The Wedding He Stole Was My Great Escape novel · Chapter 22 of 24
Chapter 22: Not for a Donor List
My father spoke first.
"Mireille," he said. "We need to talk."
He looked ten years older than he had at the luncheon.
My mother stood a step behind him with her purse held in both hands.
Jasper moved to put himself between us, and I touched his arm.
"It's okay," I said. "Wait here."
I walked up to my parents on the empty sidewalk of Fifth Avenue.
"The Ackerly press office called us at four," my mother said. "They want a family statement. Something short, saying we were all deceived by Lorna and none of us meant any harm."
"A statement," I said.
"If you stand with us, the foundation can survive this. The donors will forgive us if you forgive us."
I looked at her for a long moment.
"That sounds like it came from the same page as the schedule," I said.
"Mireille..."
"You came here at dawn to ask me to say it was a misunderstanding."
"It was," my father said.
"It was a locked door."
He closed his mouth.
"Here is what I'll accept," I said. "A statement tonight, in your own names, saying what you did."
"Everyone would see that."
"Everyone already has."
My mother's chin trembled.
"Say you approved it," I said. "Say you listened on the call. Say, we can always give Mireille another wedding later."
"And then you'll forgive us?"
"I'm not forgiving you for the sake of a donor list."
My father stared down at the pavement.
"I held your hand when you had your first stitches," he said, quietly. "I taught you how to tie a suture."
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