From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

Rebecca closed her eyes for a moment, anger rising hot and sharp in her chest. Cards. Always the damn card games. That was all Sandra ever cared about.

It was already six thirty and dinner hadn't even been started. Did Sandra really think she was still some pampered socialite?

If it weren't for Sandra, Rebecca would never have broken off her engagement with the Christensens. It was all her fault. Every last bit of it.

The more she thought about it, the angrier Rebecca became. She slammed her phone down on the coffee table.

Only then did Sandra even look up, startled. "Rebecca, you're back! Go make dinner, would you? I'm starving. I can't figure out how to work that stove-it's nothing like the one we had before!"

After more than twenty years of living in comfort, Sandra was completely lost now that they'd moved into this shabby apartment. Nothing was familiar. Nothing was easy.

Cook dinner? And she actually had the nerve to order Rebecca around.

That was the final straw. Rebecca snatched Sandra's phone away. "Enough! Give it a rest!"

"Rebecca! What's wrong with you?" Sandra shot to her feet, furious. "I was about to win that hand!"

Rebecca's voice was shaking with rage. "Look at the time! How can you still think about playing cards? Is that all you know how to do? You're useless-worse than useless!"

this was her mother. Sometimes she thought she'd have been better off without one

to her like this before. It was as

what's gotten

Let me tell you— the Christensens never went bankrupt! Sherman

for you, I'd be Mrs. Christensen right

the color draining

broke? Sherman was Mr. Christensen? The whole thing

be mistaken," Sandra said, her voice

just wanted to test us! And you—you

Sandra and Dad hadn't just broken off the engagement, they'd thrown money at the Christensens, trying

awful things, Karen would never have

their fault.

anything, maybe she could accept it. But she had—she'd had

lottery and then

imagined the Christensens' bankruptcy was fake, let alone that it was all

never have called off the