The Sky Waited for Answers by Orin Flux 1
Chapter 1
When Mom died, she left me the house and her savings
The day Dad remarried, my stepmother pulled me into a hug, all smiles.
“Sweetheart, from now on, I’m gonna take care of you.*
Six months later, my house got transferred into her son’s name.
A year after that, she drained eight hundred thousand from the account–called it an “investment.*
Once I started college, she started whispering in Dad’s ear:
“Five hundred bucks a month? That’s way too much. You’re gonna spoil her rotten.”
So, Dad cut me off. Said he wanted me to learn independence.
I called Grandpa on an empty stomach, crying so hard I couldn’t get the words out.
The next day, three black Maybachs pulled up outside our building.
The dining hall was closed.
I stood outside the gate, watching the ladies inside wipe down tables.
My phone showed a balance of three dollars and seventy cents.
Dad hadn’t sent this month’s money.
He hadn’t sent last month’s either.
I called him. Two rings, then he hung up. I tried again–straight to voicemail.
So I called my stepmother instead.
She picked up, voice dripping like honey: “Renee, sweetie! Your dad’s in the shower. What’s up?”
“The money… this month’s money…”
“Oh your allowance.”
She stretched the words out.
“Renee, your dad and I talked it over. He says you’re twenty now–time you learned to stand on your own two feet. Five hundred a month isn’t teaching you anything except how to blow through cash.”
“But I-”
“Look at other kids your age. They work part–time, earn their own way. That’s real character. All you do is hold your hand out. How’s that gonna help you grow up, sweetheart?”
Chapter 1
I didn’t say anything
She kept going. Plus, it’s not like your mom’s money disappeared. Bryson’s investing it for you. We’re thinking about your future here. Can’t you try to understand where your dad’s coming from?”
Bryson.
Her son. Bryson Cash.
The house Mom left me? In his name now.
The eight hundred thousand Mom left me? Gone without a trace.
“But what am I supposed to eat-”
“Doesn’t the dining hall have cheap options? Anyway, eating less is good for you. Girls look better when they’re thin.”
She hung up, still smiling, I could tell.
I leaned against the pillar by the dining hall entrance, stomach twisting in on itself.
No breakfast. No lunch. And now dinner–doors locked.
I dug through my backpack and found a pack of saltines from last week. Three crackers left.
I crouched under a streetlight and chewed them slowly.
They were soft. Stale.
Mom had been gone three years.
Three years ago, by the time they caught it, it was already stage four.
She held my hand and said:
“Renee, I’m leaving you something. The house, the savings–enough to get you through college, enough for your wedding… I’m so sorry, baby. I won’t get to see you walk down the aisle.”
We both cried.
She said, “your grandpa’s getting old–don’t make him worry. And your dad… your dad will take care of you.”
After she died, Dad sort of collapsed in on himself for six months.
Then he met Melinda Cash.
Forty–five, well kept, soft–spoken. Always smiling at people.
She had a twenty–five–year–old son, said her ex–husband had passed, and it was just the two of them now, barely scraping by.
Dad fell for it.
I didn’t.
Dad said, “Renee, your mom’s gone. I can’t do this alone. Just try to understand.”
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Chapter 1
I asked, “what about her son?”
“Bryson’s a good guy. He’ll be like a brother to you. He’ll look out for you.”
“I don’t need him to look out for me.”
Dad sighed. Didn’t say anything after that.
Three months later, they were married.
At the wedding, Melinda wore a red dress and pulled me into her arms, grinning.
“Renee, I’m your stepmom now. And I’m gonna take such good care of you.”
Her hands were not cold.
But when she touched me, I got goosebumps all over.
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Chapter 2
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
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