A Man for the Holiday

Chapter Five

Irvine

“Please, Irvine,” she said softly. “It’s okay. Just go.”

I looked at her, searching her face for any sign of resistance, any hint that she wanted me to stay and fight. But all I saw was exhaustion.

“Fine,” I said at last, grabbing my coat. I shot Michael one last glare before turning towards the door. “I have my eyes on you, Micheal. Remember that!”

I went home and went straight to bed. I pulled the covers over my face, wishing I could erase every mortifying detail of today.

I’d shown up to get employed, and got the job only to run smack into the one person I’d hoped never to see again. The same man I had lashed out at just yesterday owns the damn place. He’ll probably have a good laugh about it once I've left.

After the experience with Jared, I didn’t want to get into any relationship. Men cannot be trusted. They have proven it to me again and again. I just want to concentrate on my child and make something out of my life.

When he bumped into me at the slope, I thought it was a deliberate attempt to hit on me. Why did he behave like I had truly misjudged him back at the resort? He asked for my name as I was leaving the slope so I wasn’t totally wrong.

Though I have to admit he is not bad-looking. If I was interested in a relationship, maybe I could even admire his physique. It's not like ,Ben who is just big, this guy is fit, with lean muscled arms and sparkling brown eyes. It's going to be tough working in the same place with him. Argh!

Then I went to see a friend that I hadn't seen for a long time, only to see that all was not well with her. As I left her house and stepped back into the cold night, I couldn’t shake the image of Lucy, the vibrant, fearless girl I’d grown up with, now reduced to a shadow of herself.

And this was supposed to be the epitome of marriage my mother talked about. She was sure that Lucy’s marriage would make me want to run and find a man. I wonder if my mother truly knows what Lucy is going through.

I’m sure I will have more opportunities to meet with Lucy. The weight of her situation sat heavily on my chest as I knew I couldn’t let it go. I will find a way to help her. I turned to my other side, attempting to sleep.

I’d only just started to drift into blissful, oblivious sleep when I heard a gentle knock, followed by my mom’s voice.

“Irvine, honey, it's time! Dinner’s ready.”

I groaned, pulling the pillow over my face. “Can I skip it, Mom? I had a long day.”

She chuckled, stepping into the room. “Oh no, you don’t. It’s rude to ignore our guest. Your brother and his fiancée are already here and waiting for you.”

The last thing I wanted was to get up and face anyone, but I knew my mother wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. With a resigned sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and grabbed the nearest outfit I could find—a simple sweater and jeans. I ran a brush through my hair and plastered on a neutral smile.

“There, dressed up enough?” I asked, making a half-hearted attempt at a joke.

She gave me an amused look. “Just come down and try to be polite. Your brother’s really excited for you to meet his fiancée.”

I followed her down the stairs, mentally preparing myself to put on a cheerful front, at least for my family’s sake. As I reached the dining room, I saw my brother and a woman seated at the table, laughing about something my brother had said. They looked up when I walked in.

And that’s when I froze.

Sitting beside my brother, a glass of wine in her hand and a saccharine smile on her face, was the last person I ever wanted to see, Mandy.

Shock and anger surged through me like a wave, and before I could think, I blurted out,

“You! What the hell are you doing here?”

The laughter at the table died instantly, and all eyes turned to me in stunned silence. My mother looked bewildered, and my brother just stared at me, clearly at a loss for words.

Mandy’s smile faded, but she maintained that fake sweetness.

“Irvine… it’s good to see you. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”

I shot her a withering glare, feeling the betrayal like it had happened yesterday.

“What the …?” I looked around. “Mia, darling. Please take your food upstairs and finish it in our room okay? You can play with your tablet when you finish eating?”

She nodded and smiled with enthusiasm. I waited till she was out of earshot.

“Irvine, what is the matter?” my mother asked me.

“This b***h here is the reason you don’t have the son-in-law you are looking for.” I heard a collective gasp at the table as my mother and brother turned to look at her.

My brother stood, looking more confused than angry. “What? Mandy, is that true?”

“No, it's not true,” she started protesting.

I let out a bitter laugh, the shock of it all turning to pure rage.

“So this is your fiancee? Do you even know her? This woman,” I jabbed a finger in her direction, “is the one who betrayed me. She’s the one who slept with Jared behind my back!”

My brother’s face went from confusion to shock. He looked between me and Mandy, clearly trying to process what I’d just said. My mother, equally stunned, stepped forward, placing a hand on my arm.

“Irvine, are you sure? I mean… could this be some kind of misunderstanding?”

“Misunderstanding?” I echoed, my voice shaking. “No, Mom, it’s not. I caught them together! She knew he was my boyfriend, but she went after him anyway. And now she’s sitting here, pretending like everything’s fine, like she didn’t tear my life apart.”

Mandy, finally abandoning her attempt at sweetness, narrowed her eyes at me. “Look, Irvine, that was a long time ago. Besides, that’s not how it happened.”

She turned to my brother, who had left the dinner and was pacing. He knew my story with Jared and had even met him once, so I can imagine his shock. Mandy tried to touch his hand and he flinched and moved away from her.

“Sweetheart, it's not what you think. I can explain what happened back then,” she told Ben.

“Explain s**t!” I shot back, my hands balling into fists. “You knew what you were doing. You broke my trust, destroyed our friendship, and stole my man. Now you think you can just waltz into my family like nothing happened?”

My brother stepped between us, his voice filled with a mix of emotions, mostly frustration and desperation.

“Irvine, please. I had no idea. Mandy never mentioned anything like this to me. Maybe… maybe, you let me handle this, okay?”

I stared at him, feeling my chest tighten.

“There’s nothing for you to handle, Ben. She is bad news. It's best if you send her back to wherever you picked her from.”

“Irvine!” Mandy screamed at me.

The room was dead silent. My mother looked heartbroken, and my brother seemed torn between defending his fiancée and understanding my pain. And Mandy, of course, stood there looking hurt with fake tears glistening in her eyes.

Finally, Ben hooked her hand in his arms. “Let go,” he told her.

“But…but the dinner,” she told him while he dragged her out of the house.