Chapter 3
That thick wad of cash. The mysterious man. The black plastic bag...
It was all wrong.
I waited until Delilah, basket and black bag in hand, had disappeared around the far corner. Only then did I creep out from behind the boxes.
I looked down the alley, hoping to see which way the trike had gone, but the entrance was empty. He was long gone.
I drifted back home like a ghost and shut myself in my room.
The scene from the alley played on a loop in my head.
Why would an ordinary housewife go through such a cloak-and-dagger routine, paying that much cash, for... something?
Whatever was in that black bag had to be the shrimp that landed on my plate every day.
What were those things?
And why were they worth all that?
At lunch, Aaron started whining about the newest game console, badgering Delilah for money. "Mom, it's just five thousand. Everyone in my class has one. I'll look like a loser."
Delilah's face was a storm cloud. "Money, money, money. Am I a bank? When are you gonna make some money for a change?"
Her words were sharp, laced with real frustration. But in the end, she went to her bedroom, came back with a cloth pouch, and counted out a thick stack of bills for him.
I saw it clearly, the genuine pinch of pain on her face as she handed over the cash.
That expression was starkly, violently different from the brisk, no-hesitation payment she'd made to the man in the alley that morning.
She'd pinch pennies for her own son, let him bleed her dry, yet she paid out cash without a blink... for those mysterious shrimp.
Shrimp that were meant specifically for me.
The unease inside me grew into a thick, heavy fog, swallowing me whole.
I was starting to realize those shrimp might be worth far more than I'd ever guessed.
And the secret behind them... it could be something much worse than just the humiliation of being a charity case.
Monday came, and I started my new job.
The company was a decent tech firm, and the starting salary was better than I'd hoped.
On payday at the end of the month, holding my first real paycheck, I felt a solid ground under my feet for the very first time.
I could make it on my own now.
With my first wages, my first thought was to buy something for Colton and Delilah.
Like it or not, they'd put me through college.
For Colton, who loved puttering around in his workshop, I bought a really nice, heavy-duty set of screwdrivers. For Delilah, I hesitated.
Remembering how she rarely bought anything new for herself, I went to a nice department store and, after wincing at the price tag, picked out a classic, well-made cashmere scarf.
It cost a small fortune, but it felt right.
Back at the house, I handed over the gifts.
Colton's face broke into a wide grin when he saw the tool set. "Well, look at this! Our Caroline's all grown up. These are fantastic. Thank you, sweetheart."
I handed the sleek shopping bag to Delilah. "This is for you, Delilah."
She took it with a suspicious look, pulling out the tissue paper to see the scarf inside.
It was a deep plum color, which would have actually looked nice on her and given her a more polished air.
I watched her, hoping to see a flicker of a smile.
Instead, she just glanced at it, pulled the coat from the bag, and tossed it onto the sofa.
"Blowing your first paycheck already? Shouldn't you be saving that for a rainy day? A woman my age has no business wearing something so fancy," she said.
Her usual, biting tone was a bucket of ice water dumped straight over my head.
From the couch, Aaron snorted without looking up from his game. "Told you. Can't buy your way in. Mom doesn't want your junk. Sounds fake."
I clenched my fists, my heart sinking like a stone.
The disappointment, the humiliation, the sickening twist of unfairness... it all washed over me.
But I didn't slink back to my room to cry like I used to.
I just looked at her calmly, looked at the scarf discarded on the sofa, then turned and went to help Colton make coffee in the kitchen.
Something inside me had hardened, almost without me noticing.
Late that night, I got up for a glass of water.
Passing through the dark living room, lit only by faint moonlight, I saw a figure by the sofa.
It was Delilah.