An Unwelcome Bargain

The air in our small kitchen felt stifling as my mother sat across from me, her eyes rimmed red but her jaw set with grim determination. I stared at the papers spread across our worn kitchen table—the sale agreement for our family home. My throat tightened as I processed what she'd just confirmed.

"So it's true," I whispered, my voice cracking. "You're selling our home."

Mom nodded, folding her hands on the table. "It's already done, Seraphina. We close next week."

"And we're moving in with the Bennetts?" The words tasted bitter on my tongue. "The same people who have made my life hell for months?"

"We need the money for your father's legal fees," she said, as if that explained everything. "The Bennetts are being... generous."

I laughed, the sound hollow and pained. "Generous? They're not being generous, Mom. They're buying another way to control me."