Scott had always felt like a sanctuary to me.
That was why I had sacrificed so much—scrimping, saving, and suffering—just to keep him afloat. I truly believed I was building a future, cultivating a family of my own.
But the scene unfolding before me shattered that illusion.
"Just remember who really matters," Scott's mother lectured, her voice low. "Fanny has waited years for you. Once you grab that diploma, dump that city woman and come home to marry Fanny."
Scott hummed in agreement as the waiter approached. He ordered with abandon, pointing at the priciest dishes on the menu. When his parents advised frugality, he waved them off.
"Relax. I'm loaded."
Once the waiter retreated, Scott leaned in, his voice dripping with smugness I'd never heard before. "It's Christmas. Eleanor knows I send money home this time of year, so she wired me an extra thousand today."
His parents exchanged shocked glances. "How does she make that much?" his father asked, eyes narrowing. "Is she doing something dirty on the side? Looking at the photos you sent... she doesn't look like a decent girl."
Rage boiled in my gut. My hands trembled under the table.
I was the top student in my department, a recognized talent. Yet simply because I was attractive, they assumed I was selling my body?
"She's a top design student," Scott explained, though his tone lacked any real defense. "One sketch fetches a few thousand, easy."
A fair explanation—but his next words poured salt into the wound.
"Anyway, order whatever you want. Eleanor is usually too cheap to bring me to a place like this."
The restaurant was a popular spot near campus—mid-range for most, but a luxury I couldn't afford. Between maintaining my scholarship, freelance work, and sending money to my foster parents, every cent was accounted for. I starved myself to subsidize Scott.
And here he was, burning through my hard-earned cash to feed the very people plotting my downfall.
Bile rose in my throat.
I gripped my phone, staring at the notification from the notary office. The staggering inheritance was the only thing keeping me from flipping the table—a parting gift from my biological parents, divine intervention revealing Scott's true face before it was too late.
Just as I debated confronting him, his father spoke again, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"If that woman is so good at making money, squeeze her for more. Have you heard of those online loans? Use her information to take some out. Your brother needs tuition money, too."
Scott didn't object. Beside him, Fanny seized the moment, pressing against his arm.
"Scott," she whispered, sickeningly sweet. "Mom and Dad booked a hotel for us nearby. I... I'm ovulating right now."
Her shy admission clarified exactly what kind of people I was dealing with—archaic, feudal, morally bankrupt. And the fact that Scott didn't pull away meant he was exactly the same.
A twisted sense of gratitude washed over me. Thank god I was witnessing this today.
What will you do, Scott?
"We can talk about the breakup later," he said finally.
He hadn't rejected Fanny's obvious invitation. But his next sentence revealed a level of calculation that made my blood run cold.
"I've almost convinced Eleanor to sleep with me. Once I take her virginity, she'll be trapped. I'll string her along after graduation to keep the cash flowing. Even if you give birth to a son, Fanny, we'll need someone to pay for the formula. It's the most cost-effective way."
A chill settled deep in my bones.
I had never realized a human face could hide such rot.
