บททั้งหมดของ Buck Around, Whine Out: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

I marched into my room and locked the door against them, though all that separated me from the chaos outside was a thin piece of wood.I could still hear my mother screeching obscenities and Erik hurling things to the floor in a rage.I leaned against the door and stared at the room I had lived in for more than two decades. Everything blurred before my eyes.It was small and cramped, with yellowing walls and peeling paint. Aside from a worn-out bed and a desk that looked ready to collapse, all I could call my own were a few old boxes stacked in the corner.These four walls had been my living quarters throughout the eight years I'd spent working late into the night.I had lived with crushing frugality just to make sure I could give my mother 2000 dollars every month. I never owned a shirt that cost more than 30 dollars.My colleagues could afford to shop and get facials every weekend, but whenever they invited me along, I gave them the same tired excuse that I preferred staying ho

I shoved Erik away and bolted out the front door with Nick as fast as I could.My mother's curse-laden tirade predictably erupted behind us, loud enough to shake the entire apartment. "You immoral, thoughtless, stubborn, holier-than-thou waste of my life!"Don't ever fucking come back when your in-laws chew you up and spit you out! Don't come crawling back when they leave your graceless ass on the street after trampling all over you!"You think a man is someone you can trust?! You think he's gonna stick with you forever?! Keep dreaming!"Once he sees how ungrateful you've been to your own family, he's gonna realize you're nothing but a parasite and dump your ass right then and there!"Erik joined in on the verbal abuse. "Holier-than-thou is right, Vicky! You think you mean shit when you're all alone, bitch? You ain't worth a damn, but I don't think you're ready for that truth!"He snickered. "You won't even have a place to come back to after your in-laws wipe their boots on your

For the first time in my life, I could finally walk into a high-end shopping district and buy a top-quality power dress.I could finally sign up for a complete spa and beauty treatment package and see a glowing, confident young woman whenever I looked in the mirror. I could finally set aside some of my disposable income from work in a joint account for the new family Nick and I were building.I poured all my energy and newfound enthusiasm into my work and took on several of the company's biggest clients. I worked overtime, canvassed the market, and conducted extensive research.I was fully committed to the girlboss grindset, and my efforts paid off: I secured three contracts worth millions of dollars each.At the Best Employee of the Year ceremony that December, the CEO personally presented me with the award before promoting me to Regional Director. My salary skyrocketed, and I was given a private office on the executive floor.My life was shooting upward like a rocket, and it was

Lloyd was blunt and uncompromising, and his voice carried across the entire lobby. "In the eyes of the law, this constitutes fraud. The money was never intended as a voluntary gift, which means you defrauded Ms. Hunter."My client is now demanding the return of every dollar she has paid you over the years, plus interest. The total comes to 300,000 dollars."Erik's face went white as a sheet. He stumbled backward, and the loudspeaker slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a loud clank."Y-You're suing me?! Are you fucking insane, bitch?! You're suing your own brother!" he bellowed.I fixed him with a hard stare. "That's news to me. I didn't know you actually remembered you were my brother."You certainly didn't remember that I was supposed to be your sister when you claimed the house I'd worked so hard to pay for as your own. You didn't even blink when you kicked me out of my own house!"I pointed at the court papers. "I'm not going to settle for a cent less, and you can cou

After a three-hour drive, Nick and I arrived at St. Bathory General Hospital. We made our way through the lobby and down several hallways before I pushed open the door to the shared hospital room.I braced myself against the overpowering smell of antiseptic and the faint, musty odor beneath it. There, in the corner, lay the woman I used to call Mom.I would not have recognized her if the nurse hadn't told me which bed was hers.She looked so haggard and frail that her skin seemed to cling to her bones, wrinkled and deeply creased like tree bark. Her eyes were dark and sunken. Her once snow-white hair had faded to a dull, ashen gray.At the sound of my footsteps, she slowly turned her eyes toward me. They immediately reddened. Cloudy tears streamed endlessly down the deep creases of her face.She tried to reach for the hem of my shirt, but her hand trembled too badly. Her voice came out raspy and hoarse, thick with tears and regret. "Vicky… You're finally here… You finally came to