Love Her Right by Christina Ow

took a step to her and Mac took a step back pulling her with him, pressing her to his rigid body. Jake took his eyes off her for a minute to look up at Mac before he turned back to her. “I know what I did, or didn’t do that day was wrong and I regret it.”
    Jase snorted. “Regret but not sorry. Just typical.”
    “I need to sit down,” Jolie whispered, completely drained of strength. Mac led her to the love seat and sat down with her, his arms still wrapped around her.
    “John, is that what you told them? All these years they’ve hated Jolie and me because you lied? Was your ego that bruised?” Her mother moved to kneel next to her, giving everyone else her back. “I spent those months with Lee—”
    “I told you to never mention his name in front of me!” her father bellowed but this time her mother didn’t even flinch.
    “—doing stuff on her bucket list. We went skiing, climbed a mountain in the Caribbean’s, skydived and a lot of other crazy things. I was free to be myself those months and I will forever be grateful for that opportunity.”
    “Why?”
    “I was dying inside and Lee was literally dying. She was terminally ill—”
    Mac jolted against her. “Wait a minute, she ?”
    Her mother nodded as tears ran freely down her cheeks. “Lee was a woman I met on the road. She gave me a lifted when my car broke down and invited me to spend her last few weeks with her. She hoped watching her die happy would help me live happy. Lee—Jolie Clerk helped me see that even though life was hard, I couldn’t run from it. Instead, I was to take what gave me joy and live for that. My joy is my children. The day I went back to your father was the day you and your brother were conceived. I never in my life have ever cheated on that asshole.”
    Jolie laughed, feeling the weight on her chest grow lighter. She took her mother’s hand and held it to her cheek. “I believe you. I always have. What I can’t believe is that, even with all the evidence, he still rejects me.”
    “He’s channeled his anger toward you because he loves your mother too much to hate her. And your brothers, he turned them against you and your mother to punish her because he couldn’t.” Dr. Patel spoke as she packed her things into her leather bag.
    The entire time they were yelling at each other, she’d been taking notes. Jolie hoped whatever she saw would help her because...she was lost. At least she finally knew. It didn’t feel great, in fact it cut her deep. She now understood why things were the way they were growing up.
    “I’ll be leaving now. Mrs. Masters, I’ll see you on Monday. I believe I’m well equipped now to help you. Don’t forget to bring your husband along. I’ll show myself out.” She turned and walked away, the opening and closing of the front door echoing her departure.
    * * * *
    “I think you should all leave now,” Mac barked harshly as he pulled away from Jolie to stand up. His stomach churned with disgust after hearing all they had to say. He knew there was something going on with this family, but he always chalked it up to being normal. Every family has its fights even though it annoyed him how badly Jolie was treated sometimes. Hearing they hated her over a lie Mr. Simmons had cooked up made him mad beyond words!
    “Mac, we still have a lot to—” Jake began but Mac cut him off with a raised hand. He couldn’t listen to anymore or he wouldn’t be responsible for what he did.
    “I have this disturbing feeling that whatever else you want to discuss will end in bloodshed. And since I don’t want to be court marshaled or imprisoned, I’m going to say this one last time. I want you all out of my house. Right. Now!”
    Jake turned to Jolie but Mac caught his arm before he could take another step toward her. He couldn’t believe a man he called his best friend since childhood would have two faces. Despise his own sister because she got pregnant and Mac left. He felt like he never knew