Chapter 74
“You had a girl” My mother’s voice was a flat murmur, her gaze fixed on Gia with an expression I couldn’t decipher. No warmth. No joy. Just a cold, detached interest, like she was inspecting a stranger rather than her granddaughter. My chest tightened.
“Carlos, take her to her room,” I said, my voice slurper than 1 had intended. Gia’s wide, confused eyes looked up at me, and guilt twisted in my gut.
“No. Mommy, I don’t wanna go, Gia whined, clutching my leg tighter. She rarely defied me like this, but I couldn’t let her stay–not with this woman here
“Go to your room. Now.” My voice was stern, and Gia’s eyes immediately welled up; her bottom lip was trembling. Her tears made my insides ache, but did not soften
“Lante miss” Carlos inserted softly, going down on one knee beside her. “Why don’t you show me your drawings, huh? You said yesterday, remember?”
made a new one
Reluctantly, Gia relinquished her hold on my leg and trailed after Carlos, but her small frame slumped in disappointment. I watched as she disappeared into her room, my heart heavy, before turning back to my mother.
*Do you have anything else left to say? Or are you ready to leave?” My arms crossed over my chest as I stared her down, my defenses firmly in place “Ferya” she said sharply, her tone laced with reproach. “Is that how you talk to your mother?”
“Yes” My voice didn’t waver. “This is exactly how I talk to my mother, who kicked me out of her life at the point when I needed her support the
She winced, ever so slightly, as if I’d punched her. Good. I wanted her to feel every ounce of the p
pain she’d dished out against me
“Well, what did you expect me to do after you cheated on your fiancé and got pregnant with another man’s baby?” she snapped, her voice rising.
Texpected you to give me the benefit of the doubt,” I said, my voice quieter now but no less firm. “I expected you to believe in me. But you didn’t. did you?” I shook my head, my chest tightening with the familiar ache of betrayal. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you. I’ve left it in the past. So tell me why you’re actually here so we can get this over with.
For a moment, her composure falters, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Four months ago, your father had an acute heart failure.”
Her words are a punch to the gut. I gasp for breath. My father–the man who had been unbreakable, a giant among men–had been that close to death, and I didn’t know. My throat is tightening. “How is he?” I ask in a whisper.
“He’s fine now,” she said, but her hesitation told me otherwise. “His medicines now are expensive, and I was thinking if you could… We need some money”
Al. There it was. The real reason for her visit. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my emotions crashing over me in waves. She didn’t want me. S didn’t care to reconnect. She wanted my monry
She
She continued when I raised a now at her. “We didn’t have insurance and uh your father’s treatm
treatment cost us almost all of a
“I’ll come by tomorrow evening. I muttered. I didn’t know how to face them after they had basically disowned me but I would do it anyway.
four savings.”
“No. You don’t have to” She hurriedly said.
not come home. Father is still very
ry weak and uhm- any kind of excitement is not good for his heart”
I felt a low pain spreading in my stomach. They didn’t want in to come see them. Just moncy.
“How much do you need?” I said, having made
up my mind.
How much do you need tasked, my voice cold and detached, as if that would shield me from the sting of her words.
*Team manage with twenty thousand,” she said quickly, almost to quickly. I raised an eyebrow at her, and for a moment, she looked like a comered
–
It was a lot too much—but I didn’t hesitate. “I’ll write a check
1/2
8:44 PM d
Chapter 7:
“Freya,” Reyna’s voice broke through, low and cautious. I turned to see her watching me, concern etched into her features. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure,” I said firmly. I pulled out my checkbook and scribbled the amount, tearing the paper with more force than necessary
“Here.” I said, shoving it toward my mother. “And don’t ever come back to me for anything”
She took the check, her lips pursed in disapproval. “You exhibit such poor manners that I
After all these years, I cut her off, my voice trembling with rage. “you sought me out and asked me for money, though neither you nor Dad wants anything to do with me. I saw the way you looked at Gia” My voice cracked as I pressed on ‘Let’s not pretend you know anything about manners.
Her jaw clamped together, her eyes narrowed. “Bastard girl,” she breathed to herself before turning and walking away.
The door slammed shut behind her, and the weight of the whole thing fell upon me. My knees gave way beneath me, and I slid onto the couch, covering my face with my hands,
“Girl, that was, hey, you okay?” Reyna’s voice softened as she settled her hand gently on my shoulder.
“I just don’t feel well” I mumbled, my voice slurred against my palms
“Oh, how can I help! Should I call Aiden?” she asked in her worried tone.
“No. The thought of making this to him was already too much. I am feeling nauseous,” I said. “Maybe I need to lie down,
“Alright,” she said softly, then as I used my arms to hoist myself up from the couch and shuffled back to my room, the door shutting behind me, I finally allowed myself to collapse and wept on the bed, the tears finally able to flow
