The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Gary and Julia froze as they took in Casper's tiny apartment. They never

expected their son, whom they had spoiled with the finer things in life, to go from living in a fancy house to such a shabby unit.

Julia's face darkened as she snapped, "Why didn't you rent a bigger place?"

"Because I don't have the money," Casper answered frankly. "Don't stand on ceremony. Sit and make yourselves at home."

Gary was thunderous. "What do you mean you don't have the money? You had plenty in your savings when you moved out, didn't you? Did Jessica blow through all of it?"

"Why are you bringing Jessica into this again?" Casper couldn't help feeling as if his parents were being deliberately unreasonable. "Did you forget that you didn't pay me when I was working at the company? You didn't even give me an allowance! Why would I have any money at all?"

Gary fell silent. Julia interjected, "Then who gave you the money for Jessica's jewelry?"

made from the projects I worked on during college. Didn't I tell you that

to help me make ends meet. And because I was blacklisted, it took me a lot of time and effort to get a new

no standing since being blacklisted, he was almost always picked on at work. It was especially true

smear campaign against Jessica and called her a gold-digger with loose spending habits, she

you'd made the whole thing up to trick me. She even declared that she'd divorce

losing my wife. And yet, you got

you still refused to pay

pay my rent and get a job. Did you seriously expect

money to rent

heart broke for the hardship her son had gone through. She blamed Gary for this and turned to snap at him, "This is all your fault!

any better. Besides, when you and Jessica first started

Jessica was only dating you because of money. I was convinced