Her Cruelty, His Rage, Their Reckoning

feel a size too small. I stood by the grand French doors, a glass of champagne in my hand that

aughter bright and sharp. She looked like an angel, but I knew bet

ndfather, tapped a glass with a silver spoon. He stood tall

id, his voice carrying easi

ther's side, a perfect, practiced smile on her face. I fe

ued, "my granddaughter Scarlett has brought

es turned in my direction. I forced myself t

cal student," he said. "And it is with great

ll. Scarlett beamed, holding up her hand where a massive dia

nd her. She took my hand, her grip surprisingly

r smile turning into something sharp and cruel. Her voice dropped to a w

ords, a public reminder of my debt. She wasn't talking

machines beeping a steady rhythm that I couldn't afford.

the grand house was quiet, Scarlett's act drop

cking off her heels. "They all believe

man with a defiant smile and eyes the same shade of blue as Scarl

her voice filled with a strange mix of anger and longi

ghost, a man I had never met but whose shadow I lived in. She would dress me in his old clothes, make

t week," Scarlett said, turning away fr

. "I understand," I

." She handed me an invitation to another high-society event. "Liam wa

ost more per day than I could earn in a month. She was sleeping, her face pale against t

r. For a few more months, a few more weeks, a few more days with her. I

her eyes fluttering op

id, forcing a smile.

she said, her voice wea

e truth. I couldn't tell her that Scarlett was the reason she was i

problem with my mother's treatment. The funding had been pulled. The hos

y hands shaking on the steering wheel. I found her by th

voice cracking. "Why

, feigning surprise

ey for my mother's tre

disappointed me at the gala, Ethan. You were boring. Liam woul

shouted, the sound echoing i

dropping to a deadly calm. "If you want the money

than the last. She wanted public displays of devotion that felt like acts of self-mutilation.

mother, I agreed. I beca

a charity auction, standing obediently by Scarlett's side, when m

s voice was grim. My mother had taken a turn for the worse. There had

world went silent. The laughter from the auction room, the distant m

uel game, her petty punishment

was a blank mask. I walked straight to Scar

dead," I said,

ive thousand," she said to the auctioneer. Then she turned to me,

iliation, the rage of the past year coalesced i

tiful, monstrous woman who h

er send me anything again. You will ne

ack. I could feel her eyes on me, probabl

ome anymore, not really. My old apartment was long gone. My m

feeling began to surface through the pain. It wasn't

ake the knowledge I had worked so hard for. I would rebuild. I would fi

ago, for a national medical research program. A long shot, a program for top

tiative, how can I help you?"

, my voice steady for the first t

had tried to create and starting over, from nothing. It w