"You have me. You don't have to be afraid of anything."
Otis had held my broken pieces together. My collapse. My entire life. He'd brought in the best medical team for my mother. Paid my tuition.
It was Otis.
It was always Otis.
He'd made me who I became.
And it was also Otis—
My phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
The hospital.
My heart seized. Before I could even answer, Jemima's mocking voice came through the video.
"What a shame."
"Looks like your mom lost the will to live after she learned the truth."
The camera showed my mother's face. Tears at the corners of her eyes.
I frantically hit accept, and the doctor's voice came through.
"Mrs. Sanchez."
"Your mother—"
Silence stretched on the other end.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The world went mute. All I could hear was my own heartbeat, and my own voice, cracking.
"My mom..."
"What happened to my—"
"Your mother passed away at 6:35 p.m. today."
"Please..."
"Accept our condolences."
This wasn't the first time Otis had drunk himself unconscious. Everyone knew the Sanchez heir wore a mask of warmth—but underneath, he was colder than anyone.
One single weakness had grown from his heart.
Her name was Debbie.
Debbie.
"Debbie..."