Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
I grimace a little.
“Basically yes, but Bailey is really nice,” I say in a hesitant tone. “She’s young and has no idea what’s going on behind the scenes. She just started.”
“Well, she better learn,” Brenda huffs, “because those men are using you girls like whores. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start asking you to do more than just pull shots all day,” she adds in a dark tone.
“Mom!” I gasp, cheeks coloring. “How can you talk like this? Oh my god, it’s so wrong!”
Brenda’s shoulders sag then, and a sad expression comes over her fleshy features.
“It’s just men,” she says in a bitter voice. “They do it to me. After what happened with your stepfather, I lost all my faith in the male sex. They suck, and can go drown in the sea for all I care.”
I nod because this has been a refrain around our house for a couple years now. Basically, we didn’t always live in the Projects. Once upon a time, I had a bestie named Emma Wheaton. We got along great and we were like Anne of Green Gables with her best friend, Diana. We were more than buddies; we were kindred spirits.
Even better, Emma’s dad, Chase Wheaton, was handsome and rich. I didn’t realize how rich he was at that time, but he and my mom hit it off, and the next thing you know, they were married. Brenda and I moved in with Chase and Emma, and it was a dream come true because Chase owns a huge house on the lake that felt empty with only two people in it. My mom and I were welcome additions, and those first two years were filled with love, happiness, and contentment. I finally had a father and a sister, and life was sweet.
But then, my mom fell down the stairs in the big house and everything went to shit. She had endless medical appointments, and was always in pain. Again, Brenda’s never complained, but there were a couple months when she was completely bedridden, and the drugs and lack of exercise did it to her. My mom gained a massive amount of poundage and became almost twice the size she once was.
Chase didn’t like it. Although I never witnessed or heard any unkind words, Brenda said that when her husband looked at her, it was as if he saw something repulsive. His features would become strained, and his nostrils would flare like he’d smelled something bad. It was as if she’d become a fat slob by choice, when it was the injuries and medicine causing her to gain weight! For sure, my mom had a colostomy bag for a little while, and she did smell weird sometimes because those things are hard to keep clean. But it’s the nature of the beast. Colostomy bags are always going to be odiferous, and even the most meticulous user can’t change that. But that asshole Chase Wheaton didn’t give a shit. He was merciless.
So the billionaire divorced my mom, breaking her heart in the process. Sure, Brenda got a nice settlement but it was spent on her unending medical bills, and we were reduced to living in public housing. We’re lucky we even got a place because demand for an apartment in the Projects has skyrocketed, and I hear that it’s almost impossible to get off the waitlist now. Nonetheless, Brenda and I moved into our humble two-bedroom, and it’s fine. I lost touch with my former stepsister, and my mom never talks to her ex-husband anymore either. It’s almost as if the Wheatons vanished into the mist, just a figment of our imagination.
But Brenda’s bitter and sad. She’s still about a hundred pounds overweight these days, and I know she hates her body no matter what I tell her. I also know that she’s heartbroken and that she misses her ex. Who can blame her? My ex-stepfather is a gorgeous CEO with his own AI firm. He’s at the forefront of technology, and has even appeared in the papers touting the benefits of AI. In short, Chase Wheaton is single, rich, and probably has a million women throwing themselves at him, while my mom has descended into a personal hell where she’s filled with self-loathing and shame. I feel bad for Brenda, and hate my ex-stepdad so much for doing this to my mom. After all, aren’t you supposed to stick with your spouse through thick and thin? Don’t the wedding vows state that you’re promising to be together for better or worse? But I guess those rules don’t apply when you’re a billionaire. Men like Chase Wheaton do what they want, and when a wife becomes inconvenient or unattractive, you drop her. Then, it’s on to the next pretty young thing.
So I set my jaw.
“We’re going to be okay, Mom. I’ll find a way to make some money. Relax, and don’t worry, because we’ll survive this.”