Haunting-Adeline

“How did you even come into contact with a man of that social
standing? God, Addie, please tell me you didn’t sell yourself to him.”
A fly could buzz into my mouth, and I wouldn’t no ce. My mouth hangs
open, and all I can feel is hurt.
“Why… why would you think I’d ever do something like that?” I ask
slowly, the heartbreak evident in my tone. I can’t keep it hidden—not
when my mother just accused me of being a pros tute.
She’s silent again, and I wonder if she realized she went too far. “Well,
then how did you meet him?” she finally asks, deflec ng a ques on I’d
really like to know the fucking answer to.
I sniff, deciding to let it go. It doesn’t ma er why she thinks it, just that
she does.
“Daya has friends in high places. We met at a dinner party and he said I
looked familiar, so I told him who I’m related to, and he connected it from
there,” I lie, working to keep my voice even. Daya quirks a brow but doesn’t
comment.
It feels like an arrow has been shot through my chest—the sensa on
ght and sharp.
“Your Nana said that John put them in a dangerous situa on with his
gambling, but not too long before Gigi’s death, it all seemed to go away. He
stayed out late and came home short-tempered just to fight with Gigi
about whatever he was pissed off about that day.
“Frank was a sponge for their rela onship. With their marriage failing, I
think he was put in the middle of it a few mes. Nana spoke of one
incident some me before Gigi died where she and Frank got in a fight.
Nana didn’t remember much about what happened, just that Frank had
grabbed Gigi and pushed her on the ground and said something about a
betrayal. That’s all I know,” she explains s ffly, as if reci ng a verse from
the Bible.
That was her apology. And though the ghtness in my chest hasn’t
receded, I take it anyway.
I mull that over, curious as to why Frank was so upset because Gigi was
chea ng on John. Maybe because Frank was o en put in the middle, he
grew red of it. John’s behavior was steadily declining, and it seemed to
start when Gigi’s a tude changed towards him a er she began falling in