Chapter 1

My parents believed the best way to instill independence in a child was to split everything fifty-fifty.

If breakfast cost ten dollars, I paid five. I owed half of the six hundred dollars in school fees.

Even when I had to go to the ER for running a high fever, my parents covered the bill and reminded me, “Get a summer job. Don’t get into the habit of owing money.”

For years, I thought they were simply raising me to stand on my own.

Then, my little sister, Millie, was born.

Mom’s face beamed when Millie kissed her on the cheek once.

“There. Now we’re even.”

Millie made Dad breakfast one morning, wanting to get piano lessons. Dad happily signed her up right away.

Meanwhile, every dime I spent was written down in my parents’ ledger.

On my eighteenth birthday, I asked Mom, “Mom, can I get a birthday cake by giving you a massage?”

Mom furrowed her brows.

“Meadow, you have to pay what you owe. Stop looking for shortcuts

“You’re still $1,700.48 behind from last month. When are you going to pay us back?”

Holding back my tongue, I clutched the scholarship offer from a university abroad inside my pocket.

It wouldn’t be long now.

Once I cleared my debt of $1,700.48, I’d owe the family nothing.

From then on, she would be no mother of mine.

Chapter 1

“Mom, I’ll pay you back real soon…”

I awkwardly picked at the hem of my shirt.

“That’s what you say all the time. Name one month you actually paid off your debt.

“It’s a good thing your father and I are generous enough not to hold it against you.”

My mother, Cassie, brushed me off with the wave of her hand before turning to my sister, who was sitting nearby, absorbed in a picture book.

“Millie, what do we call those who owe money and never pay back?”

Millie looked up, her eyes lighting up with a smile.

“A bum!”

“That’s right. You’re so smart, sweetheart. Don’t be a bum like your sister.”

Cassie pulled Millie into a hug, and the pair sank into the couch together, giggling away.

I stood to the side in embarrassment, the cozy scene stinging my cheeks hot.

Then came a knock on the door.

I rushed to open the front door, and there stood my father, Ethan Small, holding a large cake and fresh ribs with a grin on the other side.

As my eyes welled up, I reached out to take the cake from him.

Ethan dumped the ribs on me while holding the cake high.

“Millie, guess what I bought you?”

With Millie coming running in delight, Ethan scooped her into his arms.

Ethan nuzzled her cheek lovingly, and she snuggled up with a chuckle.

“Meanie! Your beard is poking me!”

“I’m a meanie? Who gets this big cake then?”

Feigning anger, Ethan pulled a long face to tease Millie.

“You’re the best Daddy ever! The best in the whole wide world!”

Millie smacked a kiss right on Ethan’s face.

Cassie approached and gave Millie a little squeeze on the cheek.

“Our Millie is amazing for taking first place in the piano competition. Daddy got you a cake. How about I whip up your favorite barbecue ribs for dinner?”

Since I was still standing there, Cassie pointed toward the kitchen.

“Meadow, wash the ribs and cut them up for me. I’ll season them in a minute.”

I carried the ribs to the sink and rinsed them under cold water, scrubbing away the last streaks of blood.

Even with the faucet running full blast, I could still hear their laughter echoing from the living room.

I blinked hard, fighting back the sting in my eyes.

The cake was meant for Millie. Here I thought Ethan recalled that it was my birthday today.

It didn’t take Cassie long to get dinner on the table.

The dinner table was covered with Millie’s favorite food, with a strawberry cake displayed front and center.

Ethan and Cassie sat on either side of Millie. Ethan raised his camera and snapped a photo.

I sat at the far end of the table, quietly digging in.

Ethan glanced at me before uttering softly, “Meadow, come here and have a slice of cake.”

I stayed where I was, taking another bite of green beans and mashed potatoes.

Cassie slammed her utensil down with a clatter and said in contempt, “Just leave her be. Ever since you got home, she’s had that long face as if we’ve abused her or something.

“A minute ago, she was asking for cake. Now that it’s time to eat it, she won’t even come over.”

Cassie turned to Millie, her expression tender.

“Come here, sweetheart. I’ll feed you a bite.”

After dinner, Cassie pulled out the family ledger, just like she always did.

