They knew I could blow open whatever they’d been hiding. Rebecca leaned against the passenger door, eyes searching my face.
«Sam, you can’t face them alone if they’re in this kind of frenzy.»
I looked out across the parking lot, half expecting to see my dad’s SUV tearing in already.
«I’m not going home,» I said firmly. «And if they think they can control me like before, they’re about to find out how wrong they are.»
Because for the first time in my life, I had leverage. And I was going to use it. I didn’t even make it out of the campus parking lot before I saw them.
A familiar black SUV came around the corner too fast, tires squealing slightly as it swung into the lane ahead of me. My stomach sank. Dad was driving, mom in the passenger seat, Danielle in the back, all three of them craning their necks to look for me.
«Damn it,» I muttered, ducking slightly in my seat.
I turned the key, engine roaring to life, and tried to reverse out of my space. But the SUV was already slowing down, blocking the aisle in a way that made it impossible for me to get around.
Rebecca, who had just gotten into the passenger seat, glanced at me.
«Sam, that’s them, isn’t it?»
I gripped the steering wheel hard.
«Yep, and they’re not here to congratulate me.»
Dad’s window rolled down, his voice booming across the lot.
«Samantha, pull over right now. We need to talk.»
The tone wasn’t concerned. It was urgent, commanding, the way he used to speak to me when I was 12 and had crossed a line. I kept my eyes straight ahead, pretending not to hear, but then mom’s voice came sharp and high-pitched.
«Don’t you dare walk away from us. This is serious.»
My pulse pounded in my temples.
I could feel Rebecca’s eyes on me.
«Sam, what’s your move here?» she asked quietly.
I exhaled slowly.
«My move is not letting them corner me in the car like I’m some scared kid.»
I opened my door and stepped out. My heels hit the pavement hard.
Every nerve in my body was buzzing as I walked toward their SUV. Dad killed the engine, climbed out, and stalked toward me. He didn’t even say hello.
«Where’s the envelope?»
Straight to it. No small talk. I tilted my head, forcing a small, cold smile.
«Funny. I don’t remember telling you there was an envelope.»
His jaw clenched.
«Don’t play games with me, Samantha. You have no idea what’s at stake here.»
«Oh, I think I do,» I said, my voice low but steady.
«In fact, I think I might know more than you’d like me to.»
Danielle had gotten out too, her perfect white dress from the bridal shower wrinkling as she crossed her arms.
«Sam, don’t be dramatic. Just give it to dad and let him handle it. You’ll screw it up like you always do.»
That stung, but I didn’t flinch.
«You mean, like I screwed up by actually finishing my master’s degree while the rest of you were busy making sure I was excluded from every family celebration?»
Mom stepped forward then, her voice dropping into that fake sweet tone she used when she wanted me to fold.
«Honey, this isn’t about the past. This is complicated. It’s about the family’s future.»
I let the words hang for a moment before saying,
«Whose future? Yours, Danielle’s, or mine? The one grandma apparently decided to leave everything to?»
The flicker in her eyes told me I’d hit the nerve. Dad took another step forward, lowering his voice in a way that somehow made it more threatening.
«You listen to me. That letter isn’t a gift. It’s a responsibility, and you don’t have the experience to deal with it. If you hand it over now, we can make sure it’s handled correctly.»
Rebecca stepped up beside me, folding her arms.
«Or she could call the lawyer herself since it’s addressed to her. Novel idea, huh?»
Danielle scoffed.
«Stay out of this. You’re not family.»
I could feel the tension tightening around us like a noose. Cars were slowing down in the lane to watch, students pretending not to stare. And in that moment, I decided I wasn’t going to cave.
Not here, not ever again.
«You’ve ignored me, lied to me, humiliated me in front of people for years,» I said, my voice firm. «So if you think I’m going to hand over the first thing that might actually be mine, you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to.»
Dad’s nostrils flared. Mom’s face went pale. Danielle’s lips parted in shock.
I stepped back toward my car, my heels clicking like punctuation.
«I’ll be in touch,» I said, and slammed my door shut.
Rebecca’s voice was low but tight with adrenaline.
«Sam, they’re not going to let this go.»
«I know,» I said, pulling out of the space and steering past the SUV.
And as I glanced in the mirror, I saw them standing there, three people who had never feared losing me before.
Suddenly realizing they might. Rebecca and I didn’t say much as I drove out of the parking lot, but the silence wasn’t comfortable. My grip on the steering wheel was tight, and every time I checked my rearview mirror, the same black SUV was there.
«They’re following us,» Rebecca said finally.
I didn’t even look over.
«I know.»
«Sam, they’re really following us.»
«I know,» I repeated, my jaw clenched. «They think if they keep me in sight long enough, I’ll get tired, pull over, and hand it over.»
Rebecca shifted in her seat, glancing behind us.
«They underestimate you.»
I gave a humorless laugh.
«They’ve been underestimating me my whole life.»
I turned down a side street, pretending to head toward the main road, but instead of taking the exit to the freeway, I cut sharply into a crowded grocery store parking lot and pulled up alongside a delivery van. I killed the engine, motioning for Rebecca to duck down in her seat.
The SUV rolled past slowly, my dad craning his neck to look for us. They didn’t see us. When they disappeared onto the main road, I exhaled.
«Okay, that buys us a few minutes.»
Rebecca sat up, brushing her hair back.
«Where now?»
«Straight to Michael Turner’s office,» I said without hesitation, «before they realize I’m not going home and try something else.»
But as I pulled back onto the road, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. If you go to him, you’ll regret it. D-Danielle, I handed the phone to Rebecca so I wouldn’t be tempted to respond.
«Read it.»
She did, her eyes narrowing.
«Wow, she’s not even pretending to be subtle.»
«She never had to be,» I said. «They’ve always assumed I’d just back down.»
We drove in tense silence for another 15 minutes until I pulled into a small brick building with a gold plaque out front.
Turner and Associates. Attorneys at law. I grabbed my bag, the envelope inside feeling heavier than ever.
As I stepped onto the sidewalk, my phone rang again. Mom. I let it go to voicemail, but the moment I reached the front door, a black sedan pulled up fast to the curb.
My father stepped out before the car even fully stopped.
«Sam, wait.» His voice carried across the quiet street.
I ignored him, pulling the door open. But before I could step inside, he was there, his hand on the doorframe, blocking my way.
«You don’t want to do this,» he said, his voice low but sharp.
I met his eyes.
«You don’t want me to do this.»
Mom appeared on the other side of the car, looking more flustered than I’d ever seen her.
«Please, sweetheart, let’s just talk. You don’t understand how complicated this is.»
«You’ve had years to talk,» I said, «and every single time you’ve chosen silence.»