Soda
My mom loves using me as her bargaining chip to buy her way into heaven.
My haute couture dresses, my original sketches, my entire trust fund allowance—the second I look away, she hands them off to her church buddies or broke relatives. All in the name of "saving souls."
Whenever I snap, she just acts all smug and self-righteous.
"You ungrateful brat! I’m earning brownie points with God for you! It's the only way you’ll ever get into heaven!"
The night before my final pitch for Global Lead Designer at L'Étoile, I warned her again and again. I told her not to touch a single thing of mine.
Late that night, I caught her trying to sneak my car keys to our neighbor.
I rushed over and snatched them back. She just stood there, acting totally innocent.
"Your cousin and her friends are going to the new Disney resort tomorrow. She just wants to borrow the car. Is taking the early subway going to kill you?"
"Do more good deeds, and God will bless you with that Lead Designer job."
I shook with pure rage.
"Taking two subways to HQ takes a full hour and a half! Tomorrow's pitch is my entire career! Do you even care?!"
"Mom, I’m dead serious. You touch my car today, and we are done. Permanently."
She muttered curses under her breath and slammed her bedroom door.
The next morning, I saw my sports car still sitting in the garage. I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Then I looked at my desk, and my blood ran ice-cold—
My briefcase was gone.
The one with my exclusive sketches, my encrypted flash drive, and my pitch credentials. Completely gone.
I let out a bitter laugh.
She thought she could hold my life hostage forever in the name of "holy virtue." But little did she know, this time, I’m kicking open the gates of hell for her.
Since she’s so desperate to get into heaven, I’ll personally send her to prison to cleanse her soul first!