Page 77 of To Go
Chapter 27
Stella
It’s official. This is the worst Christmas party I’ve ever been to. It seems the Finlay’s follow thechildren should be seen and not heardmentality, even when those children are adults. I’ve spoken a handful of sentences since arriving here, and each one only seems to make things worse and I have no idea how that can be.
I’m barely listening to James’ mom as she guides me through a series of hallways, telling me about a Monet that shehasto get her hands on.
Don’t rich people have better things to do with their money?
When we finally arrive at a room where the walls are adorned with an insane amount of artwork on them, Mrs. Finlay finally speaks directly to me, her friendly façade dropped.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” Mrs. Finlay doesn’t look at me as she speaks, staring at the collection of macabre art lining the walls. “Our family has dealt with people like you for a long time.” She moves to stand in front of a piece that has a terrifying depiction of some Greek mythologicalhorror. There’s blood, limbs, and some kind of monster featured in the middle.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, suddenly very confused.
“Your father.”
My breath halts, my heart twisting painfully.
“You think you can get money out of us.”
“I don’t—”
“I’m not quite that stupid, dear. Kurt was a longtime employee. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize your last name?”
“You did a background check on me?” My head is spinning. How else would she know my dad’s name? I know about the P.I., how they found out I was a part of their son’s life, but I have no idea how much she knows about me and my family.
“Oh, it’s a clever little thing,” she says to herself in venomous delight. “And now you show up here, with my son, right as he’s about to come into his inheritance.” I shake my head, barely believing what I’m hearing. “You’re here to get what you think you’re owed, payment for your father’s… accident.” She spins on her heel and prowls towards me. “And let me tell you, we don’t owe you a goddamn thing.” The unfaltering smile from lunch is gone, replaced by wrath and hatred.
I start to move out of the room, unable to take any more of this, but she pulls me towards her and tucks me under her arm, squeezing me too tightly.
“However, I have a proposition for you.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I snarl.
“You somehow have my son under your grimy little spell, so I’ll tell you what. We will pay off your outstanding debt.”
I gasp at that.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because you’re going to convince him to quit his insipid little band.”
“I would never—”
“And then you’re going to leave him. He is about to become a much more influential person, and he doesn’t need some child hanging onto him, lurking around waiting for a handout.” She glares down at me, like I’m nothing except the scum under her shoe.
“And if I don’t?”
“We can make things very… uncomfortable for you. We build, but we also own a lot of properties, ones that should be condemned and torn down. Much like this cute little apartment building on Windermere drive.”
I blanche.
“It has the loveliest blue exterior, don’t you think? I hear that some of the residents might have a drug problem though. It would be a shame for such a bright young thing as yourself to get caught up in such a thing. Especially when having a record can limit opportunities with jobs.” I scoff at her. “Or travel.” She pulls a key out of her pocket that looks exactly like the one for my building’s entrance.
“How do you have that, when did you…?” I’m struggling to understand how they happen to own my apartment building.
“We keep track of our… liabilities. Remember, you don’t matter in this equation. There are bigger players than yourself, and you are insignificant in comparison.”
