- 2.
The silence is deafening.
Mark’s mom is sputtering, face turning red.
“Lisa! How dare you talk to me like that? I’m
your elder!”
く
“I’ve always done what’s best for you two;
now that I’m old and useless, you’re just
tossing me aside!”
Elder?
Please.
She’s helping her son usher his love child into
my home, tormenting my daughter until Sarah
was a shell of her former self.
Then she jumps off the roof.
She doesn’t deserve any respect.
く
I glare at her, voice cold.
“Either she takes the small room, or you do.”
“This is my house, I owned this place before I
married Mark.”
“And if you don’t like it, tell your son to buy
you a house.”
As if Mark could afford a cardboard box.
He’s been mooching off my company for years, pulling in a pathetic salary and
spending it all on junk.
く
Everything they own, they owe to me.
I watch the words hit home.
Mark’s mom is speechless.
Mark’s staring at me like I’ve sprouted a
second head.
“Honey, what’s going on? Are you mad I brought Amy home?”
I snort.
“Did anyone even bother to ask my opinion
before dragging her here?”
く
“Does my happiness even matter?”
Mark looks guilty.
“Babe, I thought you’d be happy, and Sarah’s
lonely, so this was supposed to be a
surprise.”
“Surprise?”
I roll my eyes.
“Yeah, a real surprise.”
“Suddenly, we’ve got a mystery daughter, and
who knows what her parents were like?”
L
“What if her dad’s some criminal and her
mom’s a hooker?”
“That’d be a real shock.”
Mark’s smile is starting to crack.
“Come on, look at her.”
“She’s graceful, like a pure lily.”
“We’d be doing a good deed by taking her in.”
I laugh, a sound with no humor.
“I’m not exactly itching to do good.”
く
“Unless you’ve done something shady that
needs fixing?”
Mark freezes, his smile completely gone.
“What… what does that mean?”
“After all these years, do you think I’d do
something so bad?”
He’s done plenty.
But when he did all those horrible things, he
never once felt guilty.
So why would I be?
I smirk.
“Just kidding.”
“Keeping her might not be the worst idea.”
If Amy doesn’t stay, how can I avenge my
daughter and myself?
“But I’m not planning on adopting anyone
yet.”
“So, you can use your paycheck to support
her.”
“As for rooms, you’re only getting the maid’s
く
room.”
Mark’s eyes cloud over with disappointment,
but he quickly nods.
“I knew you’d see things my way.”
They still think they can use me to bankroll
their little schemes.
But their day is coming.
