Chapter 13 - Madison Finally Told the Truth
Madison asked to meet me at a coffee shop.
She arrived carrying the pink suitcase.
I stared at it.
“You took that from storage?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She sat across from me.
“I found an apartment.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“With two roommates.”
“Can you afford it?”
“If I work twenty hours a week.”
I almost smiled.
For years, Mother had told us Madison was too overwhelmed to work during school.
Apparently Madison had discovered employment in less than a week.
“I’m sorry.”
She said.
“For what part?”
“All of it.”
I didn’t rescue her from the discomfort.
She needed to name it.
“I knew you hadn’t really agreed.”
She whispered.
My chest tightened.
“How?”
“Because Mom always said not to bring it up directly.”
There it was.
The truth.
“What exactly did she say?”
“That you panic when people ask you for big things.”
“So we should let you adjust after we moved in.”
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
Madison began crying.
“I told myself you would be mad for a week.”
“Then you’d forgive us.”
“Because I always do.”
She nodded.
That hurt more than anger would have.
My family had not believed I agreed.
They believed my disagreement didn’t matter because it would expire.
Madison reached into her bag.
“There’s something else.”
She handed me a small notebook.
Mother’s handwriting filled the pages.
Dates.
Amounts.
Notes.
AUDREY PAID BRIANNA INSURANCE - 1,600.
AUDREY COVERED CHLOE RENT - 2,400.
AUDREY LAPTOP FOR MADISON - 1,900.
AUDREY CHRISTMAS TRIP - 4,700.
Page after page.
Mother had tracked everything I paid.
At first I thought it proved she knew how much I had contributed.
Then I noticed a heading.
FAMILY EQUITY.
Beneath every amount I had paid was a notation.
Audrey contribution toward shared family assets.
I looked at Madison.
“What is this?”
“She said everything you paid proved you believed in family pooling.”
“No.”
“I know.”
“She planned to use it if you fought the move.”
My stomach turned.
Mother had rewritten years of gifts as evidence for a philosophy I never agreed to.
Then Madison turned to the last page.
My house purchase price was written at the top.
Below it:
Audrey ownership on paper.
Family equity to be negotiated later.
I closed the notebook.
For the first time, Madison looked genuinely afraid.
“She wasn’t planning to leave this alone.”
She said.
“I know.”
“No.”
Madison whispered.
May you like
“You don’t.”
“She met with someone about suing you.”
