Page 14 of Billion Dollar Dispute

I’m strong. I can get through anything.

“Chad, are you coming? Your mommy’s here,” Pedro calls out.

Chad runs to me, his small figure twisting with mine as he hugs me tightly. I brace myself for the impact, not wanting Jade to feel any worse if I fall over.

“Hey, honey. How was school?” I ask, rubbing his back.

“Alright, but after school, I played basketball with my friend Domenic,” Chad replies, his face lighting up with excitement.

“Did you win?” I ask.

Jade’s grinning from ear to ear. She has no grandchildren, and from what she’s told me, Haiden’s single.

“Yeah, he sucks,” Chad says with a grin.

“Chad,” I say, trying not to laugh.

“He does need some practice,” Pedro adds with a chuckle, his eyes twinkling at Chad.

Spots dance in front of my eyes, and I start to feel sweaty. I need to get upstairs quickly because I can’t stand here much longer without falling over.

“Come on, Chad, let’s go. We need to get ready for dinner,” I say, keeping my voice steady.

“Bye,” Chad says and runs up the stairs.

“See you tomorrow, Chad,” Jade calls out.

I force another smile, but it feels brittle. “Thanks again,” I say, but the words wobble on the edge of my breath. Gratitude barely covers it.

Her eyes narrow with quiet understanding. “Anytime. I love helping you.” Her gaze lingers on me a second too long. I bet she sees it… I’m barely holding it together.

I quickly turn and take the stairs on wobbly legs, gripping the brick wall for support. As I enter the apartment, the scent of last night's dinner lingers in the air, reminding me of how I had stretched the last few ingredients to make it. I head straight for the kitchen before I pass out, my stomach rumbling, and grab a piece of bread, chewing it slowly as I lean my hand against the counter. The weight of the eviction notice, the empty fridge, and Harvey’s words press down on me like a heavy blanket, making it hard to breathe but I push those thoughts aside and focus on staying strong, determined to get through the evening for my son.

Chapter 6

Jemima

The next day, Iarrive at the office, standing before the door marked with the bold lettersRecaredo Events. The second eviction notice in two days ignites a new fire of determination in my belly. This business is mine and will someday belong to Chad.

The fact that I’ll now be able to leave something for him when I’m gone feels like a weight has been lifted. Before, to no one’s fault but my own, he’d be left with nothing, and the heaviness in my gut at feeling like a bad mom weighs me down. But now I’m taking control, and I’ll never let a man take care of me again.

As I walk down the long corridor, I think about the pile of financial problems the business is in, unpaid invoices, cash flow problems, vendor debts, and how much Molly and Danny need me to fix it. I’m working through these problems one at a time.

I pause at the desk, where Molly greets me with a casual, “Hey, boss.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “What did I say about calling me that?” I ask, though it’s a reminder I appreciate.

She shrugs as she continues typing away. Her ability to multitask is one of the reasons I value her.

I hold my PB & J sandwich, ready to put it in the fridge.

“Is that all you brought today?”

“Yeah, I’m not that hungry,” I lie, not wanting her to know I don’t have much food for myself. It all goes to Chad.

I don’t want her to ask any more prying questions, so I change the topic. “How was your weekend?”

It was the first time that Molly's ex had their child on his own, meaning she had some of the weekend to herself. With a sigh, she pauses her typing and turns to face me. “Exactly what I thought it would be,” she confesses, a hint of sadness in her voice. I frown as I wait for her to share more. “Awful,” she admits.

---