Chapter 4No Free House

A chill spread through my entire body. I'd thought Chloe had simply lost her way.

I hadn't realized someone else had been coaching her on how to bleed me dry.

She was rotten at the root. Her birth had been a mistake.

Years ago, Derek Collins and I had opened a small diner together. We worked ourselves to exhaustion and finally saved a little money.

While I was pregnant with Chloe, I discovered that Derek had been gambling in secret. He'd lost the house and the diner.

He'd even stolen and pawned the gold bracelet I'd saved for Chloe, while my mother-in-law, Marlene Collins, helped him hide it from me.

He dropped to his knees and swore he'd never gamble again. Seven months pregnant, I kept the diner running until my water broke behind the counter.

Chloe was a year old before we finally paid off Derek's debts.

But when she was three, Derek decided a daughter wasn't worth much and started sleeping with a married woman.

Fate intervened. The woman's husband came home unexpectedly in the middle of the night, caught them together, and beat Derek badly enough to put him in the hospital.

After that, Derek could never have another child.

Chloe had still been very young when we divorced, so I never told her the real reason. I only said we could no longer live together.

Father and daughter had barely spoken over the years.

So why had he suddenly appeared now?

I lay exhausted in the bathtub, turning the question over and over in my mind.

Before I could make sense of it, my phone rang.

The name flashing across the screen was Derek Collins.

Barely any time had passed before he called. Had Chloe convinced herself she'd found an unshakable ally?

I didn't need to wonder how Derek had gotten my number. Chloe had obviously given it to him.

"Helena, what kind of mother are you? Chloe came here crying. You fed her rotten food and hit her?

"If she hadn't shown up today, I never would've known you treated her like this!

"If you couldn't afford to raise her, you should've said so. I would've taken her back."

Derek kept shouting into the phone, but I didn't indulge him.

I hit the one point guaranteed to provoke him. "You think you could've raised her better? If so, why didn't you fight for custody?"

"You think I didn't fight? The court handed her to you!"

"And why do you think the court did that?

"She's your daughter. You didn't show up once in fifteen years, and now that she's grown, you suddenly appear. You know exactly what you're after. If you truly want her, have her sign a formal agreement naming you as her sole financial sponsor."

I knew arguing with him was pointless, so I ended the call.

I'd already died once. I wasn't wasting another life on people and matters that meant nothing.

I focused on work, and a few days later I secured the project that would earn me a promotion.

I was packing at home, preparing to move into company housing so I could work longer hours, when someone suddenly started pounding on the door.

"Helena Abernathy! Bang, bang, bang! Open this door right now!"

I opened it to find Derek standing there with Chloe. Behind them was my former mother-in-law.

After entering, Chloe glanced at the cluttered living room, dragged over a chair, and began taking documents from her bag.

"This place is pathetic. You don't even have somewhere for guests to sit," Derek sneered as he looked around.

"You really couldn't manage without me, could you? You used to be the prettiest woman in town. Look at you now, worn down and old."

Marlene joined in. "Who cares what some aging woman looks like? We'll find Chloe ten young, beautiful stepmothers.

"A child from our family belongs with us. Who knows where your money has come from all these years?

"For all we know, it's dirty money. We can't let you corrupt Chloe."

Chloe spread the papers across the chair. It was a financial-responsibility transfer agreement.

She raised her eyes to mine. Our gazes met, and I asked,

"Have you thought this through?"

Chloe burst into a strange, exaggerated laugh. After a while, she wiped away the tears her laughter had produced. "Are you serious, lady?"

She ripped the silver locket from her neck, slammed it onto the table, and knocked the chair over as she stood.

"You can have this cheap thing back too!"

"Dad, let's go!"

She picked up the agreement she'd already signed and headed out first.

When the toe of her shoe caught on the threshold, she looked back at me. "Things nobody wants should know to put themselves away."

The locket still lay on the table.

The chain was broken, but the pendant itself remained intact.

I watched the figure about to step through the doorway and suddenly laughed.

Fifteen years. The girl I'd raised had chosen those words as her farewell.

I turned to the suitcase I hadn't yet closed and pulled out a manila envelope.

The envelope was new, its corners still crisp. A fresh notary seal marked the flap.

The living room fell silent.

Chloe's foot remained suspended beyond the threshold, while Derek frowned.

"Chloe." My voice was calm. I was already numb.

She turned instinctively. Her gaze landed on the envelope in my hand, and uncertainty flickered in her eyes.

I tore it open and pulled out two pages. Printed across the top in black letters were the words:

"FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT AND FINANCIAL RELEASE AGREEMENT."

My signature and notarized seal appeared at the bottom.

"You want to transfer all responsibility to your father?" I unfolded the pages and pushed them toward the three of them.

"Perfect. I want to end every personal and financial tie between us."

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.