“You were ashamed of me,” I corrected. “There’s a difference.”
Catherine cleared her throat gently.
“Miss Hartley, you mentioned wanting to review membership contracts today.”
“Yes,” I said, grateful for the transition. “Can you pull up the Hartley family membership, please?”
She had a tablet ready and pulled up the account.
“Richard and Margaret Hartley, primary members since 1998. Vanessa Hartley Preston, associate member since 2015.”
“What are the annual dues?” I asked.
“Forty-five thousand dollars for primary membership. Twelve thousand for associate.”
I nodded.
“And the contract terms?”
“Annual renewal, with ninety-day notice required for cancellation by either party. However, ownership reserves the right to terminate membership immediately for cause.”
Dad finally found his voice again.
“Emma, what are you doing?”
I looked at him, at Mom, at Vanessa, at the family who had just tried to have me physically removed from my own property because of my clothes.
“Patricia,” I said calmly, “can you explain what constitutes cause for membership termination?”
She pulled up the relevant section on her tablet.
“Clause 7.3. Membership may be terminated for conduct unbecoming, harassment of staff or other members, damage to club property, or any behavior deemed detrimental to the club’s reputation and values.”
“And who determines what qualifies?” I asked, though I already knew.
“Club ownership has sole discretion.”
I let that hang in the air for a moment. Dad’s face had gone from red to pale.
“Emma,” he said carefully, “surely you’re not suggesting—”
“You demanded I be removed from the property,” I said quietly. “You called me an embarrassment. You said my presence reflected poorly on the family reputation. You wanted security to escort me out.”
“I didn’t know that you owned the club.”
“Would it have mattered if I was just a regular member or a guest of another member? Does the dress code only apply to people you deem unworthy?”
Mom stepped forward, her hands clasped.
“Emma, please. You’re upset, and you have every right to be. We made a mistake. A terrible mistake. But don’t do anything rash.”