All Chapters of Mom Sent Me a Bill: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

On day four of freshman orientation, I stared at my message forever, typing and deleting it over and over before finally hitting send.[Mom, orientation's almost over. If I skip breakfast, I won't have enough energy for everything today. Can you just send me $3?]She replied almost instantly.Then I read it.[$3? An egg is only $1.50. Why do you need that much? Are you trying to scam me?]My stomach twisted.Sweat slid down my temple.I was starving.Still, I kept my reply calm.[One egg isn't enough. I want a plain bagel too.]This time, she left me on read.My roommates had already eaten and were getting ready to head to the field for orientation.I pressed a hand to my growling stomach and glanced at my roommate's desk.A box of fresh pastries sat there, looking way too good.Chloe Quinn had the bed next to mine. Total rich girl.On move-in day, her parents took one look at our six-person dorm and frowned.They were worried she wouldn't sleep well—and that her attitu

Before I could react, she took my phone and pulled up my payment app."Twenty bucks isn't enough. If you need help again, come to me first."My phone dinged with a notification:[You received $200.]I panicked. "No, I can't take your money."She shook her head, still serious. "Relax. It's a loan."I hadn't cried after going hungry for three days.I hadn't cried when Penny tore into me.But the second Ms. Taylor showed me kindness—after knowing me for only three days—I broke down.Thanks to Ms. Taylor, I finally ate decent meals and made it through orientation.The job hunt worked out too.I landed a gig handing out flyers outside a mall for twenty bucks an hour.A few shifts, and I'd be able to pay Ms. Taylor back within a week.Then, the day I got my first paycheck, Mom called."Lucia, did you get a job behind my back?"***I couldn't believe it.Besides my roommates, nobody knew about my job.Then it hit me.Yesterday was Saturday. I'd gotten up early and tried t

I had zero reason to say no.At this point, I had one goal: survive.And maybe, eventually, actually live.Logan offered me $2,000 a month.All I had to do was spend weekends at his house with his grandmother.Her name was Sylvia Carter."Just call her Grandma Sylvia. That's what Annie called her."Once I signed, Logan looked relieved.Grandma Sylvia lit up like a kid.Still, something bothered me."Grandma Sylvia doesn't seem completely okay. What if she realizes I'm not Annie? Will she..."Logan got what I meant."Will she hurt you?"No. Don't worry."She'd never hurt her own kid."For some reason, that made me jealous of Annie.She'd been way luckier than me.But after everything I'd been through, calling anyone family felt impossible.Grandma Sylvia included.Spending time with her was a job. Simple as that.It was way easier than handing out flyers and paid a whole lot more.Best of all, I didn't have to wonder where my next meal was coming from.Then somehow

Mom showed up on campus the very next day.Right in front of Ms. Taylor, she demanded I drop out."She thinks she's grown now, so apparently I can't control her anymore!"She's barely been away from home, and she's already doing something this disgusting. If this gets worse, what would her father think of me?"So I want Lucia expelled. I'm taking her home and straightening her out myself."I stared at the woman beside me.For a second, she didn't even feel like my mom.Thankfully, Ms. Taylor wasn't buying it."Ma'am, calm down."First, the school has no right to interfere in a student's private life. Second, what proof do you have that Lucia did anything wrong?"I know Lucia. She's a good student. She works weekends, keeps up with class, and could even earn a scholarship this semester."Her roommates can back that up."But Mom wouldn't listen.She was dead set on dragging me home.So I gritted my teeth and pulled out the paper I'd stayed up all night writing.A formal no

I tilted my head like I was actually thinking about it.Then I shrugged."You're right. It isn't."'Not Worth a Penny' suits you way better."That sent her over the edge.Even through the restaurant window, I could see her screaming every insult she could think of.I didn't care.I'd kept every cent.That money was my safety net. My shot at a better life.I thought that would be the end of it.Then Ryan called again.He sounded panicked. Someone was crying in the background."Lucia, come home. Mom's sick!"My heart stuttered.For one second, all I could see was Mom when I was little, arms open, waiting to hug me.I asked Grandma Sylvia, "Should I go?"She blinked up at me."Go. I'll wait for you."So I went home.Chloe tracked my location the whole way.[Call me if anything happens. I'll call the cops immediately.]Turns out, she had every reason to worry.The second I walked in, I saw Mom laughing with my stepdad, Gregory Blake.She looked perfectly fine.My ba