Chapter 4
My mom's whole life revolved around two things: taking whatever she wanted and spoiling my useless brother Jason rotten.
She'd go to any lengths for him.
"Don't do anything rash. I..." I was about to say I'd come down right away when the voice on the other end changed.
It was my dad.
His voice sounded calm, but his words cut like a knife.
He said, "Dorothy, your mom's too anxious and confused. Jason's wedding is a big deal for our family. As his sister, you should help out if you can.
"250 thousand isn't much for you. Talk to Mr. Cooper, and you'll have it. You can't ignore your family now that your life is good."
Listening to his entitled tone, I felt sick to my stomach.
Since college, they'd always dipped into my wallet for cash.
My younger brother, Jason Glenn, wanted the newest gaming console, and he hit me up for money.
Jason was dating and wanted to buy his girlfriend a designer bag, and he came to me for cash.
After graduation, he refused to get a job and freeloaded at home, but still expected me to cover his living expenses.
Now, he was getting married, and even the down payment on his new place was supposed to come from me.
They were like leeches, bleeding me dry, and still acted like whatever I gave was never enough, never fast enough.
"Dad," I closed my eyes, feeling drained. "Darren and I broke up. I quit my job. I'm broke now."
There was a brief silence. Then, my mom's wailing erupted, sharper than ever.
She yelled, "You heartless girl! You're lying. You must've landed yourself a big shot, and now you want to cut us off.
"How could I have a daughter like you? Why is my life so miserable?"
Her shrill cries pierced my eardrums.
I couldn't stand it anymore and hung up.
At last, everything was silent.
I leaned against the wall and slowly sank to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest and burying my face.
At last, despite myself, the tears started to fall.
I had no clue how long I'd been crying until a pair of polished leather shoes appeared in front of me.
I looked up and met Bruce's deep, inscrutable eyes.
At some point, he'd finished his meeting and was standing right in front of me, towering over me.
His expression gave nothing away, but the way his lips were pressed together told me he wasn't pleased.
I quickly wiped my tears and awkwardly got to my feet, feeling exposed and messy.
I murmured, "I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to."
Crying over another guy and my dysfunctional family right here in his house was beyond embarrassing.
"What happened?" Bruce asked, not acknowledging my apology.
I hesitated for a moment, then told him the gist of what had happened.
I even mentioned my mom causing a scene outside my office building.
When I finished, I kept my head down, waiting for his reaction.
Maybe he'd be disgusted, or totally fed up with me.
After all, no one would want to get tangled up with someone whose family was this much of a train wreck. Our deal could fall apart any minute because of all my drama.
But Bruce listened quietly.
When I finished, he finally spoke, his voice as cold as ever. "So, what's your plan? Are you going to give them the money?"
I shook my head, resolute. "No, I'm not giving them another cent."
That was a promise I'd made to myself.
I'd finally escaped, and there was no way I was letting them drag me back into that mess.
Bruce's gaze lingered on my tear-streaked face for a few seconds.
"Good," he said.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
He said coldly, "It's me. Head down to the front of Leading Technology and take care of something personal. Yeah, two people, a man and a woman, both around fifty.
"Make sure they leave with dignity. If they refuse, bring them in for questioning on disturbing the peace."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was an order people couldn't argue with.
I looked at him in disbelief.
Was he helping me?
After hanging up, Bruce slipped his phone back into his pocket and said, "It's all sorted. They won't bother you at your former company anymore."
"Why?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
I didn't understand why he was helping me. We just had a business arrangement. He could've stayed out of it.
Bruce looked at me, his eyes unreadable.