Greedy Relatives
Chapter 1
My cousin Sarah’s parents faked being in comas.
All to pawn her off on us.
Free rent, free food, and a never-ending stream of cash.
She needed “art school money,” or so they said.
Mom and Dad shelled out a grand a month for her fancy singing lessons.
Sarah was lazy.
She blew off practice, spent the cash on clothes, and bitched about everything.
Ended up at some for-profit college that cost a fortune.
Hundred grand a year, easy.
After graduation, she refused to work.
Too tired, she said.
Lived in our basement, expecting Mom to do her laundry.
Even her damn bras.
Then I got engaged.
To a good guy, but not rich.
Mom and Dad wanted to sign the house over to me.
Wedding gift.
Plus, they were giving me their savings to start our life.
Sarah lost it.
One day, I was cleaning windows.
She pushed me.
Right off the damn ladder.
Dead on impact.
I hung around after.
My spirit, or whatever.
Saw Mom and Dad.
Heartbroken.
Their health went to hell.
Meanwhile, Sarah sweet-talked them.
Said she’d take care of them.
Then she shipped them off to a nursing home.
Sold the house, cashed them out.
Brought her real parents home.
They were miraculously “cured.”
Next thing I knew, I woke up.
Back in time.
Sarah was hitting up Mom and Dad for “medical expenses” again.
1
“Aunt Carol, Uncle Mike, Mom and Dad need like, twenty grand for therapy.”
Sarah’s playing the victim.
I knew this scam.
This was the first grab.
Last time, Mom was reaching for her phone.
Ready to drain Dad’s business account.
Money he needed for his startup.
He lost everything, because they took the money.
Our lives got harder.
I snatched the phone.
“Sarah, Grandma left Uncle Dave a settlement.”
“Use that for a start.”
My grandmother was a piece of work.
She sent Mom out to work, so Dave could study.
She’d only call on Mom, when she needed something.
When she needed money.
Dave, on the other hand, couldn’t hold down a job.
The settlement, though, was significant.
Uncle Dave and his family blew it.
Didn’t even try to care for her.
Mom and Dad stepped in.
Paid for everything.
Grandma finally passed, and Dad finally had success.
But then my aunt and uncle saw our success.
And they all came crawling back.
“I don’t know the account password,” Sarah said, all innocent.
“I do.” Mom said “It was the same as his birthday.”
Sarah looked trapped. “Okay…”
“But Aunt Carol, Uncle Mike, Mom and Dad are basically vegetables.”
“Can I live with you guys?” she choked out.
“I’m alone. It’s my senior year…”
“I’ll have to drop out and work.”
She was laying it on thick.
Mom and Dad bought it.
Hook, line, and sinker.
They said yes.
Brought her into our home.
We had just gotten a new house.
I saw her eyes dart around.
Calculating.
She was already planning her takeover.
Fine.
Bring it on, Sarah.
I’m ready for you this time.
This time, instead of dropping out, I continued studying the violin.
Every morning, I practiced.
Dad and Mom got up early, too.
Everyone except Sarah.
She banged on my door, half-asleep.
“Chloe, are you crazy? It’s like freakin’ nails on a chalkboard!”
I could play beautifully.
I chose not to.
Deliberately playing off-key.
The noise got Mom and Dad up.
They wanted to know what was going on.
Sarah switched gears, all wounded.
“Aunt Carol, Chloe’s violin is so loud. I can’t sleep.”
Mom glared at me. “Chloe, what’s wrong with you?”
I glanced at Sarah.
“Mom, is now that early to play? I thought Sarah would be at school.”
That’s when Mom realized it was already 8 AM.
School had started.
She had been getting phone calls from Sarah’s teacher.
The teacher said Sarah’s grade were going down, and if she kept it up, she wouldn’t graduate high school.
Mom’s face hardened.
“Sarah, you’re a senior.”
“You can’t slack off anymore.”
Sarah was good at manipulating Mom.
That’s how she got her way.
But this time, I’d expose her.
“Your Aunt and Uncle will help you get by until you’re an adult,” Mom said, stern.
