He Chose A Snake Over His Sister Chapter 02
I refused to stay in that house a second longer.
I grabbed the debit card Grandma had left me and walked out.
Rodney tried to stop me, but the second Fiona started whining about her head and face hurting, he completely forgot I existed.
Once outside, I headed to the hospital pharmacy to buy two bottles of my cancer meds, then picked up a bouquet to visit Grandma’s grave.
I didn’t expect to run into Rodney, who was out looking for me. And I sure as hell didn’t expect the first words out of his mouth to be, “You stole money? Charlotte, is that really all you learned from five years in prison?”
My jaw dropped. Before I could speak, Fiona lunged forward and snatched the debit card right out of my pocket.
“Look, Rod! I told you she left in a hurry. She was running away because she had stolen money.”
I instinctively tried to defend myself. “No, the five grand on this card is what Grandma left me—”
“Then why didn’t I know about it?” Rodney cut me off. “What else did you take? Where have you been all day?”
“Don’t you remember?” I pleaded. “Grandma gave me this money years ago. I have stomach cancer, Rodney. I just went to buy my medication and some flowers for her grave…”
“Stomach cancer?” Rodney scoffed. “Do you honestly think faking an illness is going to cover up the fact that you’re a thief?”
I pulled out the pill bottles to show him. “It’s true. Call the hospital if you don’t believe me.”
He frowned, snatched the bottles right out of my hands, and tossed them aside without even glancing at the labels. “When would I have time to go to the hospital? Do you have any idea how much work I missed just getting your conviction overturned?”
I watched in horror as a passing car ran over my medication, crushing the plastic bottles into the asphalt.
Seeing me frozen there, he grabbed me by the collar. “If you needed money, you should have just asked. Did you really have to steal? If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I am cutting you off for good.”
And just like that, he dragged me back to his car and hauled me home.
The second the study door clicked shut, Fiona dropped the act. A mocking smirk spread across her face. “You want to take flowers to your grandmother, Charlotte, but do you even know where the old woman is buried?”
I glared at her, my voice tight. “Your problem is with me. Show some respect for my grandmother!”
“Respect?” she scoffed. “Right before she died, that old hag wouldn’t stop saying your name, telling Rod I hurt you on purpose. If she hadn’t been delirious, he might have actually believed her. You want me to respect her? Did she ever respect me?”
I balled my hands into fists. “If it wasn’t for my grandmother, you’d never have moved into our house in the first place. Everything you have—the food you eat, the things you use, the money you spend—is all because of her.”
Her expression turned vicious. “Rod gave me everything I have. It has nothing to do with that dead witch. Get down on your knees and press your forehead to the floor right now, Charlotte, and I might consider telling you where her grave is.”
My stomach dropped. “She isn’t in the family plot?”
Fiona laughed. “I told Rod a psychic said the hills outside the city were the only suitable place for her, and he bought it. He buried her out there without even cremating her. You want to know exactly where? Come here, get on your knees, bow to the floor, and I’ll tell you.”
Something in me snapped. I slapped her hard across the face, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked. “You monster!” I screamed, desperate and furious. “My grandmother treated you so well! How could you do this?”
She shrieked over and over, but didn’t lift a finger to fight back.
Right on cue, Rodney shoved the study door open, catching me yanking Fiona’s hair and hitting her repeatedly.
“Charlotte, why are you acting completely out of control again?” he demanded, lunging forward to pull me off of her.
I shook off his grip, tears stinging my eyes. “Why did you listen to Fiona and bury Grandma out in the hills? Her greatest wish was to be buried next to Grandpa! Did you forget that?”
Rodney scowled. “Leave Fifi out of this. A psychic said that plot of land was the right environment for Grandma. I did it for her own good.” He grabbed my arm again. “You’re being completely unreasonable. I let it slide when you slapped Fifi earlier, and you have the nerve to hit her again? Apologize to Fifi right now!”
Fiona cowered behind Rodney, covering her face and looking incredibly pathetic and vulnerable.
I forced the words through my teeth. “You and Fiona are the ones who should apologize to Grandma. You two ungrateful wretches! You’ve already forgotten everything she’s done for you!”
Ignoring his mounting anger, I snatched the bank card he was still holding and bolted out the door.
“Charlotte, you’re driving me to a heart attack!” Rodney shouted after me.
I kept my face blank and didn’t look back. “Don’t worry,” I called out. “I’ll die before you do.”
