“You’re insane!” I shouted, struggling against Veronica’s grip on my hair, ignoring the tearing sensation at my scalp. “She’s your granddaughter!”

“She’s leverage,” Lorraine replied coldly, her eyes dead and flat. “You’ve become too selfish, thinking your money belongs only to you. We’re your family. Everything you have should be shared with us. If you don’t care about us, let’s see how much you care about this.”

I looked to my father, the man who had taught me to ride a bike. “Dad! Stop her!”

Gerald spoke up from his position by the door, his face devoid of empathy. “Just give them what they want. Make this easy on everyone. It’s not worth a fight.”

Not worth a fight. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “She is threatening to drop my baby!”

Veronica twisted my arm behind my back, sending fresh waves of pain through my already traumatized body. “Hand over the card now. Stop being so difficult.”