10
A week later, Mom took me for a routine check–up.
On the way home, a van swerved out of a side street, forcing our car to a screeching halt. The doors slid open, and several masked figures–teenage boys–jumped out, brandishing clubs.
It was the six step–brothers.
They knocked out our driver and dragged Mom and me into the van.
I was terrified.
Mom! It’s them! What are they going to do?
18:06
150G N
Chapter 2
Mom held me tightly. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady. “Don’t be afraid, Mina. Mommy’s here.”
The van bounced along a rough road, finally stopping at an abandoned warehouse. Inside, Landon and the old hag were waiting.
Seeing us, the old woman’s face split into a hideous grin, revealing yellowed teeth. “Well, well, Renee. Look at you now!”
Landon’s eyes burned with a venomous hatred that was terrifying to behold. “Sign the share transfer agreement, and I’ll let you
live.” He threw a document at my mother’s feet.
Looking at their ugly, twisted faces made me sick.
You idiots. You really think you can threaten my mom?
Mom looked at him coldly. “In your dreams.”
“Still acting tough, are we?” the old hag sneered, shuffling toward me. “I don’t know what’s so special about this little money–wast-
- er. You ignore my six wonderful grandsons for this pathetic little girl!”
She reached out with her withered hand, her long, dirty nails aiming for my face. “Sign the papers! If you don’t, I’ll bite the flesh off this little thing, piece by piece!” She opened her mouth, a cavern of rot and decay, and leaned in close. The stench was overwhelm
ing.
Get
away from me, you old witch! Don’t touch me with your filthy hands!
Thinking fast, I flipped over, aimed my rear end right at her face, and pushed with all my might.
Pfft!
A little present for the old hag.
She stumbled back, gagging, clutching her nose. “Ugh! You disgusting little brat!”
The six boys saw their chance and swarmed forward.
“Grandma, she did it again!”
“You’re dead, little girl! We’re going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” They closed in, their faces contorted with malice.
Mom, help!
At that critical moment, the massive warehouse doors were kicked open from the outside. Blinding sunlight flooded the dark spa-
- ce.
Dozens of uniformed police officers stormed in, weapons drawn, followed by Mr. Wallace and our entire security team.
“NOBODY MOVE! POLICE!”
Landon and his family froze, their faces a comical picture of disbelief.
“How… How did you…?” Landon stammered, his eyes darting around wildly before landing on Mr. Wallace. “You! Wallace! After ever-
ything I did for you, you betrayed me!”
Mr. Wallace just looked at him with contempt.
Mom let out a cold laugh and stood up, still holding me. “You really are an idiot, Landon.” She walked right up to him, her voice low
enough for only him to hear. “Did you really think you could buy the loyalty of a man who worked for my father for thirty years?”
“The moment you contacted him, you walked right into the trap I set for you.”
Landon’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. He finally understood. From the very beginning, he had been nothing but a puppet in my moth- er’s hands.
15.06
15:0
The police moved in, forcing the entire family to the ground and slapping handcuffs on their wrists. The mistress started screami- ng, “It wasn’t me! It was him! Landon made me do it!”
Her words seemed to snap something in Landon. He broke free from an officer’s grasp and lunged at her, the two of them collapsi-
ng into a flailing, scratching mess on the floor. “You bitch! It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t pushed me, I never would have done any of
this!”
It was a chaotic, pathetic dogfight. The police had to use a taser to separate them.
As two officers pinned him to the ground, Landon saw my mother and his expression changed, as if she were his last hope. He
started sobbing, crawling toward her, clutching at her leg.
“Renee, I was wrong, I really was! Please, forgive me! For Mina’s sake, just give me one more chance!”
Yeah, right. Are you sorry you were wrong, or are you just sorry you got caught? I thought, rolling my eyes.
Mom kicked him away, hard.
She took a file from Mr. Wallace and handed it to the lead officer. “Officer, this folder contains all the evidence of Landon Sterling’s
embezzlement, corporate fraud, and the premeditated murder of my parents.”
“It also includes a full recording of the kidnapping and extortion that just occurred.”
“Please, ensure that justice is served.”
The officer’s face grew grim as he looked through the file. “Don’t worry, Ms. Sterling. We will not let a single one of these criminals
get away.”
Landon and his pathetic family were hauled away like the trash they were. As they were leading her out, the old hag, probably from the sheer stress of it all, started foaming at the mouth and collapsed. I heard later she’d had a stroke. She survived, but was paral- yzed from the waist down and would spend the rest of her miserable life in a bed.
Landon received a life sentence for his numerous crimes.
The six boys, despite being minors, were sent to a juvenile detention center for their role in the kidnapping.
As for the mistress, she got a few years in prison as well.
The nightmare was finally over.
Mom took full control of the company. She reformed it from the top down, clearing out all the parasites Landon had installed, and
soon, business was booming.
And me? I became the sole center of my mother’s universe. She bought me countless beautiful dresses and sparkling diamonds. For my first birthday, she rented out the city’s most iconic landmark and used a fleet of drones to spell out my name against the
night sky.
“Mina Sterling, Mommy loves you.”
I love you too, Mom!
I snuggled into her arms, watching the fireworks paint the sky with color, and broke into a wide, toothless, happy grin.
This time, with Mom by my side, I was the luckiest baby in the world.
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