Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(74)

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

She stood where she was until she heard him drive away, then she dropped to the floor. She pressed her back against the cabinets and pulled her knees up to her chest. There was no quiet, delicate crying, only body-wrenching sobs that clawed at her soul and left her with nothing but a sense of emptiness that she was afraid would never go away.



Chapter Twenty


Sophie spent a couple of days trying to figure out how to deal with the Amber problem. Telling herself to never ever hire family again was sound advice but not particularly helpful. She didn’t want to fire Amber, she just wanted her cousin to do her job and hey, not steal.

She finally called Amber into her office and when she was seated, turned the computer toward her and hit Play on the security video.

Amber sat in silence as her crime played out. When she walked out of the frame, Sophie turned the computer right side around, then closed it and stared at her cousin.

“Isn’t it illegal to spy on people?” Amber asked. “You violated my privacy. That’s wrong.”

Sophie drew in a breath. No way she was taking that bait. “So here’s the thing. We’ve changed the lock on the side door and we’re installing more cameras so there aren’t any other blind spots. I’m implementing a new policy of unannounced inspections of all lockers. The rest of the people who work here will find out via an email going out later today. I don’t know how much you’ve stolen, but I do know what you took that afternoon.”

She glanced at the pad of paper in front of her. “Two beds and two canister sets. I’m deducting the cost from your next paycheck.”

Amber stared at her. “You can’t do that. You can’t take money from me. It’s wrong.”

“Ballsy,” Sophie murmured. “Ironic, too.” She glared at her cousin. “These are your options, Amber. You can accept your punishment and promise to never steal so much as a paper clip again, or you can get huffy and call me names. If you choose the latter, you will force me to call an all-employee meeting where I will play the security video in front of everyone. After publicly humiliating you, I will fire you and press charges. There is no middle ground here.”

She really hoped Amber went with the first plan because Sophie wasn’t entirely sure whether she could pull off the second one.

Amber’s mouth trembled. “Why are you being so horrible to me? You’re my cousin.”

“Why did you steal from me? You’re my cousin.”

On cue, the tears spilled down her cheeks. “You don’t know what it’s like for me. My own mother is throwing me out of my house. Did you know that? She’s going to sell it and keep all the money. I don’t have anywhere to go. What am I supposed to do? What about poor Heather? I’m all she has, but it’s so hard on my own and we’re going to be homeless.”

Her shoulders heaved as the tears took a turn for what Sophie guessed was genuine worry.

“It’s so awful,” Amber continued. “I don’t have any savings and we’re always so broke. You don’t know what it’s like to raise a child on your own. There’s the responsibility and the worry, plus I never got to live my own life. I was always trapped. I wanted to get away. I wanted to be successful, but I never had the chance.”

Sophie told herself not to buy into the show. While Amber might have a few legitimate complaints, most of her problems could be traced back to her own behavior.

“I only took what I did to make a little money so we could move. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

Having extracted the promise she wanted but didn’t fully trust, Sophie allowed herself to relax.

“It is your mom’s house,” she said gently. “I’m sure she needs the money for her retirement.”

“What about me? What about Heather?”

“Have you started looking at apartments?”

Amber raised her head. “That was my home for my whole life. How am I supposed to move?”

Of all the things Amber had said, this was one that Sophie could believe. “I’m sure that’s going to be hard.”

“You have no idea. It’s painful. And sad. I never wanted much—just to feel safe, you know? I know I complain a lot but it’s really hard to be alone all the time.”

Something Sophie could relate to. Not that she wanted to bond with Amber, but maybe there was a human soul down there, under all the entitlement.

“I don’t think your mom is going to change her mind,” Sophie said, telling herself not to get involved and yet knowing she really didn’t have a choice. For sure, in her next life, she was going to be a badass. “Find a nice apartment. I’ll be a reference if you need one.”

Amber brightened. “Will you cosign the lease?”

And be financially responsible? “No.”

“Sophie, come on. I can’t afford a nice place on my own. Do you really want Heather to have all that responsibility? She’s so young. Doesn’t she deserve a chance to have a future? She looks up to you, you know. She admires you. Why would you let her down?”

Sophie felt herself being sucked into the Amber world of victimhood. “Heather isn’t my daughter, Amber. She’s yours.”