Chapter 5

Garrett's tired eyes blazed.

"If you hadn't spoken out to the press that day, would any of this be happening? Would Sterling be trending for the wrong reasons?"

"You do what Caleb just told you. Now."

I glanced at my watch.

I was going to miss the flight.

My patience went thin.

"That day, you brought the press to me without my permission. I told the truth. That's all."

"Also. Figure out what 'severing the bond' means. We have nothing to do with each other. Whatever happens at Sterling, it's not my problem."

"If you harass me again, I'm going to the enforcers. You have enough problems. Don't add another trending story."

I grabbed my suitcase and moved fast.

Marianne reached for my arm like she was going to say something.

Then her lips parted, and she doubled over with a hand to her chest. Her face went tight with pain.

My eyes twitched.

Garrett and Caleb were right there. She'd be fine.

I peeled her hand off and walked.

Behind me, Garrett was calling me an ingrate.

I didn't turn.

I really was going to miss the flight.

After landing, I took a bus, then a cab, to get to the Hayes Shelter.

Martha was already waiting at the gate.

When she saw all my bags, she rushed over to help.

"Why did you bring so much? It's such a long trip."

"It's fine."

She didn't say anything.

She helped me carry my things to my room. Then she looked me over.

She pinched my wrist.

"You got thinner."

Two plain words.

But something cut open inside me. Everything I'd been holding in came pouring forward, pressed hot behind my eyes.

I threw myself into Martha's arms.

She startled.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

I was already sobbing too hard to speak.

Martha patted my back, steady and slow.

When my breathing evened out, she asked me. "You weren't happy there?"

I'd always told her only the good things.

Every time, I'd said I was doing great with my blood family.

This time, I wanted to tell the truth.

"No. Not happy."

"They were… they weren't good to me."

They were blood to me.

And I had never felt any favor from them. Only favoritism — toward someone else.

The shelter had hundreds of pups.

Martha had no blood tie to any of them, and she gave each one the same care and love.

So lately I'd been thinking. Maybe it was better not to have blood parents at all.

Better than watching them not love me.

Martha let go. She wiped the tears off my face.

She listened quietly as I told her everything.

She had always been open-minded.

She didn't try to talk me into going back. Not even once.

She just cupped the back of my head like she used to when I was small.

"It's okay. You still have me."

I finally smiled.

I stayed at the shelter for two weeks.

Every day I played with the pups. I helped them with their lessons. Martha cooked me good food every meal.

When I was about to leave, she pinched my wrist again.

This time she smiled.

"Finally put some weight back on."

I smiled too.

Then something clicked. I stopped smiling, reached into my bag, and pressed a bank card into her hand.

"There's a million in it. Start with this."

I'd wanted to give her more. I was worried she'd be suspicious. So I was doing it in pieces.

Her eyes went wide anyway.

"These past two weeks you already replaced the air conditioners, replaced the desks and chairs, bought all the pups new clothes. You've spent so much. Where is this money coming from?"

She searched my face. She looked worried.

"Child. You haven't been tricked into something bad, have you?"

For a second I was a little dazed.

I remembered my birthday. Garrett and Marianne had seen me in new shoes and decided I'd sold my body. They'd called me a disgrace.

Martha was only worried someone had tricked me.

I pushed the sting in my eyes back down. I lifted the corners of my mouth.

"No. It's lottery money. The Ranking Trial was brutal, I played lottery tickets to cope. Some of them hit."

Luckily, when the System left, it had converted the hundred million into lottery tickets I'd bought over the last three years. Otherwise I'd never have been able to explain the money.

Martha frowned and tried to push the card back.

"Even if that's true, you can't give me all of it. You're going to the Capital Territory. You'll need it."

I pushed it back.

"I'll be fine. I have my own. Keep it. I'll be wiring more every month."

A cab pulled up.

"Mom. I'm going. Take care. Call me if anything comes up."

Her voice went thick.

"I know, I know. You too. Go on, don't miss it."

I got in.

Behind me, Martha grew smaller. She doubled in my vision. Then tripled.

Maybe the cab was bumpy.

Maybe it was tears.