"Yeah, honestly, who knows what kind of dumb luck Shirley's had this time. Poor Cindy-just unlucky, I guess. Maybe the teacher made a mistake grading her exams."
Octavia refused, as always, to admit her daughter might not measure up to someone else's child.
"If there was a grading error, you should be able to request a review. They'd fix the score if it was wrong," Latham said, reminding Octavia gently. "You really need to get more involved with her."
"How am I not involved?"
"She's a wreck right now, and whose fault is that? Yours, for bringing that mistress into our lives!" Octavia's anger had been getting the better of her lately, and the accusation slipped out before she could help herself.
Latham was stunned silent by her outburst.
He knew, deep down, this was an argument he couldn't win.
"Fallon did switch the babies, but she realized her mistake and tried to make up for it. She spent a lot of time with Cindy over the years, helped her with her studies..."
"That's why Cindy's grades have always been solid."
"It was only after Cindy came back to the James family that her grades started dropping. It's probably been a tough adjustment for her."
"Octavia, are you seriously never going to let this Fallon thing go?"
"There's nothing between us anymore. I mean it."
"She's done everything she could for Cindy."
"You can't expect Cindy to hold this grudge forever."
"Fallon treated her as if she were her own daughter."
Fallon had already come to him once in tears, pouring out her side of things.
She'd confessed that at first, seeing Cindy had made her want revenge, but over time, she'd started to see Cindy as the baby she'd lost-her maternal instinct, displaced and confused, drawing her toward the girl.
So Fallon had shown Cindy nothing but kindness. She claimed hiding Cindy's true identity was an act of vengeance, but more than that, it
was a kind of genuire lovee
couldn't bear to give Cindy back to the James family and sever all ties.
Latham believed every sentimental word Fallon told him.
But Octavia? She wasn't buying any of it.
Treat someone else's child-the child of your enemy-like your own flesh and blood? Who could honestly do that? Especially considering that Fallon ever even knew if her own lost child was a son or a daughter. Even if it had been a girl, how could anyone expect her to see Cindy as her own? She'd be lucky not to hate the girl to death.
Only an idiot like Latham would swallow that story—so arrogant, so willing to fall for
a woman's pretty lies.
"My daughter's fallen apart, she can't
even get into a decent college, and you're telling me not to blame Fallon?" Octavia's voice climbed sharply. "Latham, do you have any heart at all?"
Latham's irritation radiated through the phone. “Enough. I never should have brought this up with you."
"Well, are you going to check on Cindy's scores or not? What does she want?"
Octavia knew now wasn't the time to obsess over Fallon.
Fallon had learned exactly how to play on Latham's guilt. No matter what Octavia said, Latham reflexively sprang to Fallon's defense.
So she simply let the issue drop.
"She's a mess," Octavia finally replied. "Soon as I try to talk to her, she bursts into tears."
Her frustration seeped unconsciously into her voice.
"She's probably just crushed about her grades. You need to show her a little more understanding, that's all. At this age, kids can do desperate things."
"I heard Josh's kid tried to kill himself before the exam results even came out..."
That was last year. Josh's kid had survived, but the ordeal left him battling severe depression.
Josh ended up sending him overseas for treatment, but people in their circle still whispered about Josh—a cautionary tale.
If he hadn't pushed the kid so hard, would any of this have happened?