Misplaced Bonds of Blood

"Why didn't you let Calvin go on that study abroad program I set up for him?"James Carter strolled over, planted a kiss on my cheek, and snagged a slice of bread from the table, popping it into his mouth."Sending a kid off by himself to a faraway place? That's enough to make anyone worry. Plus, it's been ages since we've had a family trip. I figured you've been swamped at work and stressed out. We could all use a little downtime, right?"I slipped off my glasses and shut down my laptop. We exchanged a knowing smile."It's a school trip, you know. A little adventure is good for a boy. And hey, I'm still on the hunt for a personal assistant and a bodyguard for him..."James grabbed my hand, his grin wide. "I get it. You've been grooming Calvin to take over someday. You've done an amazing job with his education. Every time something happens to him, you get all worked up. If that kid ever lets you down, I swear, I'd have a few choice words for him!"I let out a soft chuckle, my gaz

Pulling myself back to the present, I watched Mandy and Calvin with a grin as I approached. I dabbed at the sweat on Calvin's forehead with a tissue."I know how hard you've been hitting the books. Guess what I've got for you!"Calvin's eyes lit up when he saw the shiny VIP pass to the brand-new amusement park in my hand. He jumped for joy. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug."Mom, you're the best! Can Dad and Ms. Wood come with us, please?"James overheard and quickly wrapped Calvin in a protective embrace, worried he might say something he should not. "Calvin's been dying to ride the roller coaster, but he's a bit of a chicken..."I held Calvin's hand, still smiling. "So, you don't want me to come with you?"He thought for a second. "Mom, you've got work. You're busy making money for us. I don't want to bug you!""See? Calvin's such a good kid. Whenever I take him out, everyone says how polite and smart he is!"I mused for a moment, "Well, if our little guy is that g

The final hundred days before the exams had them all on edge.Mandy whipped up Calvin's favorite meals daily and made sure he did not play hooky. She was on chauffeur duty morning, noon, and night.James pulled out all the stops, bringing in a star tutor to boost his grades. He would sit right there during study sessions to keep an eye on Calvin.However, despite all that, Calvin just barely managed to get into a run-of-the-mill college out of town."What on earth is going on in that head of yours? All this extra help and your grades are still stuck in the mud!" James exclaimed.I gently tugged at James' arm."They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Maybe he got his smarts from me? Listen, son, when it's time to find a partner, aim high education-wise. You don't want to shortchange your future kids!"I did not mean much by it, but the words hung heavy in the air.That night, a heated argument broke out in the room next door.I flicked on the surveillance feed, and t

After I had finished signing off on all the paperwork, Mandy had my things all boxed up and ready to go."Thought you were too good for us? You sure liked bossing me around, didn't you? Well, now, your stuff, your husband, and your kid are all mine. And you're here, feeling miserable. I actually feel sorry for you!"I barely held myself up. My voice was a whisper as I asked James, "I've given you everything you wanted. Can't you even give me a place to stay?"James looked at me like I was something stuck to his shoe."Sally, when you were rolling in money, you didn't even see me as human. Now, it's your turn to see what it's like to get zero respect! I'm a man, yet you never gave me an ounce of dignity. You made me a joke in front of everyone we know!"Just leave, and don't bother our little family again!"His words dripped with scorn and loathing. Calvin was no different, looking down on me like I was dirt."If I were you, I'd find a river and just end it all! Beat it, will you

The company was spiraling down thanks to their reckless antics. I also had my own people in there muddying the waters. So what if they managed to snag the company? Without any real skills, they were nothing but a bunch of losers. However, their big bet was all on Hudson Lynch, the hotshot from the capital. Hudson, the fresh face of the Lynch dynasty, was young but already had a reputation for shaking things up. The former chairman of Lynch Group, Sir Lynch, was on his last legs and had called Hudson back from Clarendon University.The guy had chops, earning respect from the company bigwigs in no time. That was why James and his cronies were strutting around. They were banking on a fat check from Lynch Group to rocket them to the top of Avalon City's rich list. The day Hudson arrived in town, every media outlet was buzzing. Carter Group was in charge of rolling out the red carpet, and the hotel was on lockdown, prepped for the high-profile meeting.The crowd outside was buzzin