Chapter 42
“Stop it! Haven’t you had enough?” I couldn’t hold back any longer. My patience snapped as I shouted at Mom, my anger spilling over.
“What happens between Sophia and me is none of your business! I already told you I’ll figure out a way to deal with the debt. Why won’t you trust me? How many times have I warned you about falling for these scams? Did you listen? No!
“And now that you’ve been conned out of so much money, who do you have to blame but yourself? Mom, you’re coming home with me right now. If you don’t, don’t expect me to help you ever again.”
Mom stood frozen in place, her gaze darting between Sophia and me
Sophia scelled and raised her hands in slow applause.
“Well done. That was quite the performance. One of you plays the villain, the other the victim. A perfect act. Joshua, I’m not stupid. Don’t think for a second you can fool me again. And just so we’re clear, I’m not your bank account. If you need money so badly, get a loan.”
With that, Sophia turned and made her way toward the door. Just as she reached it, her hand paused on the handle, and she glanced back over her shoulder.
“Oh, and while your mom was making a scene here, negative stories about Holmes Group have started spreading online. Don’t worry, though. I’ve had the ER team handle it immediately. So go ahead, keep making a scene. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
With that, Sophia pushed the door open and walked out. The sound of the door slamming echoed through the now–silent office.
I staggered back, clutching my abdomen as pain surged through me. Barely managing to lower myself onto the nearest chair, I gasped for air, my chest heaving
None of this had gone the way I imagined. Sophia believed I orchestrated the whole thing. At some point, without even realizing it, I had become the worst version of myself in her eyes.
Or maybe I’ve always been this pathetic to her.
Mom finally snapped out of it and cautiously approached me.
“I–I didn’t think things would get this bad. I was wrong, okay? Please don’t abandon me.”
I let out a bitter laugh. My condition was flaring up again. I could feel cold sweat dripping down my
forehead in heavy drops, my face pale as a sheet. Yet, Mom didn’t notice a thing because she was too preoccupied with herself.
Gritting my teeth, I fumbled with trembling hands to retrieve the special painkillers Dr. Cowell had prescribed.
After barely shaking out two pills, I tilted my head back and swallowed them dry.
Once the pain subsided a little, I stood up and motioned toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“Okay. I’ll come with yo
you”
Mom didn’t dare make another scene. She trailed behind me, timid and careful, as if afraid I might leave!
leave her behind
She’d come here thinking that causing a commotion would pressure Sophia into giving her 300 thousand dollars out of fear of public backlash. What she didn’t understand was that Sophia never cared about my well–being to begin with.
When we stepped out of Holmes Group, I was about to hail a cab when Mam tugged on my sleeve.
“Look! Aren’t those the same people who came to our house demanding money the other day?”
I turned to where she was pointing, just in time to see Abigail enthusiastically greeting those people as they walked into Holmes Group.
Lad Sophila know them? Could Holmes Group be in trouble? Was she looking for a loan to solve someth
“Joshua?”
“Let’s go 1 flagged down a tax and sent Mon back to the motel.
urgent?
Later that day, I made up my mind and approached my partner with a proposal to sell him my shares. He readily agreed, even paying the mark
market price for
them.
Selling my stake in the studio brought in do thousand dollars. I now had 150 thousand dollars in hand but still needed 80 thousand dollars.
