Chapter 11
Knowing my father had abused my birth mother and might even be responsible for her death, I was seething with hatred.
I forced myself to stay calm and replied evenly, “I was discharged. Didn’t you tell me to rent a place? So I did.”
My stepmother grabbed the phone, asking anxiously, “What about your sister’s house money? Where are you? We’ll come pick you up and go to the bank together!”
I sneered secretly.
That was my birth mother’s money. They had tricked me into giving them money over and over.
And now they wanted me to buy Leila a house after she stole my boyfriend.
I had to be crazy to agree.
I said, “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll think about it in a few months.”
My stepmother yelled, “A few months?! Are you kidding me?! Your sister is married! She needs a house now! Shouldn’t you be helping her?”
My father cursed, “Grace, you ingrate! Give us back our money!”
But not a single cent of it was theirs.
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Chapter 11
7:88 Wouchent
I didn’t bother exposing them yet, just saying, “I have my own plans for that money. We’ll talk again.”
Then I hung up. Knowing they’d keep calling, I turned off my phone.
The silence was blissful.
I didn’t turn my phone back on until the afternoon. Sure enough, there were over a dozen missed calls and several angry messages.
My father’s last message played the pity card. “Grace, I know you’re always understanding. We’re only asking you for money because we have no other choice. Think it over.”
I had already thought it through. My father had abused my birth mother, and my stepmother couldn’t wait to replace her the moment she died. In no way would I buy their daughter a
house.
These three people were disgusting. They stole my money, took my boyfriend, and now they wanted to drain me dry.
My father was the worst among them. I didn’t know how my grandparents had died, but he definitely had something to do with my mother’s death.
He always called Antonio a gold digger, and maybe he was right about that. But to me, he was worse. He was an absolute parasite.
Just as I was deep in thought, another call came in.
I assumed it was my father, but to my surprise, it was Leila.
Lalready knew what she was going to say.
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Chapter 11
Sure enough, after some fake family small talk, Leila finally cut to the chase, “Grace, Mom and Dad said you’re buying Antonio and me a house. Antonio was so happy when he heard it! You have no idea how grateful we are.”
If I hadn’t learned the truth about my account, she would’ve convinced me to give her the money with those words.
But now?
I replied coldly, “Don’t thank me just yet. I’m not buying you that house.”
Chapter 12