"Forget it, let it go. The child's grown up—don't say such ugly things. Savannah's a good kid; we all know that."
But my mother wouldn't stop. She never did. Not until she'd verbally ripped me to shreds.
"Today is your sister's big day! Everyone's happy—who are you putting on this show for? Or did we offend Your Highness somehow?"
Her tone was lofty, overbearing. Same as always.
I waited for a gap in her tirade. When I spoke, my voice trembled despite my efforts.
"When Lily went abroad, you paid for it. Sold everything to support her. Why did you lie to me? Why did you say you didn't spend a dime?"
Dead silence.
When my mother's voice returned, it was cold as ice.
"So that's what this is about. You were waiting to throw this in my face." She scoffed. "Yes, we paid for your sister's schooling. So what? It's our money. We give it to whoever we want. Since when do you get a vote?"
Rage surged through me. My hand shook.
"For her schooling, you sold the house and the land without hesitation," I choked out. "But when I begged to borrow fifteen hundred dollars—when I offered to write you an IOU—you refused. Said it was impossible."