Chapter 85
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
My mom was a professional insurance scammer-and I was her favorite tool.
Every day, she’d stake out busy intersections, eyes locked on the traffic flow like a hawk hunting prey.
The second a car slowed down, she’d shove me straight into its path.
Once I hit the pavement, she’d swoop in, cradling me while wailing about how the driver had nearly killed her baby.
She’d threaten lawsuits, call the cops, make a scene-whatever it took to squeeze out a hundred grand in settlement money.
Until that day, when she shoved me in front of a rich kid’s car.
That’s when everything changed.
For the first time in my life, someone actually cared whether I lived or died…
“Riley, you ready p>
Mom crouched behind a parked SUV at the Target parking lot entrance, voice low.
I hugged my backpack and nodded, but my eyes stayed locked on the black car turning slowly through the lot.
My right leg was still in a walking boot-last month’s “trophy p>
“Mom, my leg still hurts p>
“Suck it up!” She cut me off. “See that car? That’s a six-figure ride. We nail this one, and we’re set for months p>
She waited for her moment, then gave me a brutal shove from behind.
I went flying, slamming hard against the hood.
The driver’s door swung open. A man in a tailored suit rushed out.
“Jesus-kid, you okay p>
Mom swooped in, launching into her Oscar-worthy performance.
“MY BABY! Oh my GOD, what did you DO?! You could’ve KILLED her p>
I lay there on the asphalt, eyes closed, letting out practiced little whimpers.
Over the years, we’d run this scam on dozens of people in mall parking lots, grocery store zones, anywhere with security cameras she could use
as “evidence p>
What started as terror had gone completely numb after just two years.
“A million bucks. Cash settlement. Not a penny less, or my lawyer’s gonna bury you!” Mom went straight for the throat.
The guy stared at her for a long moment, then actually nodded.
19:49
You Traded Our Son for Her? Your ‘Happy’ Ending Just Crashed, Asshole!
65.1%
Chapter 1
“Done,” he said, stone faced. “But not here p>
He opened the passenger door.
“Get in. We’ll go to the ER. Medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress-I’ll cover all of it. Hell, I’ll even throw in therapy costs p>
Mom froze. She clearly hadn’t expected him to fold so easily.
Practically giddy, she scooped me up and climbed into the car.
But the route we took got sketchier and sketchier, onto a dirt road headed toward the industrial district.
Finally, we stopped in front of a shuttered warehouse.
“Uh, mister… this isn’t the way to the hospital,” I whispered.
He turned around, and the corporate politeness was gone from his face.
“Nope,” he said coldly.
“This is where I teach you what happens to scammers p>
The man’s name was Callahan Pierce. He dragged my mom out of the car by her arm.
She shrieked, “What the FUCK are you doing?! Let GO of me! I’ve got 911 on speed dial p>
He ignored her completely, popped the trunk, and pulled out a tire iron. He tossed it at her feet with a metallic clang.
“You,” he said, pointing at her. Then at me. “Or her p>
“What?!” Mom’s voice cracked.
“I’m asking-do you break your own arm, or do I break her other leg?” His tone was flat, like he was asking her to pick a sandwich.
“Your kid’s got one leg busted. The other one’s still good p>
“So pick. Your arm, or her leg. I don’t got all day p>
Mom’s face went sheet-white.
She looked at me. Then at the tire iron on the ground.
“Okay, okay-listen, man, I fucked up! I’ve got hills, I’ve got rent due, I just-please, I wasn’t thinking p>
“Pick.” That’s all he said.
I stared at my mother. The woman who always said I was her whole world, her “little goldmine p>
I wanted her to grab that tire iron. Even if it was just for show.
I wanted her to throw herself in front of me and scream, “Don’t touch my kid p>
But she didn’t.
Instead, she dropped to her knees and grabbed onto his leg like a desperate animal.
Chapter 1
“Please, PLEASE-don’t break my arm! I need my hands to work! How the hell am I supposed to take care of her if you cripple me p>
“She’s just a kid-kids bounce back! Her bones are like rubber! Hit her, not me-PLEASE p>
In that moment, even the wind outside the warehouse seemed to die.
Callahan kicked her off, disgust written all over his face.
“Pathetic p>
He walked over to me, yanked me out of the car by my good arm, and dragged me forward.
“MOM! HELP ME!” I screamed, reaching for her with my free hand.
She scrambled to her feet-but instead of running to me, she bolted toward the warehouse gates.
“Hang tight, Riley! Mommy’s getting help! I’ll be RIGHT BACK p>
She didn’t look back once. Just left me there with this psycho.
Callahan didn’t chase her. He just stood there, staring down at me with this look-like I was a stray dog he pitied but also wanted to put down.
He crouched and tapped my good leg with the tire iron.
“This gonna hurt p>
I was too scared to answer. I just shook my head like crazy.
“Relax, kid. Won’t take long p>
He stood up. Raised the tire iron.
I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for the pain I knew so well.
CRACK
I choked back my own scream.
He’d shattered my other leg too.
Then he pulled a debit card from his wallet and shoved it into my jacket pocket.
“PIN’s all zeros. There’s fifty grand in there. More than enough to fix both legs and get you through a few years p>
He leaned in close, voice dropping to a whisper.
“Tell Mommy Dearest she earned this. Two broken legs for a fat stack of cash. Hope it spends nice p>
He stood up, brushed off his hands like he’d just finished yard work, and got back in the car.
The engine purred to life, and the car disappeared down the dirt road.
I don’t know how long I lay there before Mom came sprinting back.
When she saw me crumpled on the ground, she froze for half a second-then went absolutely feral, ripping through my pockets like a raccoon in a dumpster.
ad Asshole!
65.5%
Chapter 1
When her fingers closed around the card, her whole face lit up like she’d won the lottery.
She pulled me into a crushing hug-not out of love. Out of pure, manic greed.
“RILEY! Oh my GOD, baby, you DID IT! We’re RICH! We’re SET p>
She spun me around in circles, totally ignoring the white-hot agony shooting through both my destroyed legs.
Tears poured down my face. I couldn’t tell anymore if it was the pain-or just how cold I felt inside.
Mom, I thought, your little goldmine’s got two broken legs now.
Hope it was worth it.
(0)
(0)
Mark Twain