“That girl shouldn’t draw so much attention to herself. It’ll save her from trouble later. When you graduate, come straight to the company. I’ve already made all the arrangements for you.”
Scott replied almost immediately, “Thank you, Dad! Don’t worry, I’ll make the company even stronger. And Savannah? She’ll never know a thing.”
The lawyer adjusted his tie, all business. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go finalize the paperwork and have Mr. Harlow sign it.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I sank back against the wall, my legs barely holding me up. My head spun.
Our life had been one long struggle for as far back as I could remember. My parents were always talking about saving money, about how hard things were. I thought I was helping by being as frugal as possible.
I stopped taking the expensive medicine that actually helped me. I made do with a cane slapped together from scraps. I used old, beat-up textbooks other students had left behind.
Every single day at school was a gauntlet of sneers, whispers and mocking laughter. Nobody wanted to be friends with me.
Forget a boyfriend, I could barely get anyone to sit near me. Even the teachers treated me like I didn’t matter.