“The cake was $150, so your share is $37. The ingredients and food prep costs come to another $30. You owe me $67.”

Pursing my lips, I kept to myself for a bit before uttering, “Thirty is all I’m paying.”

Cassie was taken aback, not expecting me to push back at all.

“Seriously? Trying to bargain with your mother?”

“I didn’t eat the cake, so I’m not covering the cost for it.”

Cassie raised her voice.

“Whose fault is that? You said you wanted cake, so your father went out and bought it just for you. Now you’re acting like you never wanted it.”

I lifted my head, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Was the cake for me, though? Didn’t Dad buy it for Millie?”

“So what? Did anyone stop you from eating the cake?”

“I can’t eat it.”

My voice broke with sobs, and my tears blurred Cassie’s face.

I said, “I’m allergic to strawberries, Mom. Did you forget?”

Cassie opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Moments later, she turned her head away.

“Alright, alright. You win. I’ll take thirty. Just hand the money over now.”

I returned to my room.

From the drawer, I pulled out a rusty tin box. It held everything I owned.

I pulled out the crumpled bills and a handful of loose change, counting them over and over.

A dollar, two… I had thirty-two dollars.

That was every penny I’d managed to save from working after school during my senior year of high school.

I had to figure out a way to make money and fast.

Chapter 2

It was 97 degrees in July.

Dressed in a bulky bear mascot costume, I stood outside the entrance of a newly opened shopping mall, waving customers inside.

It was one of the highest-paying gigs posted in the local part-time job group.

I bounced around in the oversized bear suit, dancing and posing for photos. Inside the costume, the heat was suffocating.

My forehead was drenched in sweat. With every move I made, drops trickled into my eyes, burning terribly as I blinked through the pain.

My lips were dry and cracked. What I wouldn’t give for a sip of cold water.

“Mommy, the blueberry ice cream is yucky.”

It was Millie’s voice.

Turning toward the sound, I saw Ethan and Cassie emerging from the mall laden with shopping bags.

Millie walked between them, holding an ice cream cone with a frown.

Cassie took the ice cream from Millie and dumped it in a trash can.

“If you don’t like it, we’ll just throw it away. I’ll make you a milkshake once we get home.”

Millie glanced around and spotted me dressed as a mascot at the mall entrance.

“Yay! That’s a cute teddy bear!”

Lifting the hem of her little dress, she scampered over and looked at me with wide, blinking eyes.

“Mommy! Daddy! I want a picture with the teddy!”

“Sure thing. I’ll hold you up, Millie.”

Ethan walked over and scooped Millie up, so her face snuggled right against the giant plush head.

Cassie walked over and draped an arm across my shoulders.

A staff member snapped a photo of us together.

Only I knew the photo captured the four of us as a family.

In fact, I had taken photos with Ethan and Cassie when I was little, too.

Back then, Ethan and Cassie took me to an amusement park, holding my hand tightly between them.

Ethan ecstatically lifted me high over his head and set me on top of a giant apple statue.

I clung to the giant apple, terrified I’d fall.

Cassie looked up at me with a smile and said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Meadow. I’m right here. I’ll catch you for sure.”

Then, a park employee took a photo of us.

Just like today, it was Ethan and Cassie on either side while I was in the middle.

The only difference was, back then I wore a new dress Cassie bought me, and Millie was not in the picture.

“Alright. We got the picture. Now, let’s head home. It’s scorching out here.”

Ethan put Millie down and picked up the shopping bags again.

Taking Millie by the hand, Cassie walked toward the parking lot.

The trio drifted further away until they disappeared around a corner.

I danced at the mall entrance all day long, and at the end of the day, I collected a hundred bucks from the manager.

With cash in hand, I bought a bottle of cold water and gulped the whole thing down.

Back home, Ethan was playing board games with Millie while Cassie was busy in the kitchen.

Retreating to my bedroom, I put the remaining cash into the tin box.

I logged today’s earnings in my notebook: July 10 – Earned $98.

“Meadow, get in here and give me a hand!”

At the sound of Cassie’s voice, I put away the tin box and went to the kitchen.

“Look at you, running around all day doing God knows what.

“Don’t get comfortable just because high school’s over. Your father and I are only covering half of your college fees.”

