He wanted me to die in an accident, so Beth
could pay off her debts.
Now, I had no feelings for this family.
I put the insurance policy back.
Mike asked, “You came back for your stuff.
What happened?”
I sneered.
“I was disgusted.”
This family made me want to throw up.
My sister wanted money?
<
My sister wanted money?
I’ll give it to her.
She wanted my boyfriend?
She can have him.
I didn’t want any of them.
Sarah introduced me to Sam.
I told Sam my plan.
He beat his chest and promised, “Don’t worry,
I got you.”
I heard that my sister was telling everyone
that a miracle had happened.
She woke up and wasn’t paralyzed anymore.
Now she was walking around like nothing happened, asking people for money.
I found out where she went every day and
what she did.
I got in a fancy car in the road she always
took.
Sam opened the door for me, adjusted the
seat, and got back in the driver’s seat.
I knew Beth would see me.
I watched her go from disbelief to anger.
The plastic bags in her hands were crumpled.
<
The fancy car drove off, leaving her in the
dust.
I “accidentally” let Beth know my address.
I knew I would catch her.
The doorbell rang, and Beth was standing at
the door.
She didn’t think I’d open the door so fast.
She looked twisted for a second, then smiled
sweetly.
Sam opened the door in a bathrobe and acted
like he was going to slam the door in her
face.
<
“Wait! I’m Jess’s sister!
Sam looked back at me.
I said to turn her away.
Beth got desperate and barged in.
She had been working with Sarah, so she had
some money.
She rented this fancy place.
She was amazed by the lavish decorations.
She snapped out of it and kneeled next to
- me.
“Jess! Now that you have a rich boyfriend,
help me, please.”
L
“You won’t even miss it.”
“No.”
She put on the waterworks.
“Jess, we’ve been together all these years.
Do you really not care about our sisterly
bond?”
She looked at Sam.
“Honey! Tell her something! We’re going to
be family!”
I scoffed.
“If you didn’t say anything, I wouldn’t even
think we were sisters. I thought I was your
nanny.”
L
She was crying and pitiful, but I didn’t care.
I took a sip of tea.
gave Sam a look.
He stepped in and walked Beth out,
comforting her.
When he came back, he gave me the thumbs
Sam said he gave her his card.
Now it was up to her.
I raised her, I knew how she was.
Seeing her sister become so rich, she would
<
be jealous and lose it.
When people lost it, they couldn’t protect
themselves.
I said, “She’ll go. I know her.”
A lot of days went by.
I heard from a coworker at Sarah’s office that
Beth had taken out a payday loan.
She lived the high life for a few days,
designer bags, fancy cars.
But soon, the money was gone.
Mike took Beth’s money and invested it, and
it was all lost.
<
Creditors came to the door, but the money
wasn’t returned.
So the videos were released.
Dad’s family was humiliated.
Dad’s work heard about it and fired him.
To pay the debt, Dad had to find another job.
He worked construction in the hot sun,
moving bricks.
Then he got hit by a steel bar that fell from
the sky and broke his leg.
He had to get surgery, which cost money.
<
Her reputation was ruined.
Mike saw that he couldn’t pay the money.
There were people at the house every day asking for it.
Plus, he had to pay for Dad’s surgery.
He bought a bus ticket and vanished.
I laughed.
This family was cold and shameless.
You reap what you sow.
Sarah and I ran the studio.
Sarah and I said we should rent an office in
く
the city after the new year and grow the
studio.
I was sitting in the studio after lunch,
organizing the documents, when I heard a
commotion downstairs.
Sarah patted me on the back.
“Look, she’s gonna start something right in
front of the studio!”
My coworkers were all whispering.
Their eyes were wide.
I looked out the window.
There was a group of people taking pictures.
and video.
<
In the middle of the crowd, Mom kneeled,
holding a banner: “Heartless Jess made her
sister crazy, and won’t help her father get
surgery.”
Sarah was looking at me.
“I didn’t know she would come here.”
33
I reassured Sarah.
“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it.”
I pushed through the crowd and went
downstairs.
Mom saw me, and her face shook.
Cameras flashed in my face.
People pointed at me.
Some lady yelled, “You should be ashamed!
You ignore the old lady who raised you?”
“How can you be like this!”
The shouting was going on and on.
Mom took the opportunity and cried even
harder.
She said, “You gotta give me the money to
save him today! Or I’ll make sure you can
never show your face again!”
But I wasn’t the Jess who was always bullied
anymore.
I clapped as if to cheer the farce.
I said, “I always wondered who Beth got her
acting skills from. Now I know.”
