I kept my expression blank, then turned to my mom and Lilith. “You heard him. He doesn’t want my ‘dirty’ money.”
“Ethan, she’s your aunt!” Lilith scolded, then added, “Claire, really? Ethan’s still a kid. Why are you being so tough on him? We’re family! You’re making it sound like we’re strangers.”
“Exactly,” my mom chimed in. “Your sister-in-law and I talked, and we don’t agree with you adopting a child. How could you bring a kid with an unknown background into our family? Since you’re not getting married, the Morris family’s bloodline depends on Ethan. As his aunt, can’t you be more generous?”
“And why do you think you have any say in what I do?” I asked, irritation seeping into my voice. “Unknown background? Bloodline? Mom, do you think we’re royalty or something?”
Speaking of unknown backgrounds, in my previous life, after I died, my soul wandered and saw Lilith with a man named Liam. They were more than familiar, and Ethan was their son. Richard had no clue and happily treated Ethan as his own.