Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
Micah dropped his arms, stepping back. “Sue, what the hell is this? What are you saying? You’re the one who demanded the divorce. You’re the one who said you wanted all four of us out by the end of next month. You’re the one who said we were a couple of dickless wonders who couldn’t find your G-spot even if we put our empty heads together, and you were replacing us with a man who could get the job done.”
I blew out a hard breath, stifling a scream. Hera’s sake! Even in death, I’m cleaning up after Sue’s cruelty! Why couldn’t that woman ever, for once, spare the jugular?
“I lied,” I dropped. “I didn’t mean any of that. I just said that to hurt you because I’m a childish, spiteful bitch that gets off on tormenting people for my own amusement.”
Three pairs of brows bounced up to their hairlines.
“There’s no affair. There’s no other man. I don’t want a divorce,” I said forcefully. “But... but I will tell you what I do want.”
Their expressions hardened.
“Here it is,” Alex scoffed. “Knew it was too good to be true.”
“Let me guess,” Rhodes added. “The cost of this amicable split will be a cool eight figures and—”
“I want you to take the manor,” I sliced in. “I’ll be the one to leave, and you three can stay here—live here—and raise Nari in her home.”
“I— Excuse me?” Micah blurted.
“The only thing I ask is that you buy me out of my share of the manor. Whatever the cost would’ve been if we sold it, give me a fourth of it and that’ll be more than fair.” A thought occurred to me. “Well, also Omma’s personal things, her books, photo albums, and the rest. But otherwise, I don’t need anything else.”
If I thought I shocked them before, it was nothing compared to the thrice astonishment looking back at me now.
“Buy you... out of your share of the manor?” Rhodes slowly repeated. “But it’s yours already. Why would you just give it to us for a fraction of the price?”
“Because you have to raise Nari here.”
“But why—”
“Because no mother should ever throw their child out of their home!” I shrieked, blowing them back. “This is her home! It’s her home! And Nari will leave when she’s ready, and not a minute sooner! Got it?”
“Yikes, we got it,” Micah grumbled—though his tone was ten times milder than when he tossed me against the wall.
“Okay.” My chest heaved, breaths coming hard. “Good. Then, just two more things. First, I know that things aren’t great between us and it’ll be awkward but, please, don’t ask me to move out until... until Omma...”
For the first time since I walked through the door, something approaching a real and kind emotion toward me crossed Rhodes’s face. “Sue, come on, of course you can stay with your mother until the end. We’re not monsters.”
I blinked rapidly, swallowing hard around the lump in my throat. “Okay... thank you.” Ducking my head, I dug in Sue’s bag. Lucky for me I was already holding it when they carried me out like a sack of potatoes. “Now, for my last request.” I took out the folder and handed it to them. “Here.”
Alex looked at the folder like it might bite him. He made no move to take it. “What’s that?”
“It’s the trust documents. I opened it today, transferred all of my money into it, and put you three in charge of it. It’s for Lily.”
Still cautious, Alex took it from me. Surprise sprouted color in his cheeks, drawing my eyes to those glass-cutter cheekbones. “The Silly Lily Fund? What the hell’s this?”
“What it is is nothing more than what Lily is owed. From her mother to her—that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
Yes, it was true. Like the big, dense, stupid softie I was, I transferred all of Sue’s money into an account for Lily. I had no problem stealing from that evil succubus, but I did have a big problem with stealing from her daughter. Now that Sue was gone, everything she had rightfully belonged to the child she left behind—and no amount of righteous rage could justify doing otherwise.
There you go, big sis. The last and only kind thing I’m owed you. Now you can continue frying in hell.
“Listen,” I rasped, “I know you don’t have to respect my wishes, but I called it the Silly Lily Fund because I hope you’ll use the money for all those silly, impractical things that young girls want growing up, but are always told are a waste of time and money.
“This house was always such a mausoleum,” I heard myself say. “The only time there was ever laughter or joy in these halls was when I was running around, playing with the staff’s kids, and even that ended at five o’clock.