“You all signed the papers. Did you forget?” I said coldly. “The agreement was clear–me and the baby have nothing to do with your family anymore.”
The Reeds had completely lost their minds. Like I would show up here alone, without backup.
Nelson’s brow furrowed sharply. “Alisha… you knew, didn’t you? That your company wasn’t in trouble. You lied, just to trick me into divorcing you?”
I gave him an innocent smile. “Of course not.“}
The truth was, I’d already seen through their cold–blooded nature. And learning that truth had come at a steep price.
“You’re so manipulative,” he spat. “And I actually felt guilty for you. Thought you were struggling.”
He sneered and held up my father’s handcrafted silver pendant. “And now you want this back? I’d rather smash it to pieces than let you have it!”
Nelson lifted his hand, ready to hurl the pendant to the ground.
For a second, I held my breath, but my bodyguard moved quite fast. In two swift steps, he crossed the room and caught it mid–air, just before it hit the floor.
Nelson hadn’t expected that. His face twisted in disbelief as the pendant passed from the bodyguard’s hand into mine.”
I tucked the heirloom safely away and gave him a cutting smile. “Well, looks like you can’t even afford to sell my father’s pendant now.” Take care of yourself, Nelson. You’ll need it.” With that, I turned to leave. The pendant–my father’s last gift–was finally back where it belonged. I felt nothing for that house anymore.
As I walked down the hallway, I could still hear Dorothy shrieking behind me–calling me ungrateful, heartless and even a “worthless little tramp.”
I didn’t care.
From now on, it was just me and my child–and we were going to live our best life.}
I thought that would be the end of it. I truly believed I’d cut all t But I underestimated just how insane Dorothy could be.
with the Reeds.
She showed up at my apartment complex the next day–this time with a red–painted banner like something out of a protest, as if written in blood. She strung it up across the neighborhood garden like a public declaration of war.
Dorothy showed up to my apartment complex with a megaphone and plopped herself right down on the pavement, shouting like she was leading a protest.
“Alisha is my daughter–in–law!” she wailed, voice amplified for the whole neighborhood to hear. “We treated her like family–gave her our hearts–and what did she do? She stabbed us in the back!”
“She’s selfish, heartless! Lied about going bankrupt just so she could divorcest
my son and run off!”
“She won’t even let us see the baby! Says she and the child have nothing to do with our family anymore! That baby is my granddaughter- my flesh and blood! How can she keep her from me? It’s like she’s digging a knife into my chest!“>
“I’m just here to ask her–why? Why would she treat us like this? We’re heartbroken!”
It didn’t even sound like her. I was sure Nelson had written the script for her.
There she was, in broad daylight, slandering me with a megaphone like some twisted soap opera villain. It didn’t take long before the neighbors started whispering. And then it got worse.
Someone threw a rock through my window. Another person dumped trash right outside my door.”
But I never stepped outside. I didn’t argue. I didn’t give her the satisfaction. I watched from behind closed blinds. And when I couldn’t take it anymore, I just went to stay at another place.
Eventually, even Dorothy got tired of hearing herself.}
The neighbors stopped paying attention. Her voice hoarse, her performances fell flat. Still, I gave her nothing.
Frustrated, she resorted to banging on my front door, yelling until the neighbors turned on her.
She cried in the courtyard, claimed I’d ruined her life, but my bodyguard gently escorted her out again like clockwork.§
See, I knew Dorothy.”
If I gave any responses, she’d only escalate. She’d drag everyone down with her–loud, chaotic and determined to make a scene. But I wanted the scene to happen.”
I wanted the noise, the spectacle. I wanted everyone to see exactly how toxic they were. Because only when it was all out in the open would the Reeds truly be cut from my life.”
My silence drove them mad. So much so that Dorothy stormed into my office, ready to cause a scene there too.”
Unfortunately for her, she underestimated my team. My employees had been with me for years–they knew my character, my work ethic. They knew the truth.
They didn’t buy a word she said.”
