Chapter 9 - The Real Gift
Dana’s screams echoed through the house as Adam walked out the front door to lock the stolen electronics in the trunk of his car.
Inside the living room, the chaos slowly settled. Ruth stood up from the velvet sofa. She walked past the weeping, ruined stepmother and knelt down on the rug right next to her granddaughter.
Natalie was still sitting frozen, holding the tiny red box with the gray socks. She was overwhelmed, tears finally welling in her brown eyes.
"Oh, sweetheart," Ruth whispered, wrapping her arms around the 11-year-old girl in a massive, warm hug. "I am so sorry you had to deal with that wicked woman."
Ruth reached into the deep pocket of her burgundy cardigan. She pulled out a small, sleek rectangular package wrapped in elegant silver paper and placed it gently into Natalie’s lap.
"I had a feeling Dana was lying to me," Ruth smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "So I canceled the money order three days ago. And I went to the store myself."
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Natalie’s hands shook as she tore away the silver paper. Inside was the exact, top-of-the-line digital drawing tablet she had been dreaming of all year.
👉 How will the family heal after the toxic stepmother is finally gone for good?
