Page 20 of Claiming Tessa

Chapter Nine

It was hard for Tessato wait until Wednesday morning to see Arthur and Maggie.The meeting went exceptionally well.In fact, the whole staff was thrilled they didn’t have to deal with her mother anymore.Arthur and Maggie had argued that the retirement money she was giving them was much too high, but she didn’t want them to ever worry about money.They’d been the only people who cared about her after her father died.At the time, she had no idea her brother cared about her.

She grinned when the two started talking about finding a small house together in the area so they could still see her and Jared.They also hinted at grandchildren someday.Since neither had children, that was the only way they would get them, and she loved the idea of them being her children’s grandparents.

They had just finished their meeting, and she had walked around the house, taking notes and pictures of everything as the servants packed their things and left.

Tessa was finishing her list when her mother got home.She had a hard time holding back her smile.She tried to remind herself she shouldn’t enjoy hurting this person, but after all she’d put her through, she deserved some discomfort.

“Hello, dear.To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Tessa almost rolled her eyes.God, she really was a cold woman.

Tessa knew she could have made her mother pay for everything she’d put her through, but she didn’t want to drop down to her level.

“Hello, Mother.Why don’t you come sit?”

Her eyes narrowed.“You don’t come into my house and act disrespectfully.You need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.Do you happen to know Franklin Turner?”

Her mother flinched but tried to hide it.“No, should I?”

“He was Daddy’s lawyer, and now he’s mine.Now, do you want to sit?”

Her mother set her purse down.“No.I want you to leave.”

“Now, why would I leave my own home?”

“What are you talking about?That’s preposterous.”

“No, it’s not, and you know it’s the truth.You’ve been living off my inheritance since my father died.”

“That’s not true...”

Tessa shook her head.“You get an allowance from both Jared and my fathers, and that’s it.”

“An allowance after everything I’ve had to put up with?”

“You gold-digger!”Tessa nearly shouted.“You sunk your nails into Jared’s father, Harlan.After he was gone, you jumped on my dad.Was it because you wanted more money, or did you actually love him?Be honest!”

“It was incredibly embarrassing to go from what I’d become accustomed to a pittance!”her mother threw back.

“You were getting thirty thousand dollars a month.When my dad died, you were getting fifty thousand a month from him for the rest of your life.That’s eighty thousand dollars a month.How could you think that was not enough, especially knowing where you grew up?”

“I don’t ever want to hear about that again.I was always so much better than everyone in that disgusting town.”

“You might look nice, but I can guarantee they are better people than you, hands down.”

“How dare you?You need to leave, now.”

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