Vice & Violet (Pacific Shores Book 4)

by Sarah A. Bailey

Sadie Hayes is insecure and vain. Addicted to wellness fads, loving nothing more than to toss a snide remark at anyone eating dairy or gluten, all while happy to ignore the fact she has a penchant for painkillers she wasn’t prescribed. She never came to terms with the fact that she didn’t reach the level of stardom as an actress that she had dreamed about when she was young. What the rest of the world saw as a woman settling down to raise a family, Sadie saw as the epitome of failure. She resented her husband and her boys ever since, expecting constant praise and validation to fill the void left behind by Hollywood while remaining negligent and self-serving. Her husband, Alex, is just as checked out as she is, doing whatever he can to avoid her outbursts and ignore her issues. I think all August and Zach ever craved was her approval, but she’s the type of person who will never think anything is good enough. Not herself, not those around her. She can’t be pleased, and she’ll never be happy.

“The difference is that you and I”—I wave a finger between us—“understand where we’ve fallen short. Your parents don’t seem to think they’ve hurt you, or that the hurt they’ve caused is unwarranted, and if nobody else will fucking set them straight, I’m more than happy to.”

“The only blame Elena has to bear is loving me more fiercely than you could begin to comprehend. She stood up to you today for me, with courage I have never had, and in return, you destroyed her.” I shake my head. “I don’t value myself enough to protect myself from your aversion, but I value her enough to draw this line.” I slip into the driver’s seat of my car. “Do not speak to me again until you are ready to apologize to her, and until Dad is ready to apologize to me. We both deserve better than this.”