Chapter 2

The calls came one after another. Aunt Darcy was first, then Mom joined in, blowing up my phone.

I answered with a scowl. Mom launched straight into a lecture. "Why did you hang up on Aunt Darcy? What's wrong with Tessa staying at your place for a few days during the summer? Aunt Darcy wasn't even done talking, and you just cut her off. Now that you've got some money, you're acting all high and mighty, aren't you?"

She was still my mom, so I forced myself to hold back the anger simmering inside and tried to explain calmly. "I've been swamped with work lately. I'm barely home myself. It wouldn't be convenient for her to stay there alone."

However, Mom wouldn't budge. "Tessa's already graduated from high school. She can take care of herself. She's your cousin, not some stranger. What's there to worry about? Let me tell you, you can't forget where you came from. Did you forget how good your aunt was to you when you were younger? What do you think people will say about us if you act all arrogant like this? Don't start acting ungrateful just because you've got money. If anyone finds out, they'll say I didn't raise you right."

At the end of the day, she was just mad that I had embarrassed Aunt Darcy by hanging up.

That was the last straw for my patience. "She was good to me? When I was seven and went to her house for the holidays, I ate two pieces of candy off the table, and she dragged me before all the relatives and called me a thief. Is that what you call being good to me? I treat people the way they treat me. She doesn't like me, and I haven't set foot in her house since I was a kid. The same goes for my place. She isn't welcome here. If you want to keep in touch with that side of the family, that's your choice. From now on, I won't be visiting them for the holidays either."

Mom was furious. "Keep that temper of yours, and you will pay for it someday. You have no idea how much you will lose."

I was already used to her scolding. It had always been like this. The moment I did anything that went against her wishes, she would claim it was for my own good, warn me that I would suffer in the future, and then force her way into my decisions.

The truth hit me after I graduated and moved out. Without her constant control, the world outside was nothing like the storm I had spent my whole life fearing.

Since reasoning with them was useless, I gave up arguing. I said I had work to do and hung up.

The fear from my last life still lingered. That weekend, I had an emergency release installed on the balcony door before I could relax even a little.

I assumed that would be the end of it.

Then one day, while I was working late, a WhatsApp message from Mom popped up. "Why did you change the door code? Send it to me now. Tessa and I are at your door."

My head was pounding. I took a calming pill, grabbed my keys, and sped home. When I got there, piles of luggage were stacked in front of my door.

Tessa stood there in an obviously fake designer outfit, with impatience written all over her face.

Mom was coaxing her. "Have you been waiting long, Tessa? Why don't you play another round on your phone? Kim is unbelievable. She didn't even say a single word and just changed the door code. How rude of her. I wish she were as sensible as you. Honestly, life has been cruel. Her dad died too soon, and I am left with an ungrateful brat like her."

Tessa complained, "Aunt Florence, you really need to talk to Kim. She's just someone who got rich overnight and doesn't know how to enjoy life. She lives in a penthouse with private elevator access, yet she can't even put a couch in the hallway for us to sit and rest. She doesn't care about you at all."

I was used to it. She had always been like this, putting me down in front of others. When Dad's sister, Aunt Vera Lane, and the others praised my grades as a child, Mom would say I didn't have talent, that my grades were just from memorizing, that my potential was already used up, and that I would never keep up with the boys in high school.

At first, I thought she favored sons. Later, I realized she only wanted attention. Other people's children always seemed impressive, while I was never good enough. Whenever someone complimented me, she would knock me down just to shine herself.