Chapter 223
“Ava!” Sophia’s sharp voice continued through the phone. ‘I’m not your mother, and I won’t indulge your behavior! You want money? Too bad- there is any for you!”
Ava’s behavior made my blood boil. The Harding family had given her family a substantial sum of money and even purchased a house for Fey and Barget. should have been enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
Yet somehow, in just six short years, Ava had blown through all that money. I couldn’t even imagine how she’d managed to spend it all so quickly.
What infuriated me most was that she hadn’t bothered to use any of that money for Harper’s medical care. The elderly woman’s eyesight could have been saved if she’d had surgery years ago. She would at least have been able to take care of herself, to see the world around her.
And what had Ava done instead? Not only had she neglected her grandmother’s health, but she’d spent every penny on partying, designer clothes, and buying favors from so–called friends. She’d been extravagantly generous with everyone except the one person who actually deserved her care and attention.
After Harper became ill, Ava didn’t step up to help her. Instead, she complained constantly, saying the old woman was just a blind burden who didn’t deserve to live anymore.
The private investigator I’d hired had sent me detailed reports of Ava’s wasteful lifestyle over the years–complete with photos and recorded conversations with her former classmates. The evidence was damning. How could anyone possibly feel sympathy for someone like that?
Even with money at my disposal, I refused to give a penny directly to Ava. I’d pay for Harper’s care, but that was it.
Having grown accustomed to spending money like water, Ava now found herself in a financial bind. All her friends had abandoned her the moment they realized she couldn’t fund their entertainment anymore. With nowhere else to turn, she’d come crawling back to me, expecting a handout.
When I firmly rejected her demands, the young woman exploded on the other end of the line.
“This is MY grandmother, who the hell are you to make decisions for me?” she screamed. “Why not save that surgery money and give it to me instead? Wouldn’t that be better?”
I held the phone slightly away from my ear as her voice grew louder.
“That old hag’s condition is hopeless! Even if she leaves the hospital, she’ll be nothing but a walking medicine cabinet. Why are you so determined to save her? Have you considered MY feelings at all? I’m still in school with no income–I can barely support myself! How am I supposed to pay for an old woman’s medications?”
Her next words were particularly venomous: “Sophia, cut the holier–than–thou act! Your fake kindness makes me sick!”
Through the investigator’s reports, I’d learned how Ava’s life had unraveled recently. Once her money dried up, her friends vanished one by one. People who had once claimed to adore her suddenly became strangers, avoiding her completely at the first mention of borrowing money. Without friends or the trappings of luxury, she’d turned to her grandmother as a potential source of cash. But Harper was blind and ill, with no money of her own.
If Harper hadn’t insisted on coming to Manhattan for treatment, Ava had planned to wait until the old woman died and then beg for money at the fun reception. The thought made me physically ill.
“If you’re so determined to play the saint,” Ava continued, her voice taking on a manipulative edge, “then give ME more money. I’ll spread the word about how generous you are, make sure everyone knows what a wonderful person Sophia Wilson is.”
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