Chapter 3
After settling Mom in at the hospital, I
considered quitting, but we needed the
money now more than ever.
I couldn’t just quit without another job lined
- up.
Jessica, and, led by her, they ostracized me.
They excluded me from meetings, leaving me
to be reprimanded publicly.
My chair would mysteriously have water
spilled on it.
At lunch, only cold leftovers remained.
I lost several pounds in a week.
One afternoon, I was returning from delivering
some files upstairs.
I saw a group of them by the entrance,
surrounding my mom.
“What do you think about Sarah Matthews
stealing at the office?”
L
“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the
tree. I heard Sarah’s father abandoned her.
She probably learned to steal from her mother!”
Mom’s face was pale as she defended me.
She said I was a good kid, that I would never steal.
She said she might not be educated, but she would never teach her daughter to do
something wrong.
They just laughed, their mockery stinging.
Someone shoved Mom. Weakened by chemo,
she fell to the ground.
The lunchbox she’d been carrying spilled
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I rushed forward, pushing them aside.
“Get away from her! All of you!”
The woman who pushed her just smirked. “I barely touched her. If she’s this frail, maybe you two are trying to pull a scam!”
I grabbed her by the collar. “My mom has cancer! If anything happens to her, I won’t let
you get away with this!”
“If she’s sick, she should stay in the hospital. Why is she out here bothering people?”
Mom has always been my weak spot. I raised
my hand to hit the woman.
Mom grabbed my wrist. “Sarah, don’t…”
<
Mom and I had always been on our own. She
was always afraid of me causing trouble.
I didn’t hit the woman, just shoved her away.
I knelt beside Mom. “Mom, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Her voice was filled with guilt. “But I dropped your lunch. It’s all my fault. I’m so useless. I’ll make you more when we get home.”
I’d visited Mom yesterday. She’d noticed my weight loss and blamed herself, telling me to
stop spending money on her treatment.
I told her I just missed her cooking, that when
she got better, she had to cook for me every
And today, she’d made my favorite: Lion’s Head meatballs.
I could imagine how much effort it took for her to make them in her condition.
I picked up a meatball from the ground and ate it. “Mom’s cooking is still the best.”
Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “Sarah, don’t eat that! I’ll make you more at home.”
Just then, a black Rolls–Royce pulled up.
Jessica stepped out of the passenger seat
and looked at me.
She said to Ethan, who was driving, “Ethan,
our company doesn’t allow people to eat
garbage off the floor, does it?”
L
Ethan got out of the car, his face grim. He
glared at Mom and me before dismissing the
crowd.
Then he snapped at me, “Sarah Matthews,
what have I ever done to you? First stealing,
now eating garbage? Who are you trying to
embarrass?”
I looked at him, my heart breaking. “Ethan,
didn’t steal anything. And this isn’t garbage.
This is the food my mom made for me.”
Mom tried to explain. “Sarah would never
steal. There must be a misunderstanding.
She’s a good girl…”
Ethan walked away.
Mom followed him, still trying to explain, but
Ethan got out of the car, his face grim. He
glared at Mom and me before dismissing the
crowd.
Then he snapped at me, “Sarah Matthews,
what have I ever done to you? First stealing,
now eating garbage? Who are you trying to
embarrass?”
I looked at him, my heart breaking. “Ethan, I
didn’t steal anything. And this isn’t garbage.
This is the food my mom made for me.”
Mom tried to explain. “Sarah would never
steal. There must be a misunderstanding.
She’s a good girl…”
Ethan walked away.
Mom followed him, still trying to explain, but
<
he brushed her off and went inside.
Watching him go, my heart sank. Was this the
man I’d loved for three years?
Mom collapsed, overcome with stress.
I called 911 and rushed her to the hospital.
After emergency treatment, she was stable.
The doctor told me her condition wasn’t
good. He knew of a specialist in Boston, but
the treatment would cost around $50,000.
He urged me to transfer her as soon as
possible.
I sat in the hospital corridor, lost in thought.
ᄀ
$50,000? Where would I get that kind of
money?
A pair of silver, rhinestone–studded heels appeared in my vision.
I looked up to see Jessica’s condescending face.
She handed me a bank card. “Sarah
Matthews, I know you need money. There’s
$50,000 in here. Take it and disappear from
Ethan’s life forever.”
The old me would have thrown the card back
in her face, proudly declaring I would leave
Ethan, but not because of her.
But Mom’s health came first. She’d sacrificed
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everything for me. I couldn’t abandon her.
I lowered my head and took the card. “I’l|
leave. I’ll consider this a loan.”
Jessica smirked. “I told you, you and Ethan
are from different worlds.”
“He was just playing around with you. He and
I are meant to be together.”
I offered my congratulations. “Then I wish you
a long and happy life together, and many
children.”
Jessica, satisfied, walked away.
Shortly after, I received a call.
“Hello, is this Ms. Matthews?”
“Yes, speaking.”
“This is the manager of the Grand Regency Hotel. While checking the security footage, we discovered the camera in your private dining room had a backup battery. We have the entire recording from the night of the bracelet incident.”
“I thought you might find this useful.”
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