Chapter 1 - The Dinner She Thought She Owned
I stood beside my mother in the kitchen while laughter drifted in from the dining room.
Melissa had just slapped her.
My mother was still touching the side of her face.
Derek was pouring himself another drink as if nothing unusual had happened.
That frightened me almost as much as the slap itself.
People do not become that comfortable around cruelty unless they have seen it before.
I wanted to confront them immediately.
I wanted to tell every guest exactly whose house they were sitting in.
But one look at my mother's terrified expression stopped me.
“Please, Rachel,” she whispered.
“Not tonight.”
I lowered my voice.
“How long has she been treating you like this?”
Mom looked toward the doorway.
“Keep your voice down.”
That answer told me everything.
Before I could ask another question, Melissa appeared.
She had changed into an expensive cream-colored dress and carried herself like the hostess of some private estate.
“What are you two whispering about?”
“Nothing,” Mom answered immediately.
Melissa gave her a suspicious look.
Then she turned to me.
“Rachel, since you're here, you can help serve dinner.”
I almost laughed.
Instead, I smiled.
“Of course.”
Melissa clearly mistook my calmness for obedience.
“Good.”
She handed me a tray of champagne.
“Try not to embarrass us.”
Us.
I watched her walk away.
Then I leaned toward Mom.
“Where is your phone?”
Her eyes dropped.
“I don't really use one anymore.”
“You had one when I left.”
“It broke.”
I knew another lie when I heard one.
The guests began taking their seats.
There were nearly twenty of them.
Several were Melissa's friends.
Two couples lived in the neighborhood.
Her mother, Patricia, occupied the chair at the head of the table.
That had been Dad's chair.
I remembered Mom crying the day we moved into this house because I had placed his old photograph on the mantel across from it.
The photograph was gone now.
A large framed picture of Melissa and Derek had replaced it.
I carried the champagne into the dining room.
A woman named Vanessa smiled at Melissa.
“This place is even more beautiful than the pictures.”
Melissa beamed.
“We've done a lot with it.”
Another guest glanced around.
“You're lucky to own a house like this at your age.”
Melissa didn't hesitate.
“It took sacrifice.”
I stopped walking.
Derek stared at his plate.
Melissa continued.
“Derek and I worked extremely hard for everything we have.”
Patricia lifted her glass.
“To my daughter and son-in-law.”
Everyone raised their glasses.
My mother stood silently beside the kitchen door holding a pitcher of water.
Nobody toasted her.
Nobody even offered her a chair.
Then Vanessa pointed toward Mom.
“I didn't realize you had live-in help.”
Melissa laughed.
“Oh, that's not really help.”
She looked directly at my mother.
“She's family, technically.”
A few people chuckled.
My mother's face turned red.
Melissa leaned closer to Vanessa.
“But honestly, she behaves more like the maid.”
That was the second time that evening I felt something inside me go completely cold.
I placed the champagne tray on the table.
Then I pulled out the empty chair beside me.
“Mom.”
Everyone looked over.
“Sit down.”
Melissa's smile disappeared.
“She needs to finish serving.”
“No.”
The room became quiet.
I looked at my mother.
“Sit.”
Mom hesitated.
Then, slowly, she took the chair.
Melissa stared at me.
“You've been gone a long time, Rachel.”
“Yes.”
“You don't understand how things work in this house anymore.”
I smiled.
“I think I'm beginning to.”
Derek finally looked up.
“Can we just eat?”
Melissa gave me one final glare.
Then she raised her glass.
“Well, before dinner, I actually have an announcement.”
Patricia clapped excitedly.
Melissa smiled at everyone.
“We've decided to renovate the house.”
My mother went completely still.
Melissa continued.
“We're converting the downstairs rooms and expanding the primary suite.”
I watched my mother's fingers tighten around her napkin.
“And after that,” Melissa said proudly, “we're refinancing.”
That got my attention.
I set down my glass.
“Refinancing what?”
Melissa looked at me like I was stupid.
“The house.”
My mother stopped breathing.
And Derek suddenly looked very interested in his wine.
May you like
That was when I realized Melissa's lie might be much bigger than pretending she owned my home.
She might actually believe she had found a way to take it.
