Chapter 3

Back when Eleanor Kayson bought me the house with zero down but put the deed in her name, I already had my suspicions. So, to make it easier for myself when making the mortgage payments, I went behind her back, took the paperwork, and had the deed transferred into my name.

This house has always been mine, and no one is taking it from me.

To keep Eleanor and the others from just walking into my house again, I had a keypad lock installed on the door the very next morning.

Three days passed quickly. I was at work when I got a call from Eleanor. She didn't even say hello—just started yelling at me.

"I told you to move out. Not only did you not move, you actually had the locks changed?"

"It's my house. I'm not moving out. And you can forget about getting your hands on it."

"You brat. Get back here right now and open that door, or don't blame me for forgetting we're family."

The truth is, whatever bond we had as mother and son was gone the year she remarried.

I hung up and went about my day like normal.

When I got home that night, I saw that the door had been pried open. Eleanor and Kaden were inside, grabbing my things and tossing them out into the hallway.

"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled. "You have no right to touch my stuff!"

Eleanor threw an armful of my clothes at me and stomped her foot down on an old toy on the floor—a little armored hero figure.

"You had your chance to do this the easy way. Now we do it the hard way. This is my house, and I'm throwing you out right now."

Kaden stood there smirking. "As of now, this house belongs to me. Take your junk and get out of this building."

My eyes locked onto the toy broken in two under her foot.

My father bought that for me when I was a kid. After he died, I kept it with me everywhere. As long as I had it, I could pretend he was still around. And now, she'd crushed it.

Rage surged through me. I charged forward and shoved her to the ground.

"Get out! All of you get out! You broke into my house. You threw out my things. I'm calling the cops and reporting you for breaking and entering."

I picked up the broken toy, pulled out my phone, and dialed the police. "Hello? Police? Someone broke into my house and pried open my lock. Please send someone right away."

Eleanor picked herself up off the floor, furious. She drew her hand back to slap me.

"You bastard! How dare you put your hands on me!"

But I wasn't that scared kid anymore—the one who just stood there crying while she hit me. I caught her wrist in midair.

Kaden saw what was happening and came over to help her. Two against one. Soon, they had me pinned to the floor.

Eleanor slapped me across the face. Hard. Twice.

"You ungrateful snake. I should have drowned you when you were little."

I spat out a mouthful of blood. "You're calling me ungrateful? What about you? You remarried right after Dad passed away. You moved another man and his kid into our house. You took my room, my toys… everything I had. When you die and go to hell, how are you going to face him?"

That only made her angrier. She started kicking and punching me.

"I don't need to answer to you for anything I do, you brat. I'm going to teach you some manners right now."

The blows came down on me like rain. I curled up in pain.

Then, from the hallway, a commanding voice boomed, "Stop right there!"