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Chapter 8
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Cutting Their Losses Chapter 9
Another five years passed.I bought a small house on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't big—just four hundred square feet—but it was a place that belonged entirely to me.I adopted a cat and named it Freedom. It was lazy, spending all day stretched out on the windowsill in the sun.I worked as a stock clerk at a supermarket. The job was dull, but it gave me peace.Until the day I got a call from the community office."Is this Hannah Parker?""Yes.""Your mother fell at the nursing home and is in the hospital. Could you come by?"I wanted to refuse, but I remembered what Dad had once said."When you're old, let's see who's there to take care of you."So I went.Mom lay in a hospital bed. She was so thin she looked like little more than skin and bones. Her leg was in a cast. Age spots covered her face.The moment she saw me, her cloudy eyes lit up."Hannah..." She reached out with a trembling hand.I didn't take it."What do you want?" I asked."Money… The medical bills
Cutting Their Losses Chapter 8
After that, Abigail disappeared.Some people said she'd gone abroad. Others said she'd taken the money and started her own business.As for Vincent, the illegal project was exposed, and he went bankrupt.My parents panicked. Unable to reach Abigail, they came looking for me."Was this your doing?!" Mom roared over the phone. "Was this all your idea?""Yes," I admitted calmly."You jinx!" she screamed. "You ruined your sister's marriage! You'll die a miserable death!""She never had a heart to begin with. She's better off divorced."Dad snatched the phone from her. "Get back here right now! Your sister's disappeared! We have to return the dowry, and you're going to help us pay it back!""Why should I?""Because you're part of this family!""That family stopped existing a long time ago."I hung up and blocked the number, but I never expected them to find my workplace.It was a gray, rainy day. They stood outside the entrance holding a banner that read: "An ungrateful daughte
Cutting Their Losses Chapter 7
The wedding was held at a luxury hotel. The ballroom glittered with lights, and the room was filled with guests.I stood behind Abigail in my bridesmaid's dress. It was bright red, so red it looked as though it had been dyed with blood.Abigail stood on the stage, smiling blissfully.Vincent was a balding middle-aged man. His leering eyes never left her.When it was time to exchange rings, Abigail's hand trembled, but she still smiled and held out her finger.In that moment, I saw the despair in her eyes. She was truly afraid. Even so, she married him because she had grown used to being a puppet.After the ceremony, the reception began.I stayed in a corner, watching the well-dressed crowd.Someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. It was Vincent."So you're the big sister?" He reeked of alcohol as he leaned close."That's right.""I hear you're very obedient." His hand slid onto my waist.I fought back the disgust and didn't move."Don't move," he whispered. "Come to my
Cutting Their Losses Chapter 6
Five years passed.I drifted through the city like a speck of dust.I washed dishes, hauled bricks, and delivered food.In the end, I found a job as a quality control inspector at a chemical plant. The pay wasn't much, but at least it came with health insurance.I changed my phone number and my address.I never went back.Until the phone rang.It was an unfamiliar number. The moment I answered, I heard Mom's voice. It sounded old and hoarse, like someone trying desperately to keep herself from falling apart."Abby's getting married.""Oh." My answer was cold."You have to come back," she said. "The groom's family specifically asked for you to be Abigail's maid of honor."I laughed. "Maid of honor? Do they want me there to make Abigail look even more perfect?""This isn't just about Abigail. It's about the whole family," Mom said. "The Caldwells are very influential. If we don't satisfy them, what will happen to your sister?""What does that have to do with me?""It has ev
Cutting Their Losses Chapter 5
I was eighteen.I had to leave.I'd overheard my parents talking. They were planning to marry me off to Wayne Carter, a forty-year-old man with a limp. He was a construction contractor, and he was willing to prepare a $200,000 dowry.That money was just enough to cover Abigail's tuition to study abroad."He's from a good family," Mom said absentmindedly as she peeled an orange. "He may be a little older, but you'll never have to worry about food or money."Dad sat smoking. Through the haze, his face was blurred."It's time you contributed something to this family," he said. "After all, we've raised you all these years."Raised.The word pierced me like a thorn.I went back to my room and packed my things.There wasn't much to pack. Just a few books, the broken fountain pen, and a rusty pair of scissors.I tucked the scissors into the deepest compartment of my bag.That night, I went to my parents' bedroom. They were already asleep.I stood beside the bed, looking at their
Cutting Their Losses Chapter 4
I was fifteen.Abigail started dating.Ethan Sinclair was the son of a member of Blackwood Academy's board of directors. His family was wealthy.Every day, she put on makeup and changed outfits several times. Mom became her personal stylist, spending all day fussing over her. I became her errand girl. I had to buy her expensive smoothies, deliver her love letters, and keep watch from a distance whenever she went on dates.If Ethan tried to hold her hand, I was supposed to make enough noise to interrupt them, like an idiot.One day, Abigail was on a date at the park.I hid behind a row of bushes. By the time it was over, my legs were covered in mosquito bites.Suddenly, Abigail and Ethan started arguing. He said she was too high-maintenance and wanted to break up.Abigail burst into tears. Then she turned toward me, her eyes filled with malice."This is all your fault!" She rushed over and slapped me across the face. "How was he supposed to pay attention to me with you standi
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