You Faked Your Deaths to Punish Me?! That’s Illegal, Family! novel Chapter 36

Chapter 8

“Putting up with your uncle all these years was worth it to live hands-free. But this? Nope.”

He grabbed his car keys by the door.

“World’s gone crazy. I’m out. We’re getting divorced.”

I choked up.

“Dad… what about me?”

When Mom was beating me, he’d always just sit there.

I’d thought he was scared of her. Now I knew better.

He glanced back at me.

“You? You’re grown. Why would I need to take care of you?”

I said nothing, just grabbed my phone and tried calling Uncle Jake-no answer.

With no choice, I headed to the spot the “kidnappers” had told Dad to meet them.

Just in case, I brought a fake, losing lottery ticket.

On the way, my mind spun through every possibility.

When I got to the ridge, I finally understood what was going on.

“Amy!” Mom was tied to a post on the slope, flailing her arms. “Over here!”

“Where’s your dad?” one of the kidnappers demanded, his voice obviously disguised.

He was standing with his back to Mom, a ways off.

I spotted a hiking backpack by her feet and two broken trekking poles.

“Dad said… there’s no money left. He also said he’s divorcing you,” I stammered, clutching my shirt hem.

“He said all our money went to Uncle Jake.”

Sure enough, the kidnapper’s shoulders stiffened.

I alm

was even more vicious this time around.

Last life, she’d bullied and stolen from me until it cost me my life-only to get herself killed in a fight.

Her dream of that $600,000 payout had died with her.

Now, because I’d said I’d take care of Mom yesterday, she’d decided to kill her,

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“What now?” a man in the shadows rasped, stepping forward with a cigarette in hand.

“Then we take her out. Divorce or not, she’s still in the way,” the first kidnapper said, pulling out a short knife and walking toward Mom.

As the blade hovered over the rope, I fumbled out the ticket.

“Please-just let her go! I just bought this today. I checked on the way here-it’s a winner!”

I crumpled it up and held it out with shaking hands. “Will this buy my mom’s life?”

The kidnapper’s eyes lit up instantly.

“How much?”

I held up my hand.

“Seven… seven hundred fifty thousand.”

I stepped closer, ready to pass it over-then yanked off his ski mask in one move.

“Jake!” Mom screamed.

Before they could react, I ripped the hood off the other one too.

The bulky frame was unmistakable-Aunt Karen.

“Karen! You…?” Mom’s voice cracked like she’d been struck by lightning.

She froze for several seconds before screaming, “You were gonna kill me?!”

“Why?! What did I ever do to you?!”

Aunt Karen’s face twisted, her act gone.

“Jessi, what gives you the right to live the good life? That money is mine!”

She snatched the ticket, glaring at Mom.

“Babe, you’re amazing-how’d you know this brat was gonna

win?”

Uncle Jake said, crouching beside Mom and picking up the knife again.

“Sis, just make it easy for us. Don’t worry-I’ll live well for you.”

Aunt Karen even covered my eyes in mock-protection.

Don’t look, Amy. Aunt Karen will always take care of you.”

xt second-there was a thud, the sound of someone tumbling down the cliff.

And the shouting wasn’t Mom’s-it was Uncle Jake’s.

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