This Time, I'll Be the Villain's Favorite Daughter novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: The Fitting

After the bruises made the paper, the judge cancelled the overnight weekends.

Visits were daytime only now, and Fern came to every one.

So on a Saturday in January, Fern drove Mabel up to Lake Forest herself, in Hank's old grey sedan.

The housekeeper opened the door before they knocked.

She looked at Mabel's arm, then at Mabel's face.

"Good morning, Miss Mabel," she said quietly.

Nobody in that house had ever called her that in either life.

The fitting was upstairs in the long sunroom.

There were racks of dresses in plastic and a seamstress with a mouthful of pins.

Two little wooden boxes stood in front of a three-way mirror.

The girl in pink was already standing on one of them, in her slip.

Darla sat in a white armchair by the window with a cup of coffee.

She looked up when Mabel came in.

For one second her eyes went to the red coat.

Then she smiled.

"There she is. Our guest of honor."

"Our daughter," Fern corrected pleasantly, and sat down in the other armchair as if she'd been invited.

Darla's smile stayed on.

"Mrs. Tully. Trenton's lawyer would like a word with you downstairs. About the press arrangements."

← Chapter 17 · All chapters · Chapter 19 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend