Chapter 1After Thanksgiving dinner, Mom hands out three gift boxes to us three kids.
My brother tears his open—inside is the deed to a house.
My sister opens hers—a debit card with half a million on it.
Mine looks the biggest.
Everyone's watching me with this jealous look as I peek inside, then snap it shut real quick.
Mom's smiling. "I'm getting old. Time to split everything up."
"Cameron, your wife's pregnant, so the big house is yours."
"Sloane, you're getting married soon. Use this for the wedding."
"And Rory, didn't you always say I played favorites? This money's from my heart. I'll move in with you too, make up for everything."
I don't say anything.
Just pull out these papers—a thing to cut me off from the family—slide it across to her.
Mom's eyes instantly fill up with tears.
Everyone starts screaming at me, calling me ungrateful.
Until I pull out what's actually in my box...
...
Everyone just stops.
They're all staring at those papers.
Cameron snaps out of it first, jabbing his finger at my face.
"Rory Walsh! What the fuck is wrong with you on Thanksgiving?!"
"Mom's always treated you the best. You were the spoiled one growing up, but somehow that's still not enough."
"Even today with all this, Mom gave YOU the biggest gift box!"
Sloane jumps in too, putting her arm around Mom all concerned.
"Rory, you're in your twenties now. Grow the hell up."
"Mom bought you that expensive Tiffany bracelet for your birthday this year."
"Do you know how much that costs?"
"And you've got the nerve to say Mom doesn't love you?"
I let out this bitter laugh.
Tears are streaming down my face.
"If you love it so much, take it."
I'm reaching into my bag and Mom yanks herself away from Sloane, rushing over.
She grabs my hand tight, her voice all gentle.
"Rory, honey, that was your birthday gift. You can't just give it away."
Sloane watches Mom defend me like that and she's clutching her card even tighter.
Uncle Dean, standing off to the side, can't take it anymore.
"Rory Walsh! Apologize to your mother and let's just drop this."
Mom waves her hands around.
"No need to apologize, no need. Rory probably just had a rough day at her new job. I know, I know."
I wipe the tears off my face.
My voice gets even harder.
"I didn't do anything wrong. Why the hell should I apologize?"
"I'm NOT wrong! I came here today to cut ties!"
The second those words leave my mouth, I press that bracelet Sloane mentioned into her palm.
My sister-in-law Harper works at a jewelry store—
She blurts out before she can stop herself.
"This is obviously not from Tiffany. The quality's total garbage!"
Chapter 2
Mom drops her gaze, eyes darting around.
I watch everyone look at each other.
Cameron breaks the silence.
"Mom's old—she obviously got scammed. But she really wanted to get you that bracelet."
Mom nods like crazy.
"Rory, sweetheart, I'm old and useless. I meant to buy you real one but got the wrong thing."
"That's on me. I'll get you a new one next time, okay?"
Sloane slips that bracelet back on my wrist, her voice all soft.
"See how good Mom is to you? She dropped thousands without thinking twice."
I pull my hand away and that flaking piece of junk hits the floor.
Then I yank my hand out of Mom's grip.
My voice is flat. "No thanks. Just sign the papers. I came back today to cut—"
Before I can finish, Uncle Dean slaps me across the face.
He's looking at me like his heart's breaking.
"Rory Walsh, you can't be this ungrateful."
"After your dad died, your mom raised all three of you alone."
"Cameron and Sloane could maybe say she played favorites, but YOU don't get to."
He points at Mom's limp.
"If it weren't for your mother, that fire years ago would've killed you!"
"So you're gonna cut ties with her just because she got scammed on a fake bracelet?!"
Mom backs away, all flustered.
And I can see that limp so clearly now.
Everyone's glaring daggers at me, but I don't flinch.
I turn to Mom hiding behind Uncle Dean.
"Mom, haven't you told them the truth about that fire yet?"
When Mom hears what I said, there's this flash of surprise in her eyes.
But she denies it fast.
"Rory, what truth? I don't know what you're talking about."
Uncle Dean hesitates for a second, then still picks Mom's side.
"What are you going on about?"
"Everyone knows your mom risked her life to carry you out of that fire."
I just ignore him and shake those papers.
"If you won't sign, then I'll tell everyone exactly what kind of person you really are."
"You know what I'm talking about, Mom."
Mom's eyes go red as she looks at me.
"Rory, honey, is work stressing you out?"
"It's okay. Even if you don't work, my pension's enough to support you."
Uncle Dean's even more convinced I'm talking nonsense now.
"Rory Walsh, do you see how good your mother is to you?!"
Everyone else is agreeing with him. Like I'm some kind of monster.
"Oh really?"
I actually smile.
"Then take out all your pension money and give it to me right now."
Mom's caught off guard.
She's stammering after a long pause.
"Rory, honey, I already spent most of this month's pension."
"Next month—next month after I move in with you."
"I'll take it all out the second it hits and give it to you. I promise."
Hearing that she still plans to move into my place, I completely lose it.
I jump up and flip the table in one go.
"I SAID I want to cut ties!"
"I don't want to be your daughter anymore—are you fucking deaf?!"
"All you do is make promises you never keep!"
"You keep saying you're so good to me, but you can't even remember I'm allergic to scallions! I could only eat plain rice at that whole dinner!"
After I go off like that, everyone's shocked into silence.
Mom's shaking as she tries to explain.
"Rory, honey, I didn't mean to. I'm old and I mix things up."
She immediately turns toward the kitchen.
"I'll make you something fresh right now..."
Cameron pulls Mom back, all concerned.
"Mom, stop."
"You've bent over backwards for Rory her whole life, and she's never satisfied."
"Take today—her gift box was bigger than anyone else's, and she's STILL throwing a fit."
He turns to me, so frustrated.
"If you really want to cut ties, fine!"
"From now on, the Walsh family doesn't have a daughter like you."
When Mom hears this, tears are pouring down her face.
"Cameron, we can't cut ties!"
Chapter 3
"Your sister just started working—she's still gonna need family support."
She starts digging through the mess on the floor, pulling stuff out of drawers.
Then finds this bag of snacks and hands it to me.
"Rory, honey, these were your favorite when you were little. I always remember."
"I accidentally forgot earlier while I was cooking. Here, eat these. You always loved them."
I look at the expired snacks in my hand and throw them on the floor.
"Cut the bullshit."
"I don't want your cheap concern."
"If you really cared about me, you'd sign the damn papers."
Uncle Dean lets out this deep sigh.
Sloane sides with Cameron, pulling Mom away while she's still trying to sweet-talk me.
"Mom, forget about this ungrateful brat."
"We've all seen how good you've been to her all these years."
She shots me a cold eye:
"But instead of being grateful, you act like this is all owed to you!"
"Rory, I'm giving you one last chance—"
"Apologize to Mom and we'll drop it."
My voice stays firm. "I told you—I didn't do anything wrong."
Something scheming flashes across Sloane's face.
"Fine then, I'm going live. Let's see what everyone has to say!"
"Let this ungrateful brat finally learn her lesson!"
Then she starts a livestream on her account.
She's got a decent following, plus it's peak hours.
The stream fills up fast.
Once there's enough people watching, Sloane gives a quick rundown of our family situation—totally biased, obviously.
Before she even finishes, the comments start flying.
All of them trashing me.
"What an ungrateful little bitch. Should've dumped her ages ago."
"They should take back every cent they spent on her. She wants to cut ties? CUT!"
"Someone find out where she works so we can report her. She just started her job, right?"
"Did you see the video? Her gift box really WAS the biggest. How is that not favoritism?"
I stare at Sloane, can't believe what I'm seeing.
She's acting all high and mighty.
"Just because you're the youngest, Mom's always spoiled you rotten."
"But you don't even appreciate it."
"Since you want to cut ties, fine—let's settle EVERYTHING today."
I look over at Cameron who hasn't said a word.
"Cameron, is that what you think too? That Mom plays favorites with me?"
Cameron's eyes dart around.
He mutters, "I mean, the comments have a point. You really did take what should've been ours."
I get it now.
They don't just think Mom plays favorites with me—they think whatever extra she gave me should go back to them.
Harper chimes in quietly from the side.
"Mom said she gave you the money."
"Look at that box of yours—it's huge. Who knows how much is in there."
"I heard Mom's old house got torn down for development—that's gotta be worth hundreds of thousands."
"She's so biased toward you, what if she gave it all to you?"
What??
I had NO idea about any house demolition.
I stare at the phone in Sloane's hand.
"Fine. Let's settle everything today, then."
