\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom noticed and her expression soured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
96\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Not enough money for you? You\u2019ve been throwing a tantrum since before dinner, wouldn\u2019t even eat, and you\u2019re still not done?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my voice steady. \u201cYou gave Stella the keys to an Audi. You gave me 43.7 dollars in loose change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s tone dripped with exasperation. \u201cGift-giving is just symbolic anyway. I can\u2019t believe you actually counted how much was in there\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you give me the Audi if it\u2019s just symbolic?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stella\u2019s voice shot up about three octaves. \u201cWhy are you being so petty about this? You already gave the car away, so what does it matter who has it now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a cold laugh. \u201cI\u2019m being petty?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bent down and suddenly flipped the dining table. \u201cThis is what petty looks like!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gravy and chunks of turkey went flying everywhere and splattered across the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stella shrieked. \u201cMy hair! I just got it done!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom grabbed Stella and yanked her back. \u201cHave lost\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u00a0<\/p>\n
your mind, Ava?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They all scrambled around trying to find clean spots to stand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t say a word. I just walked over and unplugged the AC unit, turned off the fridge, and pulled out the computer cables too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d paid for all of it. If I was so petty, then nobody was keeping any of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After I finished, I pulled out my phone. \u201cHi, is this the moving company? I need to move a bunch of appliances today. Money\u2019s not an issue.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While they were all screaming, I snatched the car keys right out of Stella\u2019s hand and walked out without looking back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took my stuff and all those appliances back to the city where my office was, which was in the next state over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:05 Tue, Jan 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
96\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d originally thought living close to home would make it easier to take care of my parents, but now that just seemed like a bad joke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I finally had a moment to breathe, I pulled out the gift box I\u2019d been carrying in my pocket this whole time. It was the Thanksgiving present I\u2019d planned to give Mom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took out the gold necklace and put it on myself. The gold looked really good against my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My parents were just as stubborn. They both ignored me for the entire rest of the holiday season, like they\u2019d coordinated it or something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then the mortgage payment came due.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone started ringing nonstop. The caller ID kept flashing between Mom and Dad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I waited a full hour before I finally picked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second I answered, her furious voice blasted through. \u201cAva, you\u2019re not even answering your mother\u2019s calls anymore? What\u2019s gotten into you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my tone casual. \u201cDidn\u2019t hear it. What\u2019s up? Need something?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to know why you disconnected the mortgage payments! The charges are hitting my account now!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her tone was as suffocating as ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My voice stayed flat. \u201cI don\u2019t have a job. How am I supposed to pay a mortgage?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still haven\u2019t found work?\u201d Mom\u2019s voice went shrill. \u201cIt\u2019s been ten days since\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanksgiving and you haven\u2019t even looked for a new job? Are you planning to just sit around and become worthless?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she kept going. \u201cAva, I\u2019m covering this month\u2019s mortgage for you, and you can pay me back whenever you find a job. But the fridge and the washer need to come back to this house right now!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed. \u201cI bought those with my own money. What do they have to do with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Mom heard my tone change, she paused for a second and then switched to this fake sweet voice, like she was doing me some huge favor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAva, we don\u2019t have a fridge here. I don\u2019t even know where to put the leftovers. You know I\u2019ve been poor my whole life and had it rough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:06 Tue, Jan 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
96\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the washer too. I\u2019ve been hand-washing everyone\u2019s clothes for days now. My back is killing me, and my hands are so dry they\u2019re about to crack and bleed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Listening to her play the victim, I couldn\u2019t help but laugh out loud. \u201cNo fridge? No washer? Then ask your precious daughter Stella to buy you some. Why are you calling me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom dropped the act immediately. \u201cStella barely makes any money! How can you be such a petty sister? You\u2019re really gonna nickel and dime your own sister over her measly paycheck?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI always knew you were like this, even as a kid. Counting every little thing. Just look at Thanksgiving! You complained about the food, you complained about the gift, and honestly? I\u2019m too tired to even deal with you anymore. Do you act like this at work too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:06 Tue, Jan 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
When Love Locked by Mark Twain 3 \u00a0 Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0 Chapter 3 Counting Every Little Thing\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-her-revenge-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23179\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}