Gold Digger vs Gold Saver My Man's Double Life novel Chapter 49

Chapter 10

She said it casually. But after she did, we both went quiet.

When I was little, my feelings about Macy weren’t just hate.

I did hate her.

I was also scared of her. Terrified of her.

But when she kept trying to get close to me, in her clumsy way, trying to be good to me-I couldn’t help softening toward her.

Now, looking at Mom’s whole life of treating me like crap, the one good thing she ever did was probably leaving Macy with me.

I knew Macy went to see her.

She asked me how much I gave Mom every month.

I said eight hundred.

Macy’s eyes went wide.

She probably couldn’t accept it. Didn’t know how Mom was supposed to survive on eight hundred bucks.

But Cade got it.

He said I was pretty messed up. Using eight hundred dollars to humiliate her.

“But she raised you just enough to keep you alive. You’re raising her just enough so she doesn’t die. Pretty fair.”

As for Macy-whether she helped Mom out or ignored her, that was her problem to solve.

She needed to work through all the ways Mom had affected her over the years.

She asked me what kind of person I hoped Nova would grow up to be.

I thought about it. “Healthy. Smooth life.”

“That’s it? You don’t want her on honor rolls, super successful?”

I held Nova. Touched her soft little face.

“If she’s got that in her, she can shine bright. If not, she can be a little slacker and just be happy. That’s fine too.”

I said it pretty casually.

But Macy froze.

Chapter 10

Out of nowhere, her nose stung. Her mouth turned down. Tears started forming.

She quickly turned around.

Her name was Macy. The spoiled baby of the family.

She had a sister named Stella.

Someone who should’ve been brilliant but somehow got covered in dust.

Someone once asked Mom, “Stella’s clearly more talented. Why do you favor Macy?”

Back then Macy was eight. Stella was eleven.

Mom could still occasionally realize she was being unfair.

But she couldn’t control it.

“I can’t help it. Probably just don’t like looking at her. Seeing her pisses me off. Plus she’s not close to me. Can’t warm up to her. Not like Macy. Clingy, sweet, obedient. Kinda dumb, but so lovable.”

Eight-year-old Macy didn’t get what that meant.

Just thought she was likable.

Later she grew up. Heard an analysis once.

“Some adults want their kids to be as smart as humans and as obedient as dogs.”

That moment, Macy broke down crying.

Yeah. A dog.

Her whole life, she’d been like a pampered pet begging for scraps of affection,

Macy really liked Stella.

But she knew Stella didn’t like her.

Made total sense that Stella didn’t like her.

She remembered when they were little, they went to the countryside.

Clumsy Macy walked along the edge of a field. Slipped and fell into the mud.

Covered in dirt. She was terrified.

Scared of her parents’ cold looks and disgust.

Chapter 10

But what scared her more was that Stella, who’d been following her, would get beaten.

In an empty room, Stella kneeling there. Faint light in front of her. Darkness ready to swallow her from behind.

That was Macy’s entire memory of that day.

Whether Stella got beaten, how long she knelt, where Macy was, what she was doing-Macy had zero memory. Like she’d blacked out.

She liked Stella.

Stella was smart. Good grades, good at art, could dance and play piano.

Saying Stella was her sister made Macy proud.

But she could never let Mom know that.

She’d sneak snacks into Stella’s room when Mom made her skip meals.

She’d slip most of her allowance into Stella’s backpack when Mom “forgot” to give Stella money.

Stella liked chess. Had a strategy book tucked under her textbooks. She looked at it all the time.

Macy was so happy. She had to get Stella into chess lessons.

Macy was dumb. And scared.

Because Mom didn’t tutor Macy’s homework, she ripped up Stella’s test.

Macy couldn’t say one good word for Stella.

Just sobbed while taping the test back together.

She just hoped Stella’s hate for her could be a little less. Just a little.

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