Chapter 4

She was on her way to the airport with her biological mother.

Selfies from every angle, captioned: "The luxury trip begins! Thank you, Mom, for giving me life. Now it's my turn to pay you back. Some people can only sit there and be jealous!"

I let out a cold laugh and blocked her right there.

Less than ten minutes later, my phone rang.

It was Hazel calling, her voice both angry and frantic.

"Mom! The travel agency says the luxury two-person package has been cancelled! What's going on?!"

I had a face mask on, and my voice was calm.

"Little girl, I think you've got the wrong person. Isn't your mother right there next to you?"

There was a beat of silence on the other end, then she blew up.

"Quit the act. My real mom and I are already at the airport. You're doing this on purpose to mess with me, aren't you?"

I smiled.

"Think whatever you want. If you're so capable, go take your trip on your own money."

Hazel choked, and the next second came the sound of a failed payment.

"You shut off my shared payment account too?"

"You're pulling all these stunts just to force me to apologize, right? Fine, I apologize. Now hurry up and turn the shared payment account back on! There are so many people watching."

I was calm.

"Didn't you say your real mother is the best, and all I ever do is control you?"

"Since you don't have any money, then let your real mother pay for it."

Hazel started to panic.

"This is a tour I booked. What gives you the right to just cancel it like that?"

"The fact that I paid for it," I said.

"Whoever pays the money calls the shots."

A jumble of noise came through the phone, someone cursing off to the side.

"So you've got money, big deal? Who wants it!"

"She's kept my daughter from me all these years, and I haven't even made her pay me back for my losses yet, and she's the one putting on airs!"

It was Hazel's biological mother.

Hazel covered the mouthpiece and hissed at her.

"Mom, stop talking!"

Then she started crying at me again.

"Mom, I know I said some harsh things yesterday, but you can't take it this far."

"How about this: you have the travel agency put the trip back on first, and after it's over we can talk, okay?"

I sat up, my voice ice-cold.

"No. Hazel, I already gave you a chance, and you're the one who didn't value it."

"And another thing, I've already signed the papers to dissolve the adoption. From now on you can go live your good life with your real mother."

There was dead silence on the other end.

Then Hazel suddenly changed her tone.

She stopped crying, and her voice was full of hatred.

"You'll regret this!"

"I'm posting on my social media feed right now, so everyone can see just how vicious you are as an adoptive mother!"

I laughed.

"Go ahead."

"But before you post, you'd better think it through. I've got the adoption records from back then, and every last dollar I've spent on you over the years."

"If you want to make a scene, I'll play along."

"I don't mind letting everyone see how I ended up raising such an ungrateful girl."

That shut her up.

A few seconds later, she said through gritted teeth, "You'll regret this."

I hung up immediately and blocked her.

Attorney Simmons sent a message.

"Ms. Dickerson, the legal process to dissolve the adoption is underway. It should take effect within a week."

"Also, I dug up something. I've sent it to your email."

I opened my email and found a security camera clip from two weeks ago.

I clicked play.

Hazel's biological mother, Julia Lambert, was crying to Hazel that they didn't have the money to buy a house for her younger brother's wedding.

Hazel patted her chest and promised she'd handle it.

Then she turned around and asked me for two hundred thousand dollars, saying it was for her graduation trip.

Was she treating me like an ATM?

The last bit of reluctance in my heart vanished.

My phone buzzed again. It was a travel payment link from Hazel.

"Pay it quick, and I'll bring you a gift when I get back."

I let out a cold laugh and ignored it completely.

Then I sent Attorney Simmons a message:

"Do the math for me."

"Every expense on Hazel over these fifteen years, including tuition, tutoring, living costs, medical bills, and travel."

"Make me an itemized list. I'm going to claim back every last cent of it!"