The Early Years by AB Plum

Author:AB Plum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AB Plum
Published: 2019-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Apologies Unaccepted

My mother refused to accept the apologies we delivered with my father standing at our sides. She stared at all of us with the loathing of a beautiful, deadly snake. After half an hour of her contempt, my father sent us back to the attic and closed the drawing room door.

Naturally, we sneaked back down the stairs and eavesdropped.

My mother was speaking. Her soft, girlish tone contradicted the harshness of her words. “Those two are amoral. Both of them. I don’t want them in my house. Take them to live with you and your whore.”

“Aliina—they’re boys. Boys will be boys. I had my first sexual experience when I was eleven—”

“And look how you’ve turned out. Like father, like son. How Alexei grew into such a fine young man is amazing.”

“You don’t think Alexei died a virgin?” My father’s laugh was a bark.

“Alexei was seventeen—almost a man. These two are boys. No, let me amend that. They have never been boys. They’re evil. Of the two, Michael’s the worst. If that is possible. I want them out of this house. Today.”

“You are being unreasonable. There is no place for them at my current residence.”

“Then find them a new residence.”

“Aliina, for the love you once felt for me . . .”

I imagined him holding out his open hands to her.

“I never loved you, Nikolai. I married you against my will. The only happiness I have ever had the past seventeen years was the birth of my first son.”

The silence rang with the deep resonance of a Tibetan gong. Muscles in my neck tightened to breaking. I curled my fists. Dimitri laid his hand on my shoulder.

Finally, my father said, “You are telling me nothing I did not already know, Aliina. Do you ever wonder if your toxicity has poisoned Michael?”

Her laugh could have splintered glass. “Michael was born poisoned. Thank God I never breast fed him, or I would have died for a certainty.”

“I’ll tell the boys to pack their school clothes. Plan on being out of the house tomorrow by four so we can come back for their things—unless you’re going to deny them their belongings.”

“I want nothing of theirs in this house. Nor anything of yours. I never want to see any of you again.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“For your information. I have consulted a lawyer. I have grounds to divorce you. And I plan to do so as quickly as possible.”

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