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Novel Catalog
Chapter 63
Serenity responded to Liberty, confirming that she and Zachary would be there for dinner later. After hanging up, Zachary asked, “Do you get along with your extended family?”
Serenity was blunt. “No.” She went on to explain her family’s past, starting with the tragic loss of her parents when she was ten. “My parents died in a car crash, and no one from either side of the family wanted to take us in. But they all wanted a share of the insurance money. My uncles had no right to the payout, so they pressured my grandparents to get more out of us. My dad was the youngest son, so he was overlooked in the family, and my grandparents favored my uncles.”
She continued, “They said we didn’t have to support them if they got a larger share of the insurance. They took six hundred thousand dollars and signed away their responsibility for us. My grandparents moved into the house my parents had built, claiming it as theirs now that my parents were gone. They told us we didn’t need the house, that we could just find a man to depend on when we grew up. We were kids, with no one to defend us, and they took the house. We used to visit during school holidays, but it always felt like we were intruding, like we were stealing from them.”
Serenity’s voice grew quieter. “Liberty says the house is legally ours. Our parents’ names are on the deed. When our grandparents pass, we’ll go to court to reclaim the property. We won’t let our uncles take it.”
Zachary, listening intently, said, “Let me know if you need help when you go to court. I know plenty of lawyers. My company has a strong legal team.”
Serenity appreciated his offer. “Thanks. I’ll ask if we need help.” She sighed, thinking the legal battle was still years away, but perhaps by then, she and Zachary wouldn’t be together anymore.
Zachary asked, “Did your mom’s side of the family stick up for you?”
Serenity’s expression turned bitter. “My mom had a hard life. She was adopted after being through the system. Since she wasn’t my grandparents’ biological child, they didn’t love her like their own. After she passed, they felt like they gained nothing from raising her.”
She continued, “They took four hundred thousand dollars from the insurance money, leaving Liberty and me with just two hundred thousand. No one looked out for us. They were all just interested in what they could get. If it weren’t for the village officials, Liberty and I would have been left with nothing.”
Her voice broke, and she looked out the window, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It’s been fifteen years, but it still hurts. Time hasn’t healed the wound. Blood should be thicker than water. Mom’s side never cared, but Dad’s family, the Hunts… they’ve been just as bad.”
Zachary stayed quiet, giving her space to process. After a moment, Serenity spoke again, her voice soft but resolute. “Now my Grandmom is sick. Early-stage liver cancer. She wants to be treated in a hospital in the city. And my cousin had the nerve to call me, asking me to organize it and pay the medical bills. Cancer treatment is expensive, and even if I had the money, I’m not going to waste it on her. After everything they’ve done to Liberty and me, the best I can do is give her a thousand bucks for food. They won’t get more from me.”
Zachary spoke calmly, “You don’t owe them anything. You don’t have to give them a penny if you don’t want to. They won’t appreciate it. If you give them money, they’ll just call you cheap and ungrateful. You’ll never feel comfortable giving them more anyway. It’s pointless. You can’t win with people like that. They’ve already wronged you enough.”
