Chapter 2

Everyone always told me the same thing growing up. I was the older sister, so I had to give in, be patient, and make sacrifices for my brother. I'd spent my entire life doing exactly that, and in the end, all it earned me was being called ungrateful.

I slowly typed out a reply and hit send.

"Fine. I'm ungrateful and selfish. So don't come asking me for money ever again."

…

The hearing was set for the third of next month. I didn't let it disrupt anything. I went to work, came home, and kept my life on track like nothing had changed. When coworkers made small talk and asked if something was bothering me, I smiled and brushed it off.

That Wednesday at noon, I finished lunch with a few people from my department, and we walked back to the office together. But when I reached the lobby, I spotted a familiar figure at the front desk, chatting with the receptionist.

The receptionist noticed me and waved me over right away. "Keira, your mom's here. She's been waiting for you for a while."

Mom whipped around at the sound of my name and locked eyes with me instantly. Her face lit up, and she rushed over, reaching for my wrist. I sidestepped on instinct, not letting her fingers so much as graze me.

I stopped and looked at her, my tone cold. "What do you want?"

The moment I pulled away, her expression crumbled. Her eyes went red, and she launched into a tearful tirade.

"Keira! You're out here in the city living the good life, all dressed up and comfortable, and you don't care that your brother and I are struggling back home?"

Employees and visitors passing through the lobby stopped in their tracks, every pair of eyes landing on us.

I frowned and lowered my voice. "Don't make a scene here. You're disturbing people. Let's talk outside."

"Why should I?" Mom didn't back down. If anything, she cried louder, her voice shrill enough to cut glass.

"So you know what you're doing is shameful? Good. I want everyone here to see exactly what kind of person you are. Let them be the judge.

"What kind of daughter only gives her own mother 60 dollars a month and makes me check in every single day before she'll hand over two dollars?"

And with that, she dropped right down onto the cold marble floor and started wailing at the top of her lungs. The crowd kept growing, and the whispers kept coming.

"My God, only 60 dollars a month? That's insane."

"And she has to check in for it? That's heartless."

The comments wormed into my ears. I kept my expression blank and didn't bother defending myself.

Before long, the office manager rushed over and escorted us both upstairs to the general manager's office. The soundproofing blocked out the gossip from outside, but it couldn't do a thing about Mom's crying.

She sat on the guest couch, dabbing at her tears in front of my boss, her voice dripping with self-pity. "Sir, it's not even about the money. I'm just heartbroken. I worked so hard to raise her, yet she torments and humiliates me."

My boss looked uncomfortable, caught between a distraught parent making a scene and one of his own employees. He couldn't take sides, so he chose his words carefully.

"Keira, regardless of the circumstances, she is your mother. The way you've handled this isn't exactly appropriate. Taking care of your parents is the right thing to do, and you could stand to be a little more diplomatic about it. Try to work things out."

I lowered my gaze, gave him a respectful nod, and kept my tone earnest. "Sir, I apologize. My personal situation caused a disruption, and I'm sorry for the trouble. I'd like to resign. I'll have my resignation letter in your inbox by the end of the day, and I'll wrap up the handover as quickly as possible."

Everyone in the room froze, including Mom, who was still mid-performance on the couch. She stared at me wide-eyed, clearly not expecting me to quit on the spot.

I didn't explain. I turned around, grabbed my bag from by the door, took Mom by the arm, and pulled her out of the office. I didn't let go until we were standing on the busy sidewalk outside the building.

I turned to look at her. She was still dazed, but my voice was perfectly even. "Happy now? I don't have a job anymore, so I've got plenty of time to go back home for the hearing."