Chapter 4

"When you really think about it, Pat has had a pitiful life."

"Both parents dead, raised under other people's roofs since she was little, starved of love, scolded like it was normal."

"She even knew her body couldn't take it, but she still entered that race just to make me happy, just to win the gift I wanted."

"Alison Henson, your love lives in your mouth. Hers wins in what she does."

I didn't get angry. I laughed.

To help him get Gilbert Corp off the ground, I ran myself ragged every single day, like a dog. Where was I supposed to find the time to whisper sweet nothings with him?

And now here I was, everything I'd poured out repaid with nothing but blame.

My mother looked at me, eyes rimmed red. "Can't you just stop making trouble?"

"She doesn't have much time left. You're different. You'll have countless days ahead to spend with Stuart Gilbert."

"No need."

A man other people have slept with, I won't use again.

Nothing more to say. I turned and walked out.

When I came back, standing in the doorway, the filthy sounds inside reached my ears.

I knocked. Pat was the one who came out.

"I didn't think you could actually put up with it."

She dropped her voice, and the harmless look she always wore was gone, replaced with something cold and grim.

"Then put up with it all the way. Your room's right next to ours. When you hear something exciting later, I hope you can hold yourself together as well as you're doing now."

The door shut. My mother came over to pull me away. "If you don't listen, it won't hurt so much."

I shook off her grip. "You're just afraid I'll go in and ruin their fun. You think I can't see that?"

She tried to deny it. "Alison, do you think this is easy for me?"

"Both of you are my own flesh. Hurting either one of you breaks my heart—"

"Wrong. A mother who uses her own husband's grave to force me into line has never once treated me as her flesh."

"Since you love Pat so much, then when you're old, let her take care of you—"

"Slap!"

A hand cracked across my face. My mother pointed at me, shaking with rage.

"Why can't you have some understanding for me, and some for Pat too?"

"She's sick. One day she might just be gone."

"Can't you learn to be a little more forgiving and generous?"

Every word, every line was about understanding Pat. She gets sick, and I'm supposed to obey her without conditions?

All at once it felt pointless to keep talking.

I just turned and left. Out of sight, out of mind.

The next day, I went back to the office.

My position had Pat sitting in it, and Stuart was handing out celebration candy.

The office was full of coworkers, all of them congratulating the happy couple.

The moment they saw me, everyone fell silent, watching to see what I'd do.

Stuart didn't even glance at me. He set down the candy, walked around behind Pat, and started massaging her shoulders while announcing it to me.

"Pat has one wish. She's always wanted to sit in this position."

"Be sensible. Don't make a scene."

The air conditioning wasn't turned up high, yet everyone in the room felt cold.

He got the line out and then hurried off.

I didn't say a word. I picked up my things and left.

On the way out I ran into Mrs. Gilbert, her old face full of calculation.

"Ah, that boy Stuart. If I don't go along with him, he throws a fit."

"Alison, don't you worry. Just take this time to rest well, and I'll bring you back when the moment's right."

I still said nothing and walked straight for the door.

I heard a few sympathetic murmurs behind me, people saying Mrs. Gilbert had done this on purpose, using someone else's hand to do the killing.

Afraid I'd take their company away.

I got a call from a friend who works at a real estate agency.

"Alison, are things that hard for you right now? Selling off a house that nice."

"I didn't sell any house."

"Your mother sold it for you. Said she needed the money for Pat's treatment."

"For an adopted daughter, she's backing you into a corner."

I ended the call fast and dialed my mother's number.

"Why did you sell my house? Where am I supposed to live?"

"If I don't sell the house, where do I get money for Pat's treatment?"

"Stop bothering me. If you've got nowhere to live, you can stay with a friend for now, or go rent something."

And with that, she hung up on me.

In that moment, my heart died toward her completely.

I picked up my phone again and dialed an unfamiliar number. "From now on, no more cooperation with the Gilberts. Pull the investment out, cut off the Gilberts' economic lifeline, and let Stuart Gilbert wait to die."

"Second, freeze my mother's cards. I want every one of them left with nothing."