“Cain—” Paula starts.
“You’re fired,” I cut her off. “Effective immediately.”
Her mouth falls open. “You can’t fire me. I’m your sister.”
“You framed someone. Lied. Ruined a woman’s life. I don’t care whose blood runs in your veins—you’re done here. And considering I can’t trust you—Melody and you are banned from Ripley’s.”
Paula slumps into a chair, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.
“I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” she whispers. “I just...I was just trying to bring you and Melody closer.”
I don’t answer. I’m too tired. Too disgusted.
“Call Mom and Dad,” I say. “Put them on speaker.”
“No, Cain.” She’s terrified now.
“Paula,” I warn.
She’s sobbing as she does what I ask.
“Hey, Paula darlin’—”
I cut my father off. “Dad, it’s both of us. It’s serious. Is Mom there?”
My father doesn’t ask questions, he knows the answers are coming. My mother joins the call and my heart breaks for them.
“Tell them what you did, Paula.”
She looks at me with eyes that are pleading for mercy.
Faith spent two nights in jail.
She spent one night homeless, sleeping in the cold.
She’s working at a strip club cleaning right now. Honest work, but…hard.
“Now,” I growl.
Paula starts talking, slowly. Every time she tries to fabricate something, hide her culpability, I interrupt her and demand she set the story straight.
“Jesus, Paula,” my father gasps time and again.
“What were you thinking?” Mom demands when Paula’s done and is crying so loudly that I have to increase the speaker volume to be able to hear my parents.
“I…just…Melody and Cain were supposed to be together,” my sister whines.
“Why? Melody is a useless bitch just like you,” Mom has venom in her voice. This may be the first time I’ve heard her cuss.
Paula cries some more.
“Stop it,” my father orders. “Stop crying. Cain, what are the next steps?”
“She can’t work here.”
“That’s for granted,” Dad agrees.
Paula whimpers. “Dad, I have bills to pay.”
