The sun was setting outside the mansion, bathing the living room in a golden hue that did nothing to warm the tension crackling inside. James sat slouched on the edge of the couch, his eyes red from lack of sleep, lips pressed into a bitter line. He hadn't spoken much all day. Neither had his mother.
But the silence couldn't last forever.
With a loud crash, James's mother hurled her porcelain teacup against the wall. It shattered into pieces, just like her plans.
"This wasn't supposed to happen!" she screeched, her hands shaking. "That girl was our ticket! Our only ticket!"
James flinched, startled. "You think I don't know that? You think I'm not going crazy knowing she's gone and never looking back?"
His mother whirled on him, her elegant silk scarf falling from her shoul
