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“You heard Rosie. You heard me. You heard Tom. Get out of here before we call the cops and charge you with trespassing.”
And then sad and sympathetic Richard, as well as formerly sweet and reasonable Richard, transformed, as he’d done so often alone with me with no witnesses: his face twisted into a snarl, red flushing his neck, pulse throbbing in his jaw.
How I’d fell for this act—his bitterness and anger that I’d been disappointing him over trivial things.
My nails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists tighter.
“I’ll crush your pathetic business,” he spat. “You will not be accepted in this industry.”
“You threaten my family?” My father bristled, tightening his grip on his cane. “You think you can threaten generations of Zanettis’ work, sweat and love in our business? We have earned the respect of our industry through hard effort in the field. You are nobody. An ivory tower academic who doesn’t even get his hands dirty in the soil where we grow the grapes.”
Dad advanced towards Richard, pointing his cane. “Look at you, chameleon. You had me fooled coming here, drinking my wine, eating my food, claiming to love my daughter. You had medeceived, thinking I should not trust my own flesh and blood. Your word is dust. Your word is fool’s gold.”
Richard’s mouth twisted into a sneer. Every last pretence of Mr Nice Guy had vanished, leaving behind a hard, sinister man with calculating eyes.
“My daughter has told you to get out.” Dad waved to the winery exit. “So, get out.”
“Again, are you deaf?” Tom yelled again. “Everyone has made it very clear you’re not welcome.”
Richard sneered and faced me. “Fucking someone else already?”
Tom growled, raising a fist, but my father held up his cane between Richard, Tom and me. “If you lay a finger on my daughter, I will protect her in self-defence. If you lay a finger on my neighbour, I will protect him in self-defence. With my wife and our families as witnesses.”
Maria and Anthea watched from the cellar door.
“Happy to help in self-defence,” Tom murmured, flexing a fist.
The air was still. Everyone held their breath. Not even a bird made a sound during this golden hour of the day.
And then I laughed.
And laughed harder, holding my stomach. Tears stung my eyes.
“What are you laughing at?” Richard snarled.
“You,” I said simply, unable to stop the giggles. “Your behaviour is nothing but laughable. You are a joke.”
Richard blinked, breathing hard.
Tom barked a laugh.
Mum sniggered. Dad frowned, his eyes darting between Richard and me.
“We have no obligation to each other now, not even through work.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “I know you’ve been stood down. We have no relationship – professional or otherwise. We only have a past. You have no right to know anything about me anymore. But most of all, you no longer have any power over me.”
Richard’s eyes went dull, the fight leaving him.
“You thought you could control me.” I shook my head. “And you were wrong. You were wrong about many things and the people you manipulated, one of whom exposed you. I hope you get everything that’s due for your behaviour. Now, for the last time, leave.”
Richard sneered, turned on his heel and made for his car.
“And Richard?” He paused, barely glancing over his shoulder. “You can be certain I’ll report your visit to the faculty’s dean and telling them you asked me to lie for you.”
His face turned blotchy and red but didn’t say a word, getting into his car and driving off.
I silently kicked myself for not noting his license plate, as his car vanished from view and made a mental note to check the carpark’s CCTV for footage of this confrontation.
The irony, I thought: I’d finally have a video about Richard’ s behaviour after all for the dean.
