Reborn to Ruin the Woman Who Destroyed My Family

2: 2

I forced the hatred back down and turned her down flat.

"No."

Something like shock flickered through Mercedes's eyes.

She hadn't expected the soft-hearted me to be this firm.

"The fact that there's no pay is exactly why I can't let Madge Sullivan come."

"You're her mother, and you won't take the slightest responsibility for your own daughter."

"Then my family sure can't take on that responsibility either."

Mercedes's face darkened at once.

"Sally Finch, what's that supposed to mean?"

"After all these years as best friends, you won't lift a finger for one little favor?"

I looked at her, my eyes cold, without a trace of warmth.

"So you do remember we're best friends. If we're friends, we should be considerate of each other."

"If you insist on forcing me into something, then we really aren't much of friends at all."

That set Mercedes off on the spot.

Her voice shot up, as if she'd been wronged beyond words.

"Sally Finch, are you all right?"

"You'd cut me off over something this trivial?"

It was the middle of the dinner rush, and the grill restaurant was packed with customers.

One prying stare after another settled on us.

The moment Mercedes noticed, she slipped into performance mode.

"Sally, I really don't understand…"

The tip of her nose went red, and she even squeezed out two tears.

"All I wanted was for my girl to get a little experience. It wouldn't cost you a single cent in wages."

"Fine, you won't help. But do you have to break things off with me over it?"

"Are ten-plus years of friendship really worth nothing to you?"

That little speech swayed the onlookers in a heartbeat.

"Oh my, this best friend is downright heartless, isn't she?"

"Right? The girl isn't even asking for pay. It's nothing, really. Why make such an ugly scene?"

"More than ten years of sisterhood, and she'd cut it off over a thing this small. That's cold and petty."

"Look how pitiful the girl's mother is. She's asking for help in good faith and getting shot down in front of everyone."

Mercedes pretended to wipe her tears, but her sidelong glance slid to me.

There was a flicker of hard-to-catch smugness at the bottom of it.

She was betting on exactly one thing, that I cared about saving face.

As long as public opinion tipped her way, I'd cave in the end just to end the scene.

I didn't panic. Instead I let out a soft little laugh.

"Since everyone's watching anyway, let me lay it all out plainly."

"There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"The second she gets bumped or scraped in my shop, or gets into so much as a spat with anyone, the responsibility lands on me."

"She's your daughter. You won't shoulder that risk yourself, so why dump it on my family?"

At that, the buzz of the crowd dropped by more than half.

Quite a few faces took on a thoughtful look.

"You're lying!"

Mercedes went white in an instant.

"I only wanted my child to get some experience. How can you think so badly of people?"

I held her gaze, my tone colder still.

"Whether I'm reading too much into it, you know best in your own heart."

"Mercedes, a favor is a favor, and risk is risk."

"I'll say it right here, right now. Madge is never, ever setting foot in my shop."

At that, Madge, who'd been waiting outside the door the whole time, came rushing in.

She had just turned eighteen this year, her eyes red-rimmed, looking especially pitiful.

"Aunt Sally, why won't you let me work at the shop?"

"Do you really hate me that much?"

It was this very harmless-looking face that had driven my father to his grave with a false charge on his name.

I clenched my fist hard, just barely holding down the hatred surging up in me.

"Yes, I really don't like you."

"So the two of you can go now."

Madge staggered back two steps, her tears falling harder.

"Aunt Sally, what did I ever do wrong?"

"When little Shelby Abbott's grades were slipping, I was the one who tutored her after school every day, on my own. Have you forgotten all that?"

Her shoulders trembled faintly as she choked out the words:

"I only wanted to come and work hard here."

"The dirty, tiring jobs in the shop, I can do any of them."

"Aunt Sally, please, just let me stay…"