Chapter 006 Heartbreak From The Grave

~Rosemary~

Amani looked back at me and snapped her fingers. "Oh! I heard that you lost the baby. Thank goodness, my son wouldn't have to deal with a disgusting half-sibling/cousin!"

I felt a jab to the heart. It was bad enough that she wrecked my marriage, now she was going to mock me for the miscarriage? The baby was Max's too. How could he allow her to say such...

My thoughts trailed off as I looked at Max. He was smiling at Amani dotingly. It was as if my miscarriage was a joy they both shared. 

"Amani, I--" I began, but she suddenly put out her left hand and said, "Max proposed yesterday! Look at the ring he got me. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

My heart sank to my stomach as soon as I saw the huge clear-cut VVS diamond ring on Amani's finger. 

To say that I was hurt was an understatement. It was the same type of ring I had asked Max to buy for me, but he got me a plain silver band instead.

After flaunting the ring, Amani pressed her hand on her chest as if showing off her big boobies and continued, "Sis, you look so miserable. Is single life not treating you well?"

I swallowed hard. "I don't have the energy for any of your games, Amani. You got what you wanted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got an appointment with Dad's lawyer."

"And so do I!" she snarled, shoving me out of the way and walking into the office while dragging Max behind her.

A lump went up my throat as I watched their backs. After suppressing my emotions, I walked into the office. Surprisingly, my mother, Ida Beckett, was also in the office.

"Hi, Mom," I muttered.

My mother, who had been talking to the lawyer, spared me a glance before turning her head again. "Barrister, now that they are both here. Can we get on with it?"

This wasn't the first time I was being ignored by the woman who gave me life. However, it still hurt. I felt dejected as I watched her pull Amani to sit beside her, while I could only stand there.

"Please sit, Rosemary," the lawyer said to me, gesturing to the couch behind the door. "I called you both here because of the trust your late father set up for you long before he died. Now that you are 21, it's time for you to get the proceeds of investments."

"Woo-hoo!" Amani whistled, still holding Max's arm.

Handing a couple of documents to Amani, the lawyer said, "I'll start with yours, Amani. You get a fully-furnished two-bedroom condo in Hunters Point, Long Island City and an office building near Times Square. The deeds are part of those documents. In addition, you get the sum of 80 million dollars."

"Just eighty million?" Amani's flipped through the documents and shrugged nonchalantly.

“That’s chicken feed, but I guess I’ll manage it.”

"Congratulations, dearie!" our mother uttered, giving her a side hug.

I watched them in silence while waiting for my turn. After the lawyer explained a few things to Amani, he turned to me. He gave me a brown envelope. "As for you, Rosemary, you get the sum of..."

‘Huh, Dad actually left me something? That’s new!’ I said to myself when he paused.

He pushed up the glasses on his nose and continued, "You get the sum of 320 dollars."

"Wait, what!" I exclaimed, my heart leaping. "I get 320 million dollars?"

"No, you heard me wrong. I said, three hundred and twenty dollars."

My breath ceased. I looked at the document in my hands, only to find a bunch of numbers I couldn't understand.

"Y-you are joking, right? How can I get just a few bucks?"

Barr. Steven sighed. "I'm afraid this is no joke. The investment your father made for you failed. That's the amount that came out of it. In addition to that, you get his childhood home."

I couldn't believe this. Amani gets 80 million, an upscale condo, and a freaking office building worth millions while I get only a few bucks and an ancient house in a remote village? How is this even fair?

As I was trying to process my misfortune, a roar of laughter erupted in the office. I looked up to find Amani, Max, and my mother laughing at me.

"OMG! Rosemary..." Amani sassily began. "You are really cursed. Nothing is working well for you. First, you lost the man you stole and got pregnant for. Now, you have no child, no man, no money. You have nothing!"

My mother laughed even louder, "Ha-ha! She's going to be a cat lady. When she dies alone, her beloved cats will feed on her body!"

I shuddered, the documents in my hands trembling. 

I should have known that father would give me another dirty truck, just like what he did on my 16th birthday. He never loved me till he died. 

My sadness returned with full force. I sucked a breath just to keep my cool. But it didn't work. The tears came flowing as I buried my face in the documents.

"She's not alone!" Suddenly, a calm but loud voice interrupted the mocking laughter in the office. 

I turned to the door, only to see Gerald walk in with his hands in his pockets. He looked around the room before saying to Amani and my mother, "You two are Rosemary's twin sister and mother, aren't you? Doing such a terrible thing to her, ain’t you ashamed of yourselves?"