Chapter 006: Money-making machine

|• DELORES

Sign whatever I want? Did he think it was that simple? I wanted to scoff so bad.

“Mr. Pierce,” I called, trying to keep my tone calm despite how badly I wanted to scream. “I do not need any cooling period. I have made my decision. I know what I want, and what I want is this divorce being finalized so I can leave for good.”

“Delores—”

“Aaron,” I cut in. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is. I have no idea what games you think you’re playing with me, but you have no right to just disagree after we already talked about this.”

Aaron sighed in frustration and lowered his head. “Delores, please,” he said, looking up, his gaze pleading. “I have no idea what is going on or why you’re acting this way. Maybe you’re just in a bad mood and—”

“No,” I interrupted him again. “I know what I’m saying.”

“I promise to let you go. I promise to sign the divorce papers if you still want them after the six-month cooling period.” He gave me a small, almost pained smile. “I love you. You have my word.”

I still wanted to disagree. Six months is an awfully long time to stay under the same roof with him—seeing him every day and getting reminded of how tragic my love for him turned out to be. It was too much, and I didn’t want to deal with that.

Call me a coward, but I’d rather leave than die again.

Mr. Pierce cleared his throat before I could say anything else. “Ms. Delores,” he called, and my head snapped in his direction. “There are a few things that will make me withdraw this statement about giving you two a six-month cooling period.”

Hope bloomed in my chest.

“And it depends on the evidence given.”

The hope shattered.

“Does Mr. Caldwell abuse you physically, emotionally, or mentally?”

My gaze darted to Aaron, who stared at me quietly, his expression hopeful and somewhat curious. He’d been confused as to why I’d wanted a divorce immediately after I regained consciousness. These questions seemed to him like he was finally getting somewhere with what was worrying him.

“No,” I answered, not taking my eyes off Aaron.

“Does he cheat on you?”

My chest constricted as a sharp pain shot through it. Cheating. This was the same thing that made me lose my life. If I said yes, I had no evidence. If I said no, I would be forced to stay with him for six months.

I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t lie to a lawyer, especially with nothing to prove or back it up.

I let out an exasperated sigh. “No.”

Mr. Pierce adjusted his glasses and folded his arms on the desk, his eyes sweeping between me and Aaron. “Then this six-month cooling period has to happen for the sake of you both. If after that you still want to get divorced,” he looked at Aaron, “then there is no turning back.”

***

My fingers curled into fists as I walked out of Mr. Pierce’s office. I wanted to scream and hit something. When I’d woken up, the plan I made was simple.

Get divorced. Take auditions. Land a good role. Get my fame back.

But things just had to not go the way I planned. I groaned and ruffled my hair, my anger toward Aaron intensifying.

I took deep, calming breaths to help my mind relax. As I got into my car, I had already formed a new strategy.

Living under the same roof with Aaron for six months shouldn’t be a hassle. All I had to do was act like he didn’t exist. It was easy. Nothing could go wrong.

I drove out of the firm and headed straight home. My eyes narrowed when I saw the black SUV parked in the garage. I knew that license plate anywhere. It was my mother.

What was she doing here?

After parking the car, I remained inside, trying to put myself in the right headspace before meeting her. I knew what meeting her was like, and I’d already drained the last strength I had today on Aaron.

The last thing I wanted was her adding to the stress I was already going through.

When I was sure I could face her, I got out and walked into the house. There she sat in the living room like she owned the place, Victor sitting right beside her. As always.

I recalled the last thoughts I had before I died. I almost laughed. Because when people died, they usually thought about family—their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters—and how much they were going to miss them. They usually wondered if their family would be able to survive the pain if they died.

Mine was different. My family saw my death as an opportunity to hit it big through my will.

It was painful, and I’d have to school my feelings so they wouldn’t get hurt all over again.

Easier said than done. Because the minute Mum saw me, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, “Oh good, you’re home. Victor damaged somebody’s car while out last night, and now he has to pay five thousand dollars for repairs,” she chuckled awkwardly. “Send the money right now.”

Nothing had changed.

I could feel the tears heating the back of my eyes with the realization that I was all alone again. They weren’t kind to me in my past life, and they wouldn’t be in this new one.

“Did you know I just got discharged from the hospital, Mum?” I asked, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I saw it on the news.”

“And you never bothered to come check on me?”

Mum waved it off like it was nothing. “Delores, you are not a kid. You have your husband.”

“And you are my mother. The woman who gave birth to me,” I tried to keep my voice from trembling. “Weren’t you the least curious to know what happened to me?”

“You work a lot, so it’s normal for you to end up in the hospital once in a while. It’s not that serious.”

It’s not that serious.

Yet my kidney failed, and it wouldn’t be long before I would have limited time left.

Pain wrapped itself around my heart and squeezed. The hurt was so suffocating it was almost too hard to breathe.

I sighed and nodded.

“Now send the money, or else Victor will be arrested.”

“Yes, sis,” the idiot had the audacity to stand up and look all innocent. “It was a mistake.”

“A mistake, huh?” I walked further into the room and stopped in front of him. “What were you doing out all night?”

Victor smiled awkwardly. “We were just having fun. I swear I didn’t mean to get drunk—”

“So you got drunk and damaged somebody’s car, right?” I asked, and he nodded. “So… why should I send you money for something that is clearly your fault?”

Mum and Victor gasped.

“What are you talking about?” Mum asked, standing to her feet as well.

I tilted my head, my voice cold. “What am I talking about?” I laughed. “He damaged the car, and somehow I should be the one to pay for the damages? Did I damage the car?”

“But I have no money, Delores!” Victor snapped.

“I send you ten thousand dollars monthly for your allowance. You stay with Mum, eat her food, and refuse to further your education. If you were responsible, you would have loads of money left to cover the damage cost and even get married.”

Mum scowled, shooting me a glare. “Are you trying to say you won’t give your brother the money?” she asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I sneered. “And not just that—I have reduced his allowance to two thousand dollars per month. And if he gets into trouble again, I will stop paying him an allowance altogether.”

“What?!” they both yelled like I had said the most abominable thing.

“Delores, have you gone mad?” Mum snapped.

I shook my head. “I got wise.”

“Two thousand dollars wouldn’t even get me through a week,” Victor whined, turning to Mum as always to help him fight.

Before Mum could say anything, I raised my palm. “I will not change my mind. If Victor wants more money, he can go make some by getting a job. I will no longer pay for any stupid damages due to his reckless lifestyle, and I will no longer bleed for a family that sees me as a money-making machine instead of a daughter.”

I walked past them and began walking up the stairs. “You two are no longer welcome here. Get. Out. Immediately.”