CHAPTER 3: THE VISIT
Two weeks after I moved out, my mother showed up at my apartment.
I opened the door to find her standing in the hallway, dressed in her usual designer clothes and looking deeply uncomfortable.
"Evelyn," she said. "May I come in?"
I stepped aside. She walked in and looked around, her nose wrinkled with barely concealed disgust.
"It's very... small," she said.
"It's mine."
She turned to face me. Her eyes were cold and calculating.
"I came to talk to you about the trust."
"Of course you did."
"Your father and I have been discussing it. We think it would be best if you released some of the funds to us."
I stared at her. "You threw me out of the house. And now you want my money?"
"We're still your parents. We have expenses. Grant is in a difficult position, and we need to help him."
"What kind of difficult position?"
She hesitated. "He has some debts."
"How much?"
"Two hundred thousand dollars."
I nearly laughed. "You want me to give you two hundred thousand dollars for Grant's debts?"
"It's a loan. He'll pay you back."
"He's never paid anyone back in his life."
My mother's composure cracked. "Evelyn, you're being difficult."
"I'm being realistic. You kicked me out. You made it clear I was no longer part of this family. And now you want my money?"
"It's not just your money. It's family money. It's been in the family for generations."
"It was my grandfather's money. He left it to me. Not to you. Not to Grant. To me."
My mother stepped closer. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Evelyn, I'm going to give you one more chance. Release the funds, or there will be consequences."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm telling you the truth. Your father is not a patient man. And Grant is desperate."
"Then they shouldn't have gotten themselves into this mess."
My mother's face went red. She grabbed her purse and walked toward the door.
"You'll regret this," she said. "Mark my words. You'll regret this."
She slammed the door behind her.
I stood in the middle of my small apartment, my heart pounding. My mother had threatened me. My own mother.
May you like
I thought about calling Nora. But I didn't. Because I had handled it. I had stood up for myself.
And I wasn't going to back down.
