At my sister’s wedding, my parents demanded my penthouse keys in front of two hundred guests. I refused… Mom slapped me so hard my earring flew off. I picked it up, walked out, and made one phone call. Within an hour, a man arrived at the reception. The second Mom saw him, she started screaming…
My mother slapped me before two hundred wedding guests because I would not hand over the keys to my own home. The diamond earring flew from my ear before the sting fully reached my face.
Only moments earlier, the ballroom had fallen silent when my father raised his champagne glass and announced that my penthouse would be his wedding present to my younger sister, Chloe.
“Family takes care of family,” he said, smiling toward the cameras. “Elena, bring the keys.”
Beside Chloe’s cake sat a white satin box. Inside was a silver key ring with a fake crystal tag that read OUR NEW BEGINNING. Chloe stood there in lace and pearls, radiant with victory. Her new husband, Mason, had already told three tables they would move in after the honeymoon.
I stayed seated.
“That penthouse is not yours to give,” I said.
Dad’s smile hardened. “Do not embarrass us.”
“You announced the theft in front of two hundred witnesses. You embarrassed yourselves.”
A low murmur moved through the room. Chloe’s gaze sharpened.
“Stop being jealous,” she snapped. “You live alone. We are starting a family.”
Mom crossed the dance floor fast, her sequined gown flashing under the chandeliers. She bent close enough for me to smell the champagne on her breath.
“We paid for your education,” she hissed. “We made you. Hand over the keys.”
“No.”