Back when Anthony had no money, she went out of her way to flatter me—just so my family would give him the funds to start his business.
Later, when Anthony’s company went public and his business grew, my own family was framed and our company went bankrupt. My only brother fell from a cliff, his body was never found. I lost my worth to them overnight.
From then on, she decided my education was too high, my looks too eye-catching—women like me were hard to control, restless by nature. She could never stomach me.
Vanessa covered her mouth and laughed happily, then led Cooper over to me. She pulled a few crumpled bills from her bag.
“Ms. Brooks, although you falsely accused me, it was still our Cooper Jimenez being naughty. This money is my token of goodwill to you and Cherry. You must accept it.”
She deliberately stressed the word Jimenez.
I lowered my gaze. Not too much, not too little—666 dollars.
Go to hell.
“Ms. Brooks,” she went on with a faux-innocent smile, “don’t blame me for being blunt, but I do know a little about face-reading. Your daughter—well, she looked short-lived from the start. Even without our Cooper, she would have died sooner or later.”