I almost laughed in his face.
I grabbed the agreement and blocked his path. "Trivial matters You mean fucking my sister so well she couldn't get out of bed counts as trivial matters?"
I slapped the folder against his chest.
"Take your dirty money and get out."
The words were barely out of my mouth when Sophia burst in. Her voice cut the air like broken glass.
"I never meant for any of this to happen. Do you have to say it like that?"
I looked at her without expression. "There's no room in this house for an ungrateful slut."
The tears were already falling. Reflex, at this point.
She lunged forward and grabbed my arm. Her nails bit into my skin.
"Charlotte, please. I was wrong, I was wrong, please don't throw me out—"
The old me would have forgiven her. No matter what she'd done.
Not this time. I shook her off in disgust.
"Don't touch me. You're disgusting."
Connor's voice sharpened. "Charlotte. Enough."
Then I noticed something on Sophia's collar.
A fountain pen, clipped there.
My father's fountain pen.
He'd used that pen for over twenty years. The lacquer was worn down in places. He'd refused to replace it.
After he died, I'd wanted to keep it.
But I couldn't find it.
I'd thought I'd lost it during the move. I'd blamed myself for months.
Sophia had even helped me tear the whole house apart looking for it. She'd told me, "Let it go, Charlotte. Uncle wouldn't want you this upset over a pen."
She'd had it the whole time.
"Who said you could take that." My voice cracked. I pointed at the pen.
The tears were still on her face. But her hand had let go of my sleeve.
Her lips started to shake.
"I just wanted something to remember Dad by..." Her voice wavered.
Dad.
She'd lived in our house for fifteen years. Fifteen years, she'd called him "Mr. Ashford." Not once anything else.
People had whispered about it. They'd assumed my father must have been hard on her.
Now he was gone.
And here she was. Calling him Dad.
Connor stepped between us, blocking me from her.
"She grew up without a father." His voice softened again. "Charlotte. Can you ease up a little?"
I didn't have the energy to fight him. I just reached out. I just wanted the pen back.
Sophia flinched back.
But Connor was faster. He caught my wrist.
"I told you to stop."
Something inside me broke.
I screamed at him. "She wasn't even at the hospital the night he had the heart attack! She never called him Dad while he was alive. Where the hell does she get off taking what he left for me?"
The color drained from Sophia's face.
Connor threw my wrist away.
"She was with me that night. The entire night."
"Connor." Sophia's voice cracked.
She tried to clap a hand over his mouth.
She was too slow.
