Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up early as usual and made a hot breakfast for Leo.

Oatmeal, fresh blueberry pancakes, and scrambled eggs.

Chloe dragged her feet out of the bedroom, scowling. "My mom threw out her back yesterday. She can't get out of bed.

"Pack a few clothes. You're moving over to her place today to take care of her for a while."

I blinked in shock. "Doesn't your dad live with her? Besides, you have two older brothers. Why on earth would an outsider like me be the one to nurse her?"

"They don't have time for this!" she snapped, not even bothering to look up. "My oldest brother is on a business trip, and my second brother is helping his kid prep for the SATs.

"My dad is totally useless; he burns water. You're the only one with nothing to do. You just sit around our house all day anyway."

Brandon sat on the couch scrolling through TikTok, chiming in without lifting his head:

"Mom, just go help out for a few days. Chloe's mom is always nice to you."

"Nice to me? When?" I countered. "A few months ago when I was burning up with the flu and asked her to pick Leo up from school, she said I was being dramatic, told me to tough it out, and never showed up!"

Chloe let out a cold laugh. "How is that the same thing? My mom actually has a real life!"

"I'm not going," I refused flatly.

My sudden, unyielding tone caught them both off guard.

Chloe raised her voice an octave. "What did you just say?!"

"I said, I'm not going."

"Are you seriously throwing a tantrum over the toilet flush last night?" Chloe sneered. "Let me tell you something, old woman—don't push your luck!"

Brandon frowned, annoyed. "Mom, what is your problem now? It's just helping out for a few days. Why do you have to make everything into a massive drama?"

"Brandon, I want to ask you something," I looked him in the eye. "She's a mother, and I'm a mother. Why am I treated like dirt while she gets treated like royalty?"

Brandon's face flushed red, then pale, completely lost for words.

Chloe completely blew up. She jabbed a finger in my face.

"You're going today whether you like it or not!

"If you dare bail on this and make me look bad in front of my family, I will make your life a living hell!"

I didn't waste another breath on her shrieking. I turned, walked into my closet room, and picked up the suitcase I had packed the night before.

When they saw me wheeling a suitcase toward the front door, they both froze.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Brandon sounded a little panicked.

"I'm done living here 'rent-free,'" I said calmly.

"And I'm done being your unpaid maid who isn't even allowed to flush the toilet.

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Chloe snapped out of her daze and charged forward, trying to yank the suitcase from my grip.

"You've been mooching off us for five years, and now you think you can just walk out?

"Pay back every single dime we spent on you over the years first!"

I sidestepped her smoothly and stared at her with ice in my eyes.

"Fine. Let's do the math.

"Five years ago, I sold my house and gave you all ninety thousand dollars. Every last cent went into your mortgage.

"For the past five years, my monthly pension was five hundred dollars. Aside from my meds, at least twenty thousand went straight into your groceries and Leo's bills.

"I worked as your live-in nanny and maid for five straight years—cooking, cleaning, raising your child—without a single penny in wages.

"A full-time live-in nanny costs at least three thousand a month around here. Over five years, that's one hundred and eighty thousand dollars.

"Altogether, you owe me two hundred and ninety thousand dollars."

I looked at their completely stunned faces.

"Give me my two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, and we'll call it even."