Janice, Ellie’s stepmother, takes care of her when both of her parents die years apart. Janice runs Ellie’s life and forces her to live in the shadow of her stepbrothers. But Ellie has to do something when she finds out Aunt Jody’s secret.
When I was three years old and lost my mother, my father became more important to me. He was the center of my world because I didn’t have any grandparents on either side.
Aunt Jody was still with us, but she had moved far away and immigrated a long time ago. She is my dad’s sister.
That’s why I only knew my dad.
But when I first started school, my dad brought home Janice and her two kids. They would become my stepmother and step-siblings.
Things were going well at first. January was very nice to me. Every night, she brushed my hair until it was smooth and shiny. She wanted me to be at her and her dad’s wedding.
She couldn’t call me Eleanor, so she would say, “Oh, Ellie.” “You have to be my flower girl!” Dear sweetheart, you must be my flower girl. Jackson and Avery will carry the rings.
Janice told me what was going on while she and my dad were getting ready for their wedding. And she let the boys and me try different flavors of the wedding cake. She also showed me her favorite color scheme and flowers.
As Avery wiped my dress clean of frosting, she said, “I like the peanut butter cake!”
“What’s your favorite thing?” She asked Jane.
I liked that she was paying attention when I said, “Chocolate.”
It made me feel better that Janice wasn’t as mean as I thought she would be, but I was still scared to introduce my dad to our new family. All I could feel in the end was the loss of my mother.
But soon after my sixteenth birthday party, my dad started to complain about chest pain.
One time, he said, “Oh, Ellie!” as we were shopping at the store and getting everything on Janice’s list.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I watched him clench his chest.
When we got home, he told me, “I’ll be fine, El.” “These days I’ve been doing too much.”
A few weeks later, my dad passed away at home. He had a heart problem that hadn’t shown up until that day at the grocery store. However, my dad refused to go to the doctor.
Everything about Janice changed at that point. She became the mean stepmother I had been worried about for years.
“No, Eleanor,” she told her as she made food for Jackson and Avery one morning. “I have decided that Jackson needs your room.” It’s a lot bigger, and he needs space for his workout stuff. The big amount of money your dad left me will be used to pay for the boys’ room and board.
I wasn’t able to say anything. No matter how hard I tried to protect my own interests, Janice would never let me hear the end of it. She told me over and over that I should be grateful that she let me stay in the house. Some days were calm and peaceful, and other days were loud and tense.
For two years, I gave Janice my life. After she totally changed the house to suit her tastes, she didn’t remember much about my dad’s life.
May I ask where the clock in the living room is? I asked her in the morning.
I loved that clock so much. My dad told me it had been in the family for a long time, which scared me when I was younger.
He went on, “When it rings, you must remember your family.”
But one day it just disappeared.
While drinking a milkshake, Janice said, “I sold it.” It didn’t fit with the rest of the scheme. Now go ahead. Isn’t the last day of school today?
When I got to school, I felt like a part of me had been taken away. It wasn’t something I expected to feel that way about a clock, but it was how I felt when my parents died.
“I’m thinking of you” is what I texted Aunt Jody. January has taken over everything. I will soon have to look for work.
I didn’t think she would answer because of the time change.
But Aunt Jody called me just before the bell rang to mark the end of the day.
“Are you by yourself?” she asked. before they said hello.
“Yeah, I’m still in school,” I answered.
“I read your message. “You need to leave before they find out you’re telling the truth,” she said.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
They haven’t shown it to you. Elle, your dad left you everything. It makes me feel sick. You have the right to get the property for yourself. This is something Janice has been trying to hide from you to get the upper hand.
This surprise hit me like a freight train. I didn’t know it and felt cheated, but all these years I lived with Janice and her boys and was legally entitled to my dad’s money.
“How did she do that?” I managed to speak, though it was barely audible above a whisper.
Aunt Jody told her, “Don’t worry.” “Let me talk to our lawyer now.” I’ll start the party and make sure that only you can get into the house.
I gave her a nod even though I knew she couldn’t see me.
“Leave the house tonight,” she told him. “My lawyer will start working right away, and Janice will be told soon.””I need to be sure you got out of the house safely.” I’ll get you a ticket to see me as soon as I can.
As I said I would, I would be. I was eager to get home quickly, gather my things, and go to my friend Mariah’s place instead.
Before I left the house where I grew up, I went into the kitchen and wrote a note to my stepmother and stepbrothers. Since something bad was about to happen, it wasn’t a mean note; it was a statement of power.
I am entitled to the inheritance you kept from me and used against me to gain power over me. This is my goodbye. Whether you agree or not, I’m going to take what is mine.
Putting the note on the kitchen table was a way to remember my exit and take the first step toward living the life my dad always wanted for me.
Janice might leave my house soon if Aunt Jody gets what she wants. I don’t know what will happen to her. For now, I’m going to stay with Mariah while I think about what I can do.
