Chloe was as clueless as they come. I mean, she left something so valuable just lying around in this tiny, beat-up old house. But then again, maybe she was being clever. Maybe Chloe figured I'd go searching her place and decided to hide it here instead. You know, like they say, the most dangerous place is sometimes the safest.
Lisa was feeling pretty smug about it. Good thing she had a bit of foresight and picked up on what Chloe let slip. Her smug laughter caught Ann’s attention. When Ann saw the fancy box in Lisa's hand, her face turned serious. "Lisa, what's that you're holding?"
Lisa quickly shoved the ornate box into her Hermes bag. "None of your business!" she shot back, ready to leave. Ann stepped right in her way.
"Lisa, that belongs to Chloe. You can't just take it."
Ann reached out, trying to grab Lisa's bag, but Lisa shoved her to the ground. "Mom, I’m still willing to call you ‘mom.’ I suggest you stay out of this. This belongs to the Meadows family—it's mine by right. Chloe's just squatting in my nest."
"No way, you can't just walk off with it. Haven't I taught you anything? We might be poor, but we have to hold onto our integrity. No stealing, no robbing, no coveting what’s not ours."
Lisa was fuming. "What right do you have to lecture me? Did you ever give me the kind of life Chloe had? My whole life, I’ve been following you, living in fear, ducking and hiding. Do you know how much scorn I've faced?"
"If I really were your own, I’d accept being poor. But I was meant to be a cherished daughter, a real lady of wealth. Why should I take Chloe's place and suffer? Everyone loves Chloe, but if she'd grown up like this, would she be the graceful lady she is now?"
"And besides, it was mine to begin with. Taking it back is just putting things right."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover