Chapter 1

I'd just gotten home from a business trip when I found my housekeeper plastering wedding decorations all over my brand-new Maybach.

"Sylvia Henson, honey, my son's getting married in a few days. Your car here is decent enough, so it'll do for the wedding car."

"Remember to wash it the day before and fill up the tank. And put plenty of cigarettes and top-shelf liquor in the trunk."

"Dress festive that day, and be up by five to come along and fetch the bride with me."

I looked at that face of hers, so sure she was owed all this, and it made me laugh out loud.

"Melanie Chavez, I pay you to work for me. Now I'm supposed to hand over my car and myself on top of it, to go work for your son?"

She just rolled her eyes and threw the rag down on the hood.

"This car's only sitting here collecting dust anyway. Us using it is doing you a favor, letting you catch a little of the good luck, and you're turning your nose up at it?"

"An old maid nobody will marry, and I didn't even ask you for a big envelope of cash. That's me being decent."

"You're this stingy, no in-laws are ever going to want you!"

I looked at the white smears the glue had left across the paint, let out a cold laugh, and ripped the decorations right off the car.

"The cost of washing it and getting the glue off is coming out of your pay. And starting tomorrow, don't bother coming in."

"..."

Melanie blinked, and once she realized I wasn't joking, she panicked on the spot.

"Sylvia, you can't be so cold-hearted."

She grabbed my arm like we were close, forcing an awkward smile.

"I'm a foolish old woman, my mouth just runs off without me. You're bigger than that, don't hold it against me."

I looked down and saw she'd deliberately wiped her glue-covered hand across my sleeve, leaving it sticky all over.

"Let go."

But she didn't let go. She clung tighter and broke into loud sobbing.

"Why is my life so bitter."

"My husband passed early and left the two of us all alone, and I scraped and struggled to raise my boy."

"He's thirty this year, been going on blind dates for seven years, no car, no house, turned down every single time."

"We finally found a girl willing to marry him, but her family wants a luxury car to fetch the bride, or they'll call off the engagement."

"A luxury car's sitting right here in front of us. Why shouldn't we get to use it?"

She cried until her face was a mess of snot, her voice gone raw and hoarse.

I yanked my arm free and stepped back.

"Your hard life isn't a reason to take advantage of me. If you want to look impressive, go rent a car."

"My car is not for loan."

Melanie's crying cut off at once. Seeing I wouldn't give an inch, her eyes darted around.

Then all at once she dropped to her knees with a thud.

"You've got so much money, buying a car is like buying a toy to you. Can't you have a little pity on a mother?"

"I'm only doing it for my child, so he can hold his head up in front of his in-laws."

The words were barely out before she jerked her head up and slammed her forehead down against the floor tile.

Her forehead went red in an instant, warm blood trickling slowly down her wrinkled face.

"You—"

I opened my mouth, and every word I'd meant to say jammed in my throat.

My own mother knelt to someone once too.

Over rent we couldn't pay, down on her knees in front of the landlord, with six-year-old me tucked behind her.

The same posture. The same sound.

I closed my eyes, let out a long, heavy sigh, and pulled a tissue from my pocket to hand her.

"Get up."

Melanie lifted her bloody face and stared up at me, pleading.

"The car, that's absolutely off-limits. That's my line. But you can keep the job."

"And I'll give you a month's pay up front as a wedding gift. You can use it to rent a car."

Melanie nodded over and over, wiping her tears as she climbed to her feet.

"Thank you, Sylvia, I knew you had a good heart. I'll do as you say, I won't touch your car, I swear."

I turned and headed upstairs, and out of the corner of my eye I caught her eyes rolling around again, scheming.

But I'd been traveling for two weeks straight and I was exhausted. I didn't want to drag it out, so I just went to my room.

Early the next morning, I left on another trip out of town.

The plan had been to stay a full week, but the project moved along smoothly and wrapped up three days early.

I kept thinking about the look on Melanie's face the day she'd asked to borrow the car, and something never sat right with me, so I rushed back the night before the wedding.

The driver dropped me at the entrance to my community, and I'd barely taken a few steps when I saw the gate to my own garden standing wide open.

The lawn in the yard was crammed full of scooters and three-wheelers, parked every which way.