Liam sighed. “Yes. She hates we had to postpone the wedding, but she doesn’t want to be in a cast during the ceremony and everything else.”
Amy took another sip of her tea. “That’s understandable. I’m sure she’ll be on her feet again in no time.”
Liam cleared his throat. “I hope so too.”
“Mom.” Lily inched closer to her and frowned. “There’s something we need to tell you.”
“I know you don’t like bad news, Grandma,” Liam began, pausing to take a few sips of his own tea and grimacing, “but I don’t want to see you get hurt, and I want you to be prepared.”
Amy’s heart missed a beat. “What did Eric do?”
Liam let his free hand fall to his side as he set down his drink and his untouched plate. He wouldn’t meet her gaze, no matter how much Amy wanted him to. “It’s not what he’s done. It’s what he’s planning to do.”
A hard knot formed in the center of Amy’s stomach. “I didn’t take anything that belonged to him.”
Liam pressed two fingers to his temples. “He’s planning to argue that you shouldn’t have taken anything at all. Since he paid for everything.”
Amy tried to swallow, but her throat was dry.
She’d known Eric was going to play dirty, but she had no idea why she thought he’d try to maintain a shred of decency or compassion for her.
“He’s already started trying to undo all of the good work you’ve done,” Liam continued in a quieter voice. “He’s trying to take credit for your charity work, your volunteer work, and everything in between.”
Amy’s eyes widened, an angry flush climbing up her neck and cheeks. “He didn’t do anything! I’m the one who put in those long hours and all of the hard work. All Eric wanted to do was cut a check and get pictures of himself kissing babies leaked to the press…”
Liam grimaced and finally met her gaze. “I know. I know what Grandpa is like, but since you’re not there to defend yourself, he can say whatever he wants.”
Amy rose to her feet and ran her fingers through her hair. “And no one is trying to stop him, are they? Not a single person is coming to my defense…”
It shouldn’t surprise her, but the betrayal stung all the same.
All of these years being a good and upstanding member of the community, who tried to give back and do as much good as possible, were about to come undone.
All because of one selfish and narrow-sighted man who couldn’t handle rejection.
Lily stood and draped an arm over Amy’s shoulders. “Forget about him. Everyone who knows you knows the truth. He’s just running his mouth because he doesn’t like being humiliated.”
Amy swallowed. “What can I do to stop him?”
Carefully, Liam rose to his feet and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. “Right now, he can’t do anything. Not without a court date, and there’s no court that’s going to listen to him ramble about how you took your clothes. They’re your clothes, even if he’s the one who paid for them.”
Amy’s ears began to ring, and a strange lightheadedness began to wash over her. “Court date?”
Liam nodded, his expression solemn. “You’re going to need a lawyer, Grandma Amy. I’m happy to offer you legal advice in the meantime, but you need to prepare yourself. Grandpa is coming for you, and he’s not going to stop.”
Amy made a low, choked noise and collapsed against the couch. “But I…how am I going to stop him? I don’t have anything.”
Lily sat down next to her and tucked Amy into her side. “That’s not true. You have us.”
Liam crouched in front of her and took both of her hands in his.
She hadn’t realized how cold her hands were until Liam’s own warm and calloused hands enveloped hers.
“Grandma, I know you don’t want to think about any of this right now, and the timing is horrible, especially because you’re trying to move on with your life, but you need to start coming up with a response.”
Amy felt fear, low and cold, unfurl in the center of her stomach. “A response?”
Liam glanced at his mother and then back at her, his expression growing more and more solemn. “There are rumors Grandpa is…that he’s—”
