Back to the 80s novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: Not Her

Nobody in that room breathed.

Vivian dropped her suitcase on the carpet and came across the floor.

She was pretty, and she knew it.

She kissed the air beside her mother's cheek.

She kissed her father's bald spot.

Then she turned to Russell, and her whole face changed into sweetness.

"Mr. Dunleavy. I'm so sorry about the mix-up."

"I had a silly fright, and I ran away, and I was wrong."

"I'm back now, and I'm ready to do my duty."

Her gaze slid to me, and the sweetness went out of it.

"Thank you for keeping my place warm," she said, quite low. "Spare."

The word dropped through me.

Margaret stepped in at once, the pearls back around her neck.

"Of course, Vivian is the one the bank arranged," she told the room. "Lorna was only a stand-in."

"Lorna, you may go home."

My father cleared his throat and stood.

"Russell, I'm sure you understand," he said. "The agreement was always with my daughter."

"Which daughter?" Russell said.

"The real one."

The room made a small sound.

Vivian's smile went brilliant.

I stood there in the bruise-colored dress with eighty people watching and let the old humiliation try to come up through my knees.

It didn't get far.

I was not going to cry for these people.

I was going to watch.

Russell pushed his chair back.

Keep reading free with an account. Start Back to the 80s from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.