Chapter 3Save Mom

My whole life, my dad and grandma just called my mom "Girl." As if she were a slave, not a person.

Now, a room full of people looked at her with pure adoration.

"I have a name," Mom murmured, as if waking from a dream. "I'm not 'Girl' anymore?" She looked at me, her eyes shining. "Clara Vance. Isn't that a beautiful name, Maya?"

Suddenly, she grabbed my arm and pushed me in front of everyone, her voice trembling with urgency. "This is my daughter! She's smart, a real bookworm! Can you please send her to school? She'll be good, I promise! She won't cause any trouble!"

As soon as the words were out, she shrank back into a corner, as if she'd asked for the impossible. She was always like that, putting everyone else first.

An elderly woman with silver hair and a string of pearls was helped to the front. She threw her arms around my mother, her sobs tearing through the room. "Clara! My Clara! I've been looking for you for so long."

This was my grandmother.

It turned out my mom had three older brothers. My eldest uncle was a powerful senator. The second was the chief of surgery at a renowned hospital. And Julian, the youngest, was the CEO of the massive Vance Corporation.

I took a step forward. "My mom is sick," I said quietly. "It's terminal. We need a lot of money for treatment."

The joyful chatter stopped. Were they already regretting finding us?

"I can quit school," I added quickly. "All the money can go to her. I'll take care of her. I won't be any trouble!"

Mom gasped. "No, Maya! If you quit school for me, I won't get any treatment."

My grandmother's face, a mixture of joy and sorrow, hardened with determination. She squeezed my mother's hand. "Don't be silly, child! The one thing the Vance family doesn't lack is money! We'll get you the best doctors, the best medicine. Everything."

She took my hand. "And Maya is absolutely going to school! Now that you're home, everything you've ever lost, everything you've ever suffered—we will make it right."

Just then, a woman in sharp high heels strode into the room, a girl my age trailing behind her.

"Mother, I'm so sorry I'm late," she said, her eyes flicking dismissively over my mom. "I heard you found my aunt?"

Julian quickly made the introduction. "Pearl, this is Clara."

Pearl's face soured. The girl next to her made no effort to hide her contempt, looking me up and down like I was something she'd scraped off her shoe.

"Don't my uncles love me anymore?" the girl wailed, bursting into loud, theatrical tears. "Now that *she's* here, are you just going to forget about me?"

Her mother, Pearl, immediately joined in, tears rolling down her perfectly made-up face. "Mother, brothers, it's our fault. Mia and I have been in the way for too long. It's time for us to leave and not be an eyesore."

Mia? Her name was Mia.

My mom, oblivious to the drama, smiled and reached for Pearl's hand. "Don't say that! It must be fate. My daughter's name is Maya!"

Pearl snatched her hand back as if she'd been burned. "What?" she shrieked. "Are you suggesting my daughter should change her name for this… this trash?"

"Pearl, that is enough!" my eldest uncle, the senator, boomed, his voice echoing in the silent room.