I smirked.
“And this is my hotel.”
With that, the guard led her toward the exit.
She fought every step, turning back one last time.
“You’ll regret this, Jake. I swear you’ll regret this.”
I just smiled.
“Goodbye, Emily.”
The door slammed shut behind her, and a wave of quiet settled over the room.
It was a strange kind of silence, one of disbelief, but also one of relief.
For the first time in years, I didn’t feel like the family’s punching back.
As the minutes ticked by, people began murmuring amongst themselves, but no one knew quite what to say.
Some of the guests looked uncomfortable, unsure whether to leave or stay given the abrupt disruption. A few had been friendly with Emily and seemed genuinely shocked by what had just happened, while others seemed to get the sense that things had shifted permanently.
But then, one by one, Emily’s friends started filtering out of the hotel, no doubt following her lead.
They were quick to gather their things and murmur amongst themselves, throwing accusatory glances my way as they filed out.
I wasn’t surprised. Emily had a way of rallying people to her side, even when she was in the wrong.
Once the last of her entourage left, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Aunt Marie, who had been standing in the corner the whole time, finally spoke up, her voice quiet, but filled with an edge of concern.
“Jake, are you sure about this? Emily, she’s your cousin. This is… It’s going to tear the family apart.”
I gave her a look, a mix of exasperation and calm.
“She’s the one who tore it apart, Aunt Marie. Not me.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue, but then she closed it, realizing there was no changing my mind.
“I’m just… I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you this…”
She trailed off, not knowing exactly how to finish the sentence.
“Angry?” I asked, leaning back against the bar.
“Yeah, well, there’s a first time for everything.”
Marie nodded slowly, clearly still processing the chaos.
“Just be careful, okay?”
“Don’t worry, Aunt Marie. I’m done being the nice guy.”
And that was the truth of it.
Emily had pushed me to my breaking point, and I wasn’t about to back down now.
That night, I went back to my office at the hotel to catch up on some emails and clear my head.