Chapter 2

Before I could even finish my sentence, a barrage of frantic vibrations severed the call.

My screen instantly flooded with suffocating names—even distant cousins I rarely spoke to. A relentless bombardment of text messages followed.

I didn't reply to a single one. I blocked them all.

The next morning, I had barely zipped up my uniform at the downtown coffee shop when the bell above the door practically tore off its hinges.

Vivian stormed in, dragging Chloe, with a mob of unfamiliar relatives trailing right behind them.

The second Chloe laid eyes on me, she dropped straight to her knees on the hardwood floor.

"Audrey, please! Just give the money back!" she sobbed hysterically, her wails easily drowning out the grind of the espresso machine. "That was everything Grandma left us! She’s barely cold, the trust fund hasn't even been distributed yet, and you stole it?"

The morning lull of the café shattered instantly. Office workers in line, college students crammed in the corner booths—every single pair of eyes locked onto me.

"Oh my god, stealing from a dead grandmother?"

"She looks so innocent. How could she do something like that?"

"How is someone like her even allowed to work in customer service? I’m filing a complaint."

Vivian planted herself in the center of the room, jabbing a manicured finger in my face. "Her parents died in a car crash when she was ten! We took her in out of the goodness of our hearts, raised her like a princess! And how does she repay us? By draining a dementia-stricken old woman's trust fund dry!"

The hushed whispers escalated into open hostility. The regulars who usually greeted me with warm smiles now glared at me with pure disgust.

I gripped the tablet register so hard my knuckles turned white. "You're saying I stole the money? Where's the proof?"

Chloe looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Would we be here if we didn't have proof? The house security cameras caught a woman sneaking into the study that night, taking the cash and bank cards right out of the safe."

Bullshit. I was working my second job at that exact time.

"If you have the footage, show it to everyone." I stared her down coldly. "Let the whole room see what this thief really looks like."

At that, Chloe gave an almost imperceptible flinch—a tremor of genuine fear.

Vivian suddenly let out an exaggerated, theatrical sigh. "Audrey, we're keeping it private to save you whatever shred of dignity you have left! We watched you grow up. Even though you did something this shameful..."

She lowered her voice, making sure it carried just enough for the crowd to hear. "In that video... to avoid hiding anything in your clothes, you snuck into that room naked. If we showed something that shameless to the world, how could you ever show your face again?"

I almost barked a laugh at the sheer absurdity of the lie. They were going to impossible lengths to cover for Chloe.

"Just give the money back! Return it, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened!" one of the random relatives barked.

"I want to see the video," I said, not backing down an inch. "If you're so worried about my reputation, don't be. I really don't care. Play it."

"No! You can't!" Chloe shrieked, digging her nails into Vivian's arm, genuine panic bleeding into her act. "Mom, she's not even married yet! If everyone sees that... her life will be ruined!"

"I can't let you do that! Even if she stole from us, she's still family!"

She turned to the crowd, weeping like her heart was breaking. "Please, don't ask to see it... just leave our family some dignity."

"That poor girl has such a good heart."

"I know, right? Defending her even after she robbed them blind."

The tide of opinion in the room completely turned in their favor.

Enraged by my defiance, Greg grabbed the glass sugar dispenser off the counter and smashed it onto the floor. The sharp crack of shattering glass sent shrieks rippling through the café.

"Still acting tough! Spit the money out!" He started violently shoving the cash register.

"That is enough!"

The manager burst out of his office, his face livid. He took one look at the mess on the floor, then glared at me with absolute disgust. "Audrey, take your crazy family and get the hell out of my store! You're fired! Right now. Get out!"

He practically shoved me out the glass doors. Before I could even regain my balance on the sidewalk, Vivian lunged forward and shoved me hard.

I crashed heavily onto the concrete.

I reached into my pocket for my phone to call the police, but Greg kicked it straight out of my hand. It skittered away, bouncing off the curb.

"You want to call the cops?" Vivian dropped her weight onto me, grabbing a fistful of my hair. "Haven't you done enough to Chloe? Not only did you steal the money, but you're spreading rumors that she seduced Nathan! He's your fiancé! What kind of shameless bitch says things like that?"

The onlookers formed a tight circle around us, cell phone camera lenses flashing in my face.

"Look at this ungrateful brat!"

"Thinks the whole world owes her just because her parents died."

"Disgusting. Acting like she’s some kind of princess."

In that moment, the shadows of my childhood bled into the present. After the car crash when I was ten, I had stared helplessly at a crowd just like this, listening to them whisper, That poor child. And now, they were muttering, That woman deserves to rot.

Just as Greg raised his hand to land another blow, the piercing wail of police sirens tore through the street.

"What is going on here!"

Two police officers, hands resting firmly on their holstered weapons, pushed their way through the crowd.