Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the savings disappeared, all I had left from Dad was that monthly five hundred bucks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five hundred dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom left me assets worth millions. In the end, I was down to five hundred a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stretched every penny.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Skipped breakfast. Ate the cheapest veggie dishes at the dining hall for lunch. Dinner was usually crackers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My roommates asked why I never went to the dining hall anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I said I was on a diet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lived like that for six months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First month of sophomore year, Melinda called.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenee, honey, I need to talk to you about something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat five hundred a month\u2013your dad and I were talking, and we think it\u2019s a bit much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I still didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about it. Five hundred a month, that\u2019s six thousand a year. Over four years, that\u2019s twenty\u2013four thousand dollars. That\u2019s not pocket change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the allowance Dad gives me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut your dad\u2019s under a lot of pressure right now, sweetheart. His salary has to support this whole household, and Bryson\u2019s startup costs\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHis son\u2019s startup. Using my mom\u2019s money.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She paused. Her voice changed. \u201cRenee, what kind of way is that to talk?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just stating facts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you be so cold?\u201d Her voice went shrill. \u201cI married your father, I work my fingers to the bone taking care of this family, and this is how you treat me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly have you taken care of?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou!\u201d She sucked in a breath, lowered her voice. \u201cFine. You\u2019ve got some nerve now. Talk to your father about the money yourself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hung up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night. Dad called\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenee, about the allowance\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stepmom Cut My Funds? Should\u2019ve Asked My Big Shot Grandpa First\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMelinda\u2019s got a point. Five hundred is a bit much. I was thinking, how about three hundred a month? That should be enough, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThree hundred?\u201d I took a deep breath. \u201cDad, three hundred won\u2019t even cover food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen get a part\u2013time job. Earn some yourself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have classes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about weekends? Breaks? Other kids manage to earn money. Why can\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gripped my phone tighter. \u201cDad, how much do you give Bryson every month?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor his startup. How much do you give him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s different\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is it different? His startup is using Mom\u2019s money, and you\u2019re giving him extra on top of that. I\u2019m your actual daughter, and you think five hundred bucks is too much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenee!\u201d He shouted. \u201cWhy do you keep bringing this up? The money\u2019s already invested. When it pays off, you\u2019ll get double back! Can\u2019t you cut me some slack here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCut you slack? Who\u2019s cutting me any slack?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He went silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long pause, he said, \u201cFine. Three hundred it is. Do whatever you want.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hung up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I started looking for part\u2013time work on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Handing out flyers\u2013fifty bucks a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tutoring\u2013thirty an hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stocking shelves at the supermarket\u2013eighty a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Classes in the morning. Work in the afternoon. Homework at night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My roommates said I looked thinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I said I was just busy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three more months went by like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A week before Christmas break, Dad called.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenee, come home for Christmas this year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t afford a ticket.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
ni Chat Grandna First\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean you can\u2019t afford it? I give you three hundred every month\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThree hundred doesn\u2019t even cover food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was quiet for a moment. \u201cI\u2019ll send you five hundred. For the ticket.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t bother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenee!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hung up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That Christmas, I didn\u2019t go home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stayed on campus and worked at a restaurant. A hundred and twenty a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Christmas Eve, the restaurant was closed. I ate instant ramen alone in my dorm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mom had been gone three and a half years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was starting to forget what she looked like.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Sky Waited for Answers by Orin Flux 4 Chapter 4\u00a0 After the savings disappeared, all I had left from […]<\/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":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-billionaire-grandpas-secret-weapo-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23906","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=23906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23906\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}