“It's a harsh lesson, Ember, but one you need to learn.”
I stood up, facing off with my mother. Our eyes were locked on each other's, but she didn't waver. Not in the slightest. She continued smirking and sipping her expensive wine. She'd rather have money for shopping sprees and wine than pay for her daughter's education. It shouldn't surprise me, but it did. My heart crumbled in that moment, and it hit me how manipulative and cruel my mother really was.
I grabbed my bag and started for my room, mom's voice trailing behind me. “Oh, and Ember? You might want to stay at Talia's for a bit,” she said. “To help make ends meet, I've sold off the bedroom furniture in the second bedroom. Figured you wouldn't need to it since you have life all figured out and such.”
I stopped in the hallway, panic truly setting in. I turned and gaped at her. Talia was away for the summer, visiting family in Europe. Mom knew this. Her eyes sparkled as she finished her wine, a vicious little smirk tugging at her lips.
“You're kicking me out?”
Mom shrugged. “Don't think of it as kicking you out, dear,” she said. “Think of it as me being motherly and teaching you a valuable lesson.”
“What lesson is that exactly? That I should be a lying, manipulating c-u-next-Tuesday like you?”
Mom slapped me across the cheek. “Get out,” she demanded.
“Let me just get my stuff –”
“No, now,” she said. Her voice was shaking. “Everything you have, I sold already,” she screamed. “I paid for it all anyway. Now leave.”
Everything? I hesitated, feeling the weight of her words. S
he sold everything? My clothes? My laptop? I turned on my heel and rushed toward the room was that was supposed to be mine, opening the door, expecting to call her bluff, and find my things there.
Except, that when I opened the door, I saw that she wasn't lying.
The room was completely empty. I ran to the closet, pulling it opened and found nothing more than empty hangars on the rod. All my clothes, gone. The bathroom had been cleared out too. I didn't even have shampoo or a tooth brush to my name.
Mom was standing in the doorway, a smug smile on her face, looking absolutely pleased with herself.
“Didn't believe I had it in me, did you?” she said. “Well, I didn't think my own daughter would undermine me the way you did. It hurts, doesn't it?”
It wasn't pain that I was feeling. It was rage.
“That laptop, I bought myself,” I said through clenched teeth. “It had everything from the last three years at school. Things I need!”
“You paid for it yourself? How cute. The money from your dad's trust account ran out ages ago,” she said. “Everything you own was bought by me. And now, I've showed you what happens when you mess up my life, Ember. I can take it all back in a heartbeat.”
“You bitch,” I stammered.
I still couldn't believe it. My entire life, everything I owned, was gone. All because my mom was throwing a hissy fit. Because she didn't like being outed as the horrible, money-grubbing, gold-digging bitch whore she really was.
“It wasn't even your money anyway,” I growled. “It all belonged to your ex-husbands – well, it did before you swindled them out of it all.”
She sighed. “And there, for a second, I thought you wanted Jude for yourself, and I was even a little bit proud,” she said. “I thought, look at her, following in her mother's footsteps. Then I realized you're just a spoiled little brat who's had everything in life handed to you on a silver platter. Well, it's time to learn to stand on your own two feet, sweetie.”
Mom turned and walked back down the hallway. As I stood there reeling, tears rolling down my cheeks, and my heart thundering in my chest, her voice echoed down the hallway to me.
“I really hope this teaches you a lesson, dear.”
***
All my credit cards had been cancelled, I didn't have a dime to my name except for the loose change at the bottom of my purse – which I'd had to use for bus fare. Talia and her family were in Europe. My friends from college might be able to help me, but there was one problem – I had no way to reach any of them. My phone had been shut off too. I had no way of contacting anyone, and I didn't know where they lived. That's how I found myself in Forest Glen, staring at what could only be described as a mansion.
Jude's mansion.
With a sigh, I walked up the driveway and stood on the front porch, my heart racing and my body trembling. I hesitated, trying to think of what I might say
“Hey! Remember me? I'm the daughter of the woman who tried to use you for your billions. Mind if I stay awhile?”