The Mistake That Broke Me

Chapter Fourteen: I Am Free

Some people chat about their days with their friends while others walk alone and in silence.

The scent of fresh goods pour out from a nearby bakery. Through the bakery's window, I see a young man and woman smile and chat with each other with a mug of hot coffee in their hands.

An old man leisurely walks his black lab down the chipped concrete streets. A cigar sticks out from his lips that billows out smoke with each breath. A newspaper is tucked under his arm securely, and I wonder if he will read it while reclining in a dark green recliner just like my own father had done every Sunday morning.

I see the homeless curled up into the cold brick walls that the buildings provide. They beg society for money but receive very little. Scraggly dogs are by their side, mirroring the worn out look of sadness that their owners carry.

Cars honk at the mass of pedestrians who cross the street slowly. Teenagers on skateboards whiz by me, shouting profanities at me to make me move out of the way.

I guess I'm staring.

I go to shove my hands in my pockets, but then I remember I haven't worn skinny jeans in a long time, and I've forgotten that they don't make girls skinny jeans with pockets. If they do by chance have pockets, they are shallow and useless.

Welcome back to life, Addison. I think to myself and smile.

I trot down the little concrete path, in search of the bank that stores my money. I figured I could grab some cash so that I could perhaps leave the city and perhaps, even the state and find a new home to make a new life for myself.

But fate had other plans, and soon I would find out exactly what. I wait in line at the bank, and when I get to the banker, I ask her to withdraw several hundred thousand dollars. I give her my account details, surprisingly I had remembered that after nearly four years.

She bites her lip and looks up at me with sad eyes. "Hmm....I'm afraid there's an issue."

I raise my eyebrow, becoming concerned. My new life depends on this money, I can't afford things to go wrong right now. "What is it?" I ask, concerned.

"Your mother closed the account nearly three years ago. I'm afraid this account no longer exists." She informs me.

"What? What do you mean? O-of course it exists....I-I've had money in it since...since forever." I say, panicked. No no no! Why would my mother do this? Did she purposely set me up for failure? "I-I thought she couldn't touch my account since I was an adult and...."

"Your mother is a powerful woman. She can get away with almost anything by waving cash in someone's face." The woman replies.

"You don't understand. I-I'm depending on this money. This....i-it was all I had left!" I cry out in frustration. My heart pounds and my hands shake.

"I'm sorry, dear. But I'm afraid the only way I can help is if you talk to your mother about this. Then you can come back to me."

My mother....she hates me! She won't want to see me.

I nod any way, and with eyes filling with tears, I rush out of the bank and zoom down the streets. Why did life have to throw yet another shitty thing at me? Do I have some sort of "kick me" sign on my back that only life sees?

I groan in frustration and I slide down the wall of concrete. I sit down, thinking about what to do. I hold my head in my hands and thread my fingers through my hair. I blink away the tears that want to escape my eyes. I'm desperate at this point, and I'm dreading the thought about talking to my mom again. Last time, she hated me as did my entire family.