Cassie was filleting fish at the kitchen counter, grumbling under her breath.

“I wasn’t out hanging around. I was working. Didn’t you say that I’m behind on the payments?”

Cassie glanced up at me, her gaze filled with strange, unreadable emotions.

“At least you’re finally acting responsibly. Go on. Shuck those. Millie wants baked cod with corn for dinner tonight.

“Get those shucked, and I won’t charge you for tonight’s food.”

I quietly pulled up a small stool and started peeling back the husks.

Minutes later, Millie came running in.

“What are you doing, Meadow? Let me in on the fun, too.”

Millie reached for an ear of corn.

Cassie was quick to stop her.

“Oh, no, sweetheart. What are you doing? You’ll scratch your hands on the husks.

“Hurry along and play with Daddy. Meadow and I can handle this.”

Without a peep, I carried on shucking corn.

By the time I’d finished the whole pile, the coarse corn silk had worked its way beneath my fingernails.

All ten of my fingertips were raw, itchy, and stinging.

Chapter 3

With the mall’s grand opening wrapping up three days later, I had just over two hundred bucks to my name, so I bought lemons, cups, and bags of ice.

Every evening, I set up my lemonade cart outside the town square, where people gathered after work to eat, shop, and escape the heat.

The brutal summer heat worked in my favor because business was better than I’d imagined.

One evening, I was out there, calling out to potential customers.

Holding Millie’s hand, Cassie led her across the town square after her piano lesson.

Tagging along were several of Millie’s friends and their respective parents.

Spotting my cart, Millie bolted toward me.

“Meadow, I want some lemonade! I’ll have a cup.”

Millie tugged playfully at my sleeve, and her friends quickly chimed in, asking for lemonade too.

As one parent reached for their phone to pay, Cassie put a hand out to stop them.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. This is my daughter. She’s running a little business. It’s just a few drinks. Consider it our treat.”

The parent gave me a thumbs-up.

“Good for you. You’re working hard and gaining life experience. How old are you? Are you in college?”

Not even stopping for a beat, I kept making the lemonades one by one for the kids.

“I’m eighteen. I start my freshman year in September.”

“Oh, fantastic. Where are you going to college?

“Stanlyford.”

I deliberately gave the name of a different school.

Wide-eyed, the parent started showering Cassie with compliments.

“Oh, my goodness, Millie’s Mom. You’ve done such a wonderful job raising your children. Your youngest is so sweet and thoughtful, and your eldest is so responsible and accomplished.”

“My daughter just stays home, glued to her video games ever since high school ended. You’ve got to tell me your secret. I need to take notes from you on how to raise kids.”

Cassie put her hand over her mouth in joy, beaming from ear to ear.

“To be honest, it took a lot of effort on my part. I’ve raised Meadow to be self-reliant since she was little. I have a dedicated ledger for her to build her financial awareness.

“Meadow was out selling flowers on Valentine’s Day when she was seven. Isn’t that right, Meadow?”

I paused from squeezing the lemon. So Cassie did remember pushing a seven-year-old out on the streets to sell flowers.

Back then, I was too young to read facial cues. I simply ran up to just anyone to pitch my blossoms.

Once, I approached a drunkard who had his heart broken. He snatched the flowers out of my hands and tore into me.

I burst out crying in fear. For days, I had nightmares on end.

“Meadow?”

Cassie’s piercing gaze bore into me.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I cast my eyes over to Millie, who was playing with her friends not too far away.

“Millie’s eight this year,” I said out of the blue.

“What?”

The words didn’t register with Cassie right away.

I paused and looked Cassie in the eye before uttering, “Millie’s eight. I was only seven when I sold flowers on the street.

“Why haven’t you asked Millie to work and earn money?”

Cassie pulled a long face and spoke in hushed tones, “What’s that supposed to mean, Meadow? Must you embarrass me in front of people?”

I lifted my chin and met Cassie’s eyes without fear.

“I simply stated a fact. How is it embarrassing?

“Maybe you know deep down that you’re just playing favorites.”

“Shut up!” Cassie shouted.

“You’re the older one. Why are you so petty? Do you have to make everything a competition with your sister? She’s only a child!”

