Chapter 1

As soon as my uncle, Noel Macy, said that, the rest of the family piled on.

“Seriously, do you even get how give-and-take works? You’ve been taking advantage of us for years.”

“Gotta hand it to you, Kate. You really know how to work the system. All smiles when your own kid gets gifts, but won’t spend a penny on our kids.”

They had clearly been waiting for a chance to belittle her. Their words dripped with sarcasm.

My mother, Kate Fisher, turned pale. Suddenly, she grabbed me by the hair and slapped me.

“Anna, why didn’t you tell me you got money from them? Have you been hiding cash? You made me look like I can’t return a simple favor! Happy now?

My head was spinning. I wanted to tell her I had already given her every cent I received.

She cut me off with a fierce glare. Then, she grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bedroom.

“Anna, don’t you have any sense at all?”

She kept her voice low, and her fingers dug painfully into my arm.

“You’ve collected five or six thousand as gifts over the years. They’re obviously trying to get that money back now. When we go out there, say that you kept the cash to yourself and spent it. That way, they can’t ask for it anymore.”

I did not want to lie.

I did not want to be the bad kid everyone looked down on. I did not want this moment to be the reason I could not hold my head high.

Seeing that I did not agree, Mom gave me a look of utter disappointment.

“Anna, what does someone your age need pride for? Money is what matters. I’m doing this for your own good. I’ve been saving all that money for you. It’ll be yours someday anyway.”

She always thought children did not need dignity.

When the school organized potlucks, she would send me empty-handed every time and tell me to mooch off the snacks from other kids.

She said it saved money.

When I ended up being excluded by my friends, she would just click her tongue and say I did not have any friends because I was antisocial.

As for the gift money, I clearly remembered that Mom went shopping every year after the holidays and spent it.

She never hesitated when it came time to pay for the designer bags or expensive clothes for herself.

That money was probably long gone.

I tried to say something, but just as I opened my mouth, I felt a sharp pain in my throat. I was seized by fits of coughing.

When Mom had slapped me earlier, I was eating fish.

The fishbone must have gotten stuck.

Seeing my face turning red and my eyes filling with tears, she trembled in excitement instead of feeling concerned for me.

“Anna, that’s some good acting! Keep that up when we go back out later. Just say I punished you, and they’ll feel too awkward to ask for the money back.”

I was not pretending. I was genuinely in pain.

I could feel my throat swelling up. Breathing normally was a struggle.