Chapter 7 - The Fallout and the Ultimatum
For nearly a full minute, the only sound in the living room was the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the hallway.
Corrine sat back down on the sofa, looking suddenly very small, very old, and very defeated. The armor of theatrical martyrdom she had worn my entire life had finally shattered, leaving behind a frail woman who realized she had pushed her only reliable benefactor past the point of no return.
“Clara…” Corrine whispered, her voice cracking. “We’re your family. We’re supposed to stick together.”
“Family doesn't steal from children, Mom,” I said softly. “Family doesn't teach a sixteen-year-old girl that she doesn't matter compared to her aunt’s vanity. You made your choice three days before Talia’s party when you decided she was disposable. Live with the consequences of that choice.”
Marcus looked between Corrine and me, realizing that the golden goose was truly dead. Without a word, he grabbed his car keys off the side table, muttered something about having to check his eBay store, and practically bolted out the front door, letting it slam shut behind him.
Odessa remained by the fireplace, her face blotchy and tear-stained, her upper-class illusion completely dissolved. She looked at Corrine as if expecting our mother to perform some kind of magical rescue, but Corrine just stared blankly at the manila folder on the coffee table.
“You’re heartless,” Odessa spat out venomously, though there was no real fire left in her voice. “You’ve always been cold. Just like our father.”
“No, Odessa,” I said, turning toward the doorway where Talia was waiting quietly. “I’m just finally keeping my own books balanced.”
I walked over to Talia, put my arm around her shoulders, and guided her toward the front exit.
“Wait!” Corrine called out, her voice desperate. “Clara… where are you going? Can’t we… can’t we talk about this over dinner? Can’t we fix things?”
I paused at the threshold and looked back over my shoulder one last time.
“You can fix whatever you want, Mom,” I said quietly. “Just do it with your own money.”
May you like
We stepped out into the crisp afternoon air, closed the front door behind us, and walked down the stone pathway together. As we climbed into our waiting Uber, I took a deep breath of the autumn wind. The weight that had crushed my chest for twenty years was completely gone.
***
