game? Do you have any idea what it's like being forced into a situation that you have no control over? You did this to me."

"We did what we thought was best at the time."

I scoffed. "Dad, you forced me into a marriage so you could give Mom everything she wanted. And I was the obedient one. I got married. I had a baby...I did everything you've ever asked me to do, and it still wasn't enough." I sniffled. "Okay, I'm not good enough to be your daughter, I get it. But I never wanted to believe it. I thought you'd always be my dad and always be there for me, but I was wrong." I wiped my eyes and held Emma closer to me. "But can you just tell me what I did to make you hate me?"

His eyes were hard and showed no compassion. "My wife didn't want to live because of your choices."

"Your choices!" I screamed at him. "She did it because of you! She did it because she didn't want to force this on me, and you wouldn't listen to her! She wanted something better for me, and you wouldn't give her that. Mom loved me. She despised you!" I hissed at him. I was shaking so hard that Emma started to cry. "Please, just go." I whispered, trying to calm Emma down.

"We're not done talking," He snapped. "You're an ungrateful little bitch, and I wish to God Andrea had gotten rid of you when she had the chance."

With that, he turned and walked out, and I heard the front door open and slam shut. After a moment I realized I was hyperventilating, and Dominic took Emma quickly and set her in her high chair, and then came over to me and rubbed my back while I tried to get my breathing under control.

About two minutes later, I could breathe deeply again. Dominic lowered us to the floor so we were sitting, and his arm was around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder and took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"Em?"

"Hmm?"

He stroked my waist soothingly. "You're not an ungrateful bitch."

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breath. "I know,"

"You're none of the things he said."

"I know. Thank you," I kissed his neck.

He rubbed my thigh with his left hand. "And we have Emma. She's worth it all, right?"

"She's worth everything and more. We don't deserve her."

"Yes, we do. She's our own piece of perfection."

I sniffled. "She's better. I'll never let her go."

And as I said that, I knew it was true. I now understood what Andrea must have felt the day I got married. I thought she was trying to ruin everything, but she wasn't. She was trying to keep me to herself just a little while longer.