I Swear I Still Hate Him (Atlas Lawson) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Emery’s POV

And somehow?

It got worse…So much worse.

Because after an hour at the spa…an hour of facials, fake smiles, and listening to Daisy and Lucy gossip like they’d known each other since birth, Daisy set down her teacup, crossed one elegant leg over the other, and smiled like she was about to announce world peace.

“So,” she said smoothly, “now that we’re all refreshed, I think it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room.”

Lucy let out this ridiculous little giggle. I sat there in my robe, damp hair pulled back, genuinely confused and already irritated by the sound of both their voices. Daisy turned to Lucy first, her smile syrupy and bright.

“Lucy is such a kind, sweet, hardworking young woman,” she said.

Lucy’s smile got even bigger. “Aww, Daisy, you flatter me.”

Daisy reached over and patted her hand. “I’m only saying the truth, darling. From the moment I met you, I just knew you were the one.”

Then she turned to me.

And smiled. That fake, polished, poisonous smile.

52

“So, Em,” she said, like we were discussing flower arrangements and not whatever fresh insanity she was about to dump on me, “the real reason I invited you here is because… well…” She glanced at Lucy, then back at me. “I want Lucy to marry Atlas.”

For a second, I genuinely thought I misheard her.

My brows pulled together. “What?”

And just like that, the whole stupid day made sense.

The gardening trip. The fake bonding. The spa. Lucy’s over-eager giggling. Daisy’s too-sweet voice.

This wasn’t a girls’ day.

This was a setup. A setup designed to humiliate me.

My stomach turned hard.

“And why,” I asked, with a calmness I absolutely deserved a medal for, “am I here instead of Atlas?”

Daisy gave a tiny shrug, like the answer was obvious. “Well, because you’re Atlas’s sister…”

“Step-sister,” I corrected sharply.

Her smile didn’t move.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said, waving a careless hand. “You know him best, and he trusts you more than anyone. So I want you to talk to him about Lucy.”

I just stared at her.

12:51 Tue, Apr 21 J

Chapter 201

The audacity. The actual audacity of this woman. Like she wasn’t fully aware of what Atlas and I meant to each other. Like she wasn’t deliberately saying the word sister to mock me. Like she expected me to sit there and play matchmaker for the man I loved.

Lucy leaned forward then, her perfume hitting me before her words did, and took my hands in both of hers.

I almost snatched them back on instinct.

“I promise I would love him with all my heart,” she said, her eyes wide and earnest in a way that should’ve been sweet but only made me more irritated. “And we could be like sisters.” She smiled brightly. “You know I’m perfect for him.”

I went completely still.

Speechless. Actually speechless. Because if I opened my mouth right then, I was either going to scream or lunge across the room and commit a felony. So instead, I slowly pulled my hands out of Lucy’s grip. Very gently. Very carefully.

Then I stood up.

Daisy’s smile faltered for the first time all day.

“Where are you going?”

I didn’t answer.

I grabbed my bag off the chair, my fingers tight around the strap, and turned for the door.

“Emery,” Daisy said more sharply, standing now. “I’m talking to you.”

Still, I didn’t answer.

Because if I turned around, I would lose every shred of self-control I had left. And I refused-refused-to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break in public. So I kept walking. Fast.

Past the receptionist. Past the glass doors. Past the stupid calm music, candles, and fake cucumber-water peace of the spa.

“Emery!”

I shoved through the front doors and stepped out onto the street, my chest heaving, my face burning, anger moving through me so hard it felt like heat under my skin. I raised my hand at the first cab I saw. It pulled over..

I got in, slammed the door shut, and gave the driver Atlas’s building address before I did something really insane.

As the cab pulled away, I looked out the window, jaw tight, fingers shaking in my lap. I couldn’t tell what I wanted to do

more.

59

Cry.

Scream.

Or march straight back in there and ruin Daisy Lawson’s entire life.

A few hours later, after a much-needed swim, I stepped out of the pool with my hair dripping and my body finally feeling lighter. Not fixed or healed…But better.

The water had taken the edge off my anger. Helped me breathe. Helped me think. I grabbed my towel and headed for my room, still damp, still barefoot, still not ready to deal with another ounce of Daisy Lawson’s insanity.

Chapter 201

So, of course, that’s exactly what I got.

“What the actual hell?!”

I didn’t even flinch. I kept walking. I knew that voice. Sharp. Furious. Barely holding itself together.

Daisy followed me all the way to my room and pushed the door open right behind me without waiting to be invited in.

“How could you just leave like that?”

I calmly pulled my towel tighter around my shoulders and turned to face her.

“You didn’t need me there,” I said flatly. “You already got what you wanted.”

Her mouth fell open in outrage.

“Excuse me?” she snapped, pressing a hand to her chest like I was the problem. “I have done nothing but be kind to you. Ever since I met you, Emery, I have treated you like my own daughter. Even when you seduced my son and…”

“And what?” I cut in sharply. “You released that video and ruined our lives? Is that what you were about to say?”

The fear that flashed across her face was instant.

Real. Ugly.

“Lower your voice,” she said through her teeth.

I almost laughed.

“Why?” I kept mine exactly where it was. “You worried Atlas might hear you? That he might finally find out what you did?”

She stepped toward me too, but I didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t back down.

“I did everything to protect my son,” she said, her voice low and shaking with rage. “And I don’t regret it.”

That made me smile. Not because it was funny. Because it told me everything I needed to know.

“Then why don’t you tell him the truth?” I asked. “Or should I help? You know what-maybe I should.”

I turned like I meant it. Because maybe I did. But before I could take more than a step, Daisy grabbed my arm and yanked me back hard. I jerked free immediately, my eyes narrowing.

And then she lost it.

“Why?” she screamed, her whole face twisting. “Why are you so fucking unbearable? Why won’t you stay the hell away from Atlas?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify