Page 101 of The Cost of Love

Her eyes widen as she looks me up and down, taking in my suit, my watch, and the clear distinction of my demeanor. She is weighing her options, and that is enough to tell me she doesn’t actually love them.

If it were Chanice, or even any mother in this city struggling to get through each month, they would have thrown my drink in my face and walked away. But she is doing the math, and that just adds up to the fact that she doesn’t deserve them. There is no price you can put on those kids that would make their sister give them up. But for her, there is, and when she names it, I fight back the urge to throw up.

“What if I said fifty thousand?” She licks her lips and her eyes dart around the room as she leans in and whispers.

“Then I would say you can have it by 12 p.m. tomorrow when you sign away your rights.”

Her eyes go big, and she can’t help her smile. “Well, I didn’t agree to that amount. I was just throwing a number out there.”

“Well, let me throw a number out there. I’ll double it, and that’s the most I’ll do. If you try to increase it again, the offer is off the table. If you blow through it in a month and try to come back, the choice won’t be this one. This will not turn into a blackmail attempt. This is it, and if you ever try to turn it into anything else, I will not be as kind.”

Her nostrils flare, but quickly she goes back to breathing normally. “You’re really going to give me one hundred thousand pounds? Just so I give my kids to her?”

“Yes.” I take a sip of my drink, trying to wash down the guilt that she will be walking away from this day with anything. But it’s better that it’s money than them.

Her eyes scour my face before she blows out a breath of air. “You really want to know why I want them?”

Despite the fact that it doesn’t matter, I do. She leans back in her seat, getting comfortable.

“Because no one loves you like your kids. I deserve that after everything I’ve been through.”

I don’t know why I’m surprised that the reason is selfish. What else would it be? Still, it gives me a little insight into my own parents. I know they needed me to carry on the name, and that’s the whole reason I’m here, but maybe my mother wanted to stay in my life after I took over the company because she also needed that unwavering love I always offered her. Whatever life did to make her the way she is, part of her still needed to be needed.

The thing is, both of these women could have had it all if they had just given some of it back.

“You can pick up the cash here after we have confirmation that you relinquished your rights,” I say, handing her another card. She quickly takes it, then taps it against the palm of her hand. When it’s clear that our business is done, she still doesn’t stand.

“You know she’s not worth it.”

All the calmness I was able to gain quickly evaporates from my body due to the heat of my anger.

“She’s worth more than you deserve. She is every good thing in this world wrapped up in a beautiful package. She is the epitome of love, and it still wasn’t enough for you. I don’t know what dark hole exists inside of you, or what your own parents did to put it there, but despite her constantly trying to fill you up, you still weren’t able to take everything from her.

“You don’t see her value, but I do, and I plan to spend the rest of my life showing it to her until she knows she is priceless.”

Her lips peel back as she crushes the paper in her hands. This time, she’s not able to tame the monster inside of her, and it truly shows how green she is.

Even though all Chanice has ever done is love her mom, this woman hates her, and she will spend the rest of her life hating her while knowing I will be countering it with all my love. But that’s not my problem, and it’s no longer Chanice’s.

I stand up and take my leave without looking back. When I get a call the next day saying she picked up the money, I hope that her kids will never look back, too.

Chapter 39

Chanice

Icouldn’t sleep through the night. It was hours past midnight before they succumbed to slumber themselves. Yet they were up almost at the crack of dawn, just so we could have more time together. We held on to each other in silence until our stomachs started to interrupt the quiet. It was only then that we began to move.

Our mother still hasn’t returned my calls, and panic claws up my neck at every baited minute we wait for the knock at the door. Losing optimism, they began to pack at least an overnight bag. The rest will be waiting for them to return as soon as they explain the plan to her, or I will have to sort and send it. The latter option won’t really happen, no matter what the social worker says to me. Somehow, I’ll get the kids back under the table, since it didn’t work legally.

“They will have to drag me out of here,” Jamal says, sitting on his bag.

“Me too,” Gabby chimes in.

I kiss their foreheads and sink in between them. “I have a feeling it won’t come down to that,” I say.

“Oh yeah? Based on what? Our stellar luck thus far.” Imani crosses her arms and leans against the wall.

Before I can respond, there is a knock on the door, proving me wrong. We all stare at it like the person will just go away. When it happens again, I finally stand.