The Accusations
1255 Words
Meredith shrieked. “JOSHUA!”
Bianca grabbed Jaxon, checking his face. “Oh my God, Jaxon, your lip is bleeding!”
Jaxon’s eyes were wild. “I’ll kill you!” He lunged at Joshua again, but Charles stepped between them, holding him back.
“Jaxon, stop it!” Charles barked. “Jesus Christ, we’re not animals.”
Joshua wiped his knuckles on his jeans. “I’m leaving. Don’t worry about me stealing the silverware on the way out.”
Meredith pointed a trembling finger at him. “You are a monster, Joshua. You’re vile. You’ve been given everything.”
Joshua cut her off. “Everything? Really, Meredith? The only thing I ever wanted was to belong somewhere. Guess that was too much to ask.”
Meredith opened her mouth, but Charles raised his hand, voice quiet. “Joshua… listen. Whatever happens, you can always come to me if you’re in trouble. I’ve checked on your real parents. They… might need help. You’re still family, even if you’re not…”
Joshua snapped, “Don’t. Don’t stand there acting like you’re noble. You had eighteen years to act like I mattered. Don’t start pretending now.”
Charles looked wounded. “I do care about you.”
Joshua’s voice softened. “Yeah. I know. But you care about Bianca more.”
Meredith said, “As we should. She’s our daughter.”
Joshua gave a brittle laugh. “Exactly.”
He turned toward the door again.
But Meredith hissed behind him, “Check his bag.”
Joshua stopped, shoulders stiffening.
Charles frowned. “Meredith, come on.”
“No!” Meredith insisted. “I want to see what he’s taking. Everything in this penthouse was bought with Rowland money. We have a right to know if he’s sneaking valuables out to help his bankrupt parents.”
Bianca clutched Jaxon’s arm. “Mom… please. Isn’t that a bit much?”
Meredith snapped, “Quiet, Bianca! You don’t know him like I do. He’s vindictive. And his family has nothing. He’s probably cleaning us out to keep them afloat.”
Joshua let out a long breath. He unslung the duffel and set it on the floor. “Go ahead. Check it.”
Meredith approached, fingers trembling slightly. She reached for the zipper, her expression taut with suspicion.
Joshua’s eyes were hard as stone. “Knock yourself out.”
Meredith Rowland’s perfectly manicured fingers trembled as she grabbed the zipper on Joshua’s duffel bag.
Joshua stood motionless, arms crossed over his chest, eyes flat and cold.
Bianca shifted uneasily, biting her lip. Jaxon George, still dabbing the blood on his lip with a silk pocket square, sneered from the couch. Charles Rowland hovered near the doorway, rubbing a hand over his mouth as if wishing he could disappear.
Meredith gave the zipper a sharp tug.
Zzzzzip.
The bag fell open.
Meredith peered inside, her brows drawn tight. One by one, she lifted the contents into the air:
• A worn leather wallet
• A slim, battered MacBook
• A few folded T-shirts
• A rolled-up hoodie
• A small black case holding a few thumb drives
That was it. No watches. No jewelry. No antique cufflinks. No bundles of cash.
Meredith’s mouth tightened. “Where’s the rest of it?”
Joshua tilted his head. “The rest of what, exactly?”
Meredith’s voice turned sharp. “Your closet’s full of clothes. Designer coats. Shoes. Watches. Where are they?”
Joshua shrugged. “Didn’t want ‘em.”
Meredith’s eyes flared. “Are you expecting us to believe you left thousands of dollars of clothing behind because you didn’t feel like packing them?”
Joshua’s tone was cool. “They’re yours. Everything you bought me, you can keep. Consider it my parting gift.”
Bianca’s eyes widened. “You’re leaving without even taking clothes?”
Joshua’s voice dropped. “I’m leaving because there’s nothing here worth taking.”
A tense silence spread through the penthouse. Even the city’s distant honks and sirens seemed muffled.
Jaxon scoffed. “Look at this guy. Acting all righteous. Like he’s too good for a couple of jackets and some shoes. Who do you think you are, Joshua?”
Joshua shot him a look. “Someone who doesn’t want reminders of this place.”
Meredith crossed her arms. “You’re being ridiculous. If you’re going back to your real parents, you’re going to need clothes. You’re going to need everything. Why not take what we gave you?”
Joshua’s lips curled. “Because nothing you gave me was ever really mine.”
Meredith stiffened. “That’s gratitude for you.”
Joshua leaned closer. “Gratitude? For what? Eighteen years of you reminding me I wasn’t your real son?”
Meredith hissed, “Don’t you dare.”
Bianca reached out, trying to soothe her mother. “Mom, maybe he just needs some time.”
“Quiet, Bianca!” Meredith snapped.
Joshua continued evenly, “Everything I’ve got in this bag, I bought myself. The laptop? Paid for with my scholarship check. The clothes? Clearance sales I hit after school. The USB drives? Mine. The rest of it? Yours. Keep it.”
Meredith opened her mouth but seemed unable to find words.
Charles stepped forward hesitantly. “Joshua… you don’t have to throw everything away. It’s not about the clothes.”
Joshua raised an eyebrow. “Then what is it about?”
Meredith slammed the bag shut, color rising in her cheeks. “It’s about principle. We took you in. Raised you as our son. You’re acting like we never cared.”
Joshua barked a sharp laugh. “You want a cookie for doing the bare minimum?”
Meredith gasped. “How dare you?”
Bianca interjected softly, “Joshua… maybe you’re misunderstanding.”
Joshua rounded on her. “Don’t. Don’t stand there pretending to be the voice of reason when you’ve been in this house five minutes and already rearranged the seating chart.”
Bianca flinched. “I didn’t ask for this.”
Joshua’s voice was raw. “Neither did I.”
Jaxon couldn’t hold back a sneer. “God, you’re exhausting. Poor little Joshua. Stuck in a penthouse, crying about his feelings while the rest of the world busts their a*s to pay rent.”
Joshua turned his glare on him. “Please. The only thing you bust is Daddy’s credit limit.”
Jaxon surged to his feet. “Say that again.”
Joshua’s voice dropped. “Daddy’s. Credit. Limit.”
Jaxon lunged forward, but Charles stepped between them again. “ENOUGH!” His voice boomed through the penthouse, startling even Meredith into silence.
Charles turned to Joshua, his expression tired and sad. “Listen to me. I know this hurts. But… Meredith’s right. Everything in this penthouse belongs to the Rowlands. If you’re leaving, you leave it behind.”
Joshua smirked. “Not a problem.”
Charles added gently, “If you’re ever in trouble… come back. Even if we… even if this is how things ended.”
Joshua held his gaze for a long moment, then said quietly, “Don’t hold your breath.”
Meredith tried one last jab. “Your real family is unemployed. How long do you think you’ll last out there before you come crawling back?”
Joshua’s eyes flashed. “Maybe you should worry more about your own household, Meredith. Keep an eye on the company’s books. And on who’s cooking them.”
A ripple of tension shot through the room.
Meredith went rigid. “What the hell does that mean?”
- Writer