“Then answer me. Why aren’t you keeping count of Millie’s spending? Why does she have to—”

Smack!

A sharp slap cut me off.

Cassie stared at me with bloodshot eyes, her chest heaving.

“You certainly are full of yourself,” Cassie hissed through clenched teeth.

With things spiraling out of control, the parent pulled Cassie back.

“Oh, come on. She’s just a kid. Why are you getting into it? Let’s not hold her up. She needs to get back to work. Come on, now.”

The parents dragged Cassie away and made their way out of the town square.

I ran my fingers along my swollen right cheek before covering my face with a mask.

It was back to business for me.

I was still halfway short of the $1,700.48 Cassie expected from me.

Chapter 4

It was ten at night when I dragged my weary body to my room.

Fishing out the tin box, I deposited the money I’d earned as usual.

However, I opened the box to find only a few crumpled bills. The large notes were gone.

With shaking hands, I counted the scattered change, which was just a little over four hundred bucks.

That couldn’t be right. I had stashed the money safely. Just yesterday, it was just shy of a grand when I counted.

Just as I was frantically tearing my room apart, my bedroom door creaked open.

Millie said to me with a beaming face, “Meadow, I bought Mom a birthday present!”

“A present? What kind of present? Where did you find the money?”

My heart raced as the worst-case scenario came to mind.

“I found some in this tin box. There was so much money in it!”

Millie pointed at the box in my hand innocently.

I snapped.

It took nearly a month of labor to save the money, only for Millie to give it away as if it were hers to spend.

“Millie, you’re eight now! Grow up! The money is mine. How could you take my things without asking?”

I grabbed Millie’s shoulders, shook her, and screamed at her furiously.

Startled, Millie scrunched up her face and bawled out loud.

Cassie rushed over at the sound of her voice.

What are you doing, Meadow? Why are you yelling at Millie?”

Cassie pushed me away and held Millie tight as the latter whimpered in her embrace.

“What am I doing? You should ask her that question. She stole my money!”

“Meadow… I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. It’s Mom’s birthday in a few days. I wanted to get her something,” Millie choked out between sobs.

“You should have asked before going through the things in my room!”

“That’s enough!”

Cassie cut me off.

“So she took a bit of your money. Why are you acting like it’s the end of the world?

“At least Millie got me a gift with the money. You’re eighteen now, but don’t even care about giving back to the people who raised you.”

I froze. The heart that had been pounding moments ago suddenly felt like it had been ripped out.

“Give back? Do I have money for it?

“You blame me for not buying you gifts, but how on earth am I supposed to give back when you make me go halves on everything in this house?”

The words practically ripped from my throat.

Ethan rushed into the room as well.

“Meadow, watch your tone with your mother. Show some respect!”

“No! I’ve had enough! You’re all ganging up on me!”

“Looks like you haven’t learned a thing.”

Ethan grabbed my arm hard, so much so I sank to the floor in pain.

I propped myself on the floor and looked up as Ethan and Cassie, holding Millie in their arms, towered over me.

“You’ve gotten way out of line. I’m disappointed in you.

“Your mother and I were actually going to take the whole family on a trip tomorrow. It’s to celebrate you getting into college, and we’d cover everything.

“Since you’re so defiant, you can stay home and think about what you’ve done.”

The trio walked out of my room and closed the door behind them.

I stayed in the same position, shaking violently in sobs.

Tears dripped down, soaking a large patch of the floor.

Early next morning, Ethan and Cassie departed for the airport with Millie in tow.

Cassie constantly updated her social media with photos of them enjoying the trip.

On a sun-drenched beach, Ethan took the time to build a sandcastle with Millie.

“Millie insisted on having Daddy help her build a sandcastle, so this Momma got to escape to the shade under the beach umbrella.”

Killing the screen, I went back to packing up my stuff for the lemonade cart.

I added a wider variety of drinks to my cart. Sure, the job was more grueling, but cash would pile on quicker.

It started from a hundred bucks to two hundred… I finally managed to make the right amount of money a day before the Smalls were set to return.

I packed all my bags and tidied up my room.

The ledger and $1,700.48 were laid out neatly on my nightstand.

Wheeling my tiny suitcase along, I boarded the flight heading overseas.

It was goodbye forever from then on.