Chapter 4

On the day I moved into my new place, my mom came over to help me settle in.

The apartment was 925 square feet, had two bedrooms and a living room, and was filled with sunlight.

My mom stood on the balcony for a long time, soaking it all in. "Emily, this place is wonderful and better than David's."

I smiled. David's place was around 1,300 square feet, and his mom was always bragging about how they paid the down payment.

My place was different. I paid for it in full, with no mortgage and no strings attached. The deed…