Chapter 3
Grandma’s funeral was pretty elaborate by small town standards.
When Mom, Dad, and Layla arrived, the neighbors had already set up the memorial.
The kid Grandma saved was named Parker Wells. He was twelve.
His parents brought him to the service and made him wear mourning clothes just like me.
‘Chloe. I’m so sorry.”
I’d heard those words countless times since Grandma saved him.
The Wells family weren’t heartless people.
rom the moment Grandma was hospitalized, they’d been there around the clock, never shirking their responsibility.
Grandma didn’t blame them.
osing my only support was devastating, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate them either.
What was a kid supposed to do–just watch someone drown?
looked at the trembling boy. I wasn’t angry, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it was okay.
If you’re tired, go rest for a bit. You don’t have to be here the whole time.”
You little monsters! Why couldn’t it have been you instead?!”
A gut–wrenching scream silenced the murmuring crowd.
My mother–Grandma’s daughter–grabbed Mrs. Wells by the hair and started slapping her face.
hrough her sobs, curses, and the sharp crack of slaps, she painted the perfect picture of a daughter destroyed by grief.
andra Wells didn’t fight back.
rushed over and shoved Mom away. “What gives you the right to hit her?”
Grandma was in the hospital for two weeks, and Mrs. Wells was there every single day taking care of her. Where were you?”
Mom collapsed on the ground, sobbing hysterically.
not and tears streaming down her face, she cursed incoherently.
Cursed the Wells family for destroying lives.
Cursed me for being a cold hearted bitch.
For not knowing right from wrong
For not knowing family from strangers.
“Your grandma wasted ten years raising you, and you’re taking the side of the people who killed her,”
“Chloe, you’re nothing but a goddamn ingrater
How laughable.
From the moment Grandma had her accident until she died, all of us who actually did the work were somehow the villains in her mouth.
But here she was, acting all high and mighty, pointing fingers at everyone else after dumping everything on other people and not even bothering to show up.
22:23
From ‘Polos
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Chapter 3
Dad’s eyes were red as he pointed at me. “Chloe, is that any way to talk to your mother? Do you have any heart at all?
“Grandma knew whether I had a heart. Whether you guys do–who knows?”
Mom clutched her chest. “It’s not that I didn’t want to come back. I had to work, I had to take care of your father and Layla
What’s that got to do with Grandma? What’s that got to do with me? You never took care of us, so why should I be grateful?
Chloe, how can you say that to Mom? You’re… you’re so heartless!”
ayla hugged Mom, looking at me with teary eyes.
Chloe, their family killed Grandma Mom’s the one who’s hurting the most.”
How can you take their side and blame Mom? Don’t you have any feelings?”
ad pulled the mother and daughter up from the ground, wrapping them in a protective embrace.
le looked at me with complete disappointment.
You’re a grown woman and you still can’t tell right from wrong?”
How did I end up with such a worthless kid?”
Four grandma wasted all those years caring about you!”
We were like two different worlds.
tanding opposite each other.
22.23
