I Thought Love Had to Be Earned Through Chores, They Hugged Me novel · Chapter 16 of 24
Chapter 16: Things That Are Yours
Mom's hand stayed on Odette's wrist.
It was shaking now.
"What did you call her?"
"The maid." Odette pulled her wrist free, easily, like taking off a bracelet. "That's what she is. Look at her. She brought her own lunch."
"She's your sister."
"She's not my anything." Odette's voice went up, clear and bright, so the whole street could hear. "And you're not my mother. My mother's at a motel on 41, behind the pancake place. The farmer told you."
The walking ladies didn't even pretend to stretch anymore.
One of the officers came up the walk.
"Miss, we're going to need to talk to you."
"Am I under arrest?"
He hesitated. "Not at this time."
"Then talk to my lawyer." She smiled at him. "Mom's paying for him. Aren't you, Mom?"
Mom took off her sunglasses.
Her eyes were swollen almost shut.
"Odette. Please. Just tell me why."
And Odette told her.
She didn't cry while she did it. That was the strangest part.
"Why?" She laughed. "Because you made it so easy. You opened the door. You wanted a sad little girl to hold, and I was a sad little girl, and my mother drove me to the foundation in a borrowed dress."
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of I Thought Love Had to Be Earned Through Chores, They Hugged Me are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
← Chapter 15 · All chapters · Chapter 17 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend