Chapter 4
My mother had passed away early the next morning.
She had fought so hard, holding onto life and I knew she’d done it just for me. I’d arranged everything alone, not telling a soul. When I pushed her casket into the crematorium, a flood of tears spilled over. She had been so full of life, yet here I was, left with a small urn of ashes.
All I could remember was her last, fading words, “I just want you to be happy, Claire… please, be happy…
Leaving the funeral home with my mother’s ashes held tightly in my arms, I barely made it a few steps when Adam appeared in front of me, furious and shouting.
“Claire, what did you say to Louise?” He was livid, his eyes flashing with rage.
“I’ve told you over and over, she’s like a
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sister to me, but you just can’t let it go, can you? What the hell do you want?”
I clutched the urn closer, trying to steady my shaking voice. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Adam. Now, if you‘ ll excuse me-”
“Stop pretending! After what you said, Louise has been so upset, she tried to… she almost…!” His voice trembled, his face twisting in anger. “If anything happens to her, I swear, I’ll make you pay for it, Claire. And your mother.”
I stared at him, a dark laugh bubbling up despite the pain. “How do you plan to make me pay, Adam?”
He scoffed, looking at the urn in my arms. with disgust. “Simple. I’ll stop paying your mother’s medical bills. You can beg all you want, but I won’t spend another cent on her. It’s pathetic–Louise was right. Poor people like you are just obsessed with money. You‘ d do anything
for it.
100% 18-22
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sister to me, but you just can’t let it go, can you? What the hell do you want?”
I clutched the urn closer, trying to steady my shaking voice. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Adam. Now, if you’ll excuse me-
“Stop pretending! After what you said, Louise has been so upset, she tried to… she almost…!” His voice trembled, his face twisting in anger. “If anything happens to her, I swear, I’ll make you pay for it, Claire. And your mother.”
I stared at him, a dark laugh bubbling up despite the pain. “How do you plan to make me pay, Adam?”
He scoffed, looking at the urn in my arms. with disgust. “Simple. I’ll stop paying your mother’s medical bills. You can beg all you want, but I won’t spend another cent on her. It’s pathetic–Louise was right. Poor people like you are just obsessed with money. You‘ d do anything for it.”
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sister to me, but you just can’t let it go, can you? What the hell do you want?”
I clutched the urn closer, trying to steady my shaking voice. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Adam. Now, if you’ll excuse me-
“Stop pretending! After what you said, Louise has been so upset, she tried to… she almost…!” His voice trembled, his face twisting in anger. “If anything happens to her, I swear, I’ll make you pay for it, Claire. And your mother.”
I stared at him, a dark laugh bubbling up despite the pain. “How do you plan to make me pay, Adam?”
He scoffed, looking at the urn in my arms with disgust. “Simple. I’ll stop paying your mother’s medical bills. You can beg all you want, but I won’t spend another cent on her. It’s pathetic–Louise was right. Poor people like you are just obsessed with money. You‘ d do anything for it.”
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“Maybe so,” I replied, my voice filled with fury, tears blurring my vision. “But you don’t get to stand in my way. Move.”
He sneered and stepped closer, yanking the urn from my hands and throwing it to the ground with a crash. “Let’s see you pretend now!”
The urn shattered, fragments of porcelain scattering across the ground, my
mother’s ashes spilling into the dust. My mind froze and for a split second, the world went silent.
“You want an apology, Claire?” Adam mocked, his eyes cold. “Then say it.”
A red haze filled my vision. I lunged at him, my hands wrapping around his neck as I hissed, “You–you‘ re a monster. I swear, one day, you‘ ll pay for this.”
Adam seemed stunned by my fury, but his shock quickly turned to anger. He shoved me away, hard, kicking me in the stomach. Pain shot through my body as I crumpled
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to the ground, blood trickling down my leg.
With another curse, he pulled out his phone, calling his lawyer. “Cancel all of Claire’s mother‘ s medical bills. Let them suffer.” He paused, listening and then his expression twisted.
“Wait–what do you mean she…?” His voice faltered. “They already notified me?”
The line was silent. I lay on the ground, watching him, my body throbbing in pain, yet a strange calm washed over me.
He looked at me, his gaze falling to the blood pooling beneath me. Panic flickered in his eyes as he stammered, “Claire… are you…?” He reached out hesitantly.
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