Page 4 of Grumpy Sunshine

And the only time my mom came to my place was to steal my money when she ran out.

Fuckkkk.

“No, no, no,” I repeated as I rushed into my bedroom.

I closed my eyes when I saw my footlocker that I kept underneath my bed open.

Luckily, I didn’t keep very much cash in there anymore because my mom had done this so many times that I’d learned.

I went to the bathroom toilet, then lifted the lid.

“Fuck,” I grumbled when I saw my stash in there missing.

Here’s where most people say “well, Aella, why don’t you have your money in the bank instead of stashed all over your apartment?”

Well, that was because my mom was a complete asshole.

When I was growing up, my mother liked to fuck over both my sister, Silver, and me.

When we were young, she’d started taking out loans in our names, using our Social Security numbers.

When I was two, she’d taken out a mortgage in my name.

When Silver was thirteen, my mom had bought a car in Silver’s name.

From then on, we’d had ruined credit and the inability to use a bank because my mother had committed so much fraud in our names.

To this day, I was still unable to get a bank account, even though I tried once a year.

Which led to me learning how to hide my money so that my mother couldn’t steal anymore of it.

I’d also let my landlord know that, in no uncertain terms, my mother was never, ever allowed at my place.If she was allowed into my place, I would press charges.

Why did I have to make that threat?

Because all of my landlords always fell for my mother’s sweet talking, southern charm.

And I got cleaned out and unable to pay my rent.

As it was, I was month-to-month because no one would allow me to have a lease because of my credit.

Not to mention, the only places I was allowed to live were places that didn’t do credit checks or were shady as hell.

After finding the toilet stash gone, which added up to about five hundred bucks, I went in search of my rent money, already knowing what I would find.

Gone.

All of it.

I fisted my hands and counted to ten.

Then I left and marched down to the office.

I found Maureen there, waiting impatiently.

She was waiting for me, I knew.

“Did you let my mother into my apartment?”I asked.

---