“If you don’t get into a good college, how will you support yourself?”
Sarah got the message.
She couldn’t lash out.
She hasn’t swindled her way into the will, yet.
“Sorry, Aunt Carol. I overslept. I’ll go to school.”
She rushed off to get ready, looking like a kicked puppy.
And then, she glared at me.
Hate burned in her eyes.
I pretended not to notice.
I went back to playing the violin.
This time, the music was beautiful.
2
Sarah’s grades came back.
Awful.
Barely passing.
Mom wrung her hands. “Should we get her a tutor?”
A tutor would be helpful.
But Sarah was failing every subject.
Would we need to hire six tutors?
I was about to speak, when Sarah cut me off.
“Aunt Carol, I’m not good at school.”
“Can I take art classes like Chloe?”
“I’m way more talented. I’ll get into a top school!”
I rolled my eyes.
She couldn’t draw a straight line or sing on key.
Top school, my butt.
Mom hesitated. “Are you sure you love art? It’s your future.”
Sarah huffed.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t think I’m good enough?”
“You think I am using you for money?”
“I treat you like my own mother, yet you’re being stingy.”
“Maybe you should have left me on the street.”
She was playing the orphan card.
Mom looked guilty.
I wasn’t buying it.
“Sure, you want to study with me?” I asked.
“I’ll teach you.”
She thought art school was easy.
I’d show her the reality.
Every morning, I dragged her out of bed at five AM.
Made her memorize music theory.
One entire page of facts a day.
Every answer had to be perfect.
At first, she was eager.
Then, she started faking being sick.
“Chloe, my stomach hurts. Can I skip today?”
She looked pathetic.
I shook my head.
“No.”
She was about to explode, but then her stomach seemed to hurt more.
“This is harder than school…”
“Your tests are next week. Skip today, and you’ll wake up at three AM to study. Your choice.”
She went back to studying.
A few days later, she quit.
She told Mom she wanted to focus on school.
She didn’t want to do art, anymore.
I didn’t care.
I left her alone.
She coasted through school.
She barely graduated.
She cried to my parents.
“I don’t want to go to college!”
“Can I study abroad? They say it helps you find a good job!”
“I’ll only need thirty grand a year!”
Our business was tight, and she was asking for more.
“It will be hard for us to pay for your studies. Maybe you could go to school next year?”
“You’re too cheap to help me! Make excuses!”
Sarah turned to me. “You paid for Chloe to study!”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Sarah, I don’t need my parents to pay anymore.”
I pulled up the bill, and showed her my awards.
“I am paying through my violin competition prizes.”
Her mouth opened in shock.
She glared at me.
I raised my eyebrows.
I am more talented, anyway.
3
She went to the community college.
I had my graduation.
Mom and Dad came to the school early.
My boyfriend, Dave, got the day off.
He greeted my parents with a big smile.
Dave was a charming guy.
If I hadn’t seen what he did after my death, I would have believed him.
He always told Sarah he was with me because of my family.
He wanted to stick with us, in the hopes of marrying into money.
And Sarah got him to do it.
He even changed the house title and gave it to himself.
“Uncle, Aunt, I have been working so hard, I never have any time to come visit.”
“You’re young. We don’t care.”
“It’s my honor. You’re my parents too. After I marry Sarah, I want to visit you more.”
He turned to me, wanting me to praise him.
“Ah, did you say that?”
I pretended to think.
“I can’t remember you saying that.”
Dave’s face changed.
“You are lying.” He tried to laugh it off.
“She is joking.” He made a face at me.
Mom and Dad realized the energy was bad. “Stop. Graduation is starting. We should sit.”
As Dave walked by me, he glared.
As soon as they took their seats, he started to text me.
“What was that about? Why did you do that?”
“You made me look bad in front of them.”
I smiled. He knows he’s bad.
“Sorry, babe. I was thinking about my sister. My brain isn’t working well.”
“Sister?” Dave got nervous.
He only pursued me, because I was an only child.
If I have a sister, he won’t get our parents’ inheritance.
