A full week had passed since Zarah stormed into Mannie’s house, trying to poison the minds of her children with her sharp words and bitter jealousy. But the plan that she thought would ruin Mannie’s bond with her kids didn’t work.
The children weren’t fooled.
They had seen their mother’s tears, her struggles, her strength. And from their grandmother, they had learned the truth—how Mannie had helped Zarah when they were both poor, how she gave and never got anything back, and how Zarah now, with all her money, only looked for stones to throw.
So the eight of them chose who to believe. And it wasn’t Zarah.
Now, the small living room buzzed with their voices and laughter. The TV glowed in front of them, cartoons flashing across the screen. The air smelled faintly of roasted corn from the
