rags to riches | jeff wittek ( DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Ten : Ungrateful

hi guys, i need your honest opinion. i always try to keep my stories somewhat on the shorter side but for this story, i think it may be somewhat longer. do you think that 40-50 chapters is too much? or should i try to keep it around 30? i don't want it to drag out too long but i felt like with facade, it may have felt rushed and i don't want to do that with this story.

♫ Gonna Love Me - Teyana Taylor ♫

Part of me always wondered where I was able to find the strength to keep my emotions to myself but it wasn't until my mom facetimed me today that I realized I inherited it from her. We've been talking for the last thirty minutes and she has failed to mention my dad being in ICU but instead told me he was out with Emmanuel.

But if Emmanuel hadn't told me about him, I would've believed every word that came out her mouth. She hid her anxiety and fear behind a smile that made it seem like her life was the best it's ever been.

"Annak, why did you send us so much money yesterday? We said we not going to give anymore to Mercedes." My mom whispers, cradling Angelina in her arms as she rocks her back and forth to sleep.

"I sent the usual mom, $800." I say to her as I admire the baby through the screen. She shakes her head no before continuously blinking, "You sent $1000. That's too much."

Of course I knew I sent her $1000 but she didn't know that. "Oh, I must've made a mistake but it's okay. You can keep the extra." I reassure her. Before she can protest, there's loud footsteps that inch closer towards her and she looks to her side, giving whoever it was a dirty look.

Mercy comes into frame, her lips pursed into a thin line. "Mom, I need to talk to Miella alone please." I say a brief goodbye with her before my obviously agitated sister plants her butt in the chair my mom previously sat on.

"So sis, why not send me that extra $200 you gave them instead?" Her voluminous brown hair was curled into loose waves with a beanie that sat right above her head. The tank top she was wearing fit tight against her body that she covered with a cardigan. "Did you ever finish your community service?" I roll my eyes at her snarky attitude, something I was never able to get over.

She scoffs before sitting back in her chair, "God you know that it wasn't me Miella. They weren't mine." Her gaze was directed at something that was next to the table.

"I don't care. You shouldn't have been there to begin with. Don't follow the same path that I did."

It was hard to try to mentor my younger sister especially living across the country. It made it even worse knowing that she's attending the same school I did. It was a tough crowd and it was easy to get influenced by the people around you.

"Whatever. You think you're better than us because you live in LA now."

My blood was slowly staring to boil the more we conversed, "If you'd like to work 50 plus hours every week, then fine. Bring your ungrateful ass here. But don't ever disrespect me after I have helped you pay for what you want for as long as you can even remember."

I hung up on her after that because I knew that if I stuck around any longer, I would've said things I eventually regretted. There is nothing worse then busting your ass off for your family only for them to take it for granted. Mercy made it seem like it was an obligation. She was getting way too comfortable with the money I was giving her and I'm glad I stopped now.

But damn did it hurt. To know that you sacrifice being with the people you love the most only to see that they don't even really appreciate to begin with. I would do anything in the entire world to be back home with the people who supported me through everything. I missed them so much. More than words could ever describe.

***

Usually when there's a knock on my door during the day on my days off, I ignore it. It's something that they tell you downstairs, especially if you're not expecting any guests.

I didn't know who was at the door this time, but they wouldn't stop knocking. To prepare myself, I grab the broom that stood next to the kitchen. When I walk over to open the door, I see David's smug face along with Jeff, Natalie, Suzy, Jonah, and Jason.

"You guys scared me." I say putting my broom down and moving to the side so they can enter. "Miella, what the hell." Jason laughs while allowing the rest of them to come in. Jeff walks through, winking at me before following the rest of them. I stood there in shock, confused about what happened but was almost immediately knocked out of my trance when my name was being called.

There was an empty space next to Jeff and David and I slowly walked over, sitting down on the sofa. David instantly wraps his arms around my shoulder, bringing me into his embrace. "It's been so long since I've seen you." He says.

"David it's literally been five days. We've gone longer without seeing each other." I tell him, returning his hug. "I told him we should have invited you." Jonah says while looking through things to watch on Netflix.

"Yeah, as if you were the one paying for the trip." Jason laughs while smacking on his piece of gum. Jonah rolls his eyes before settling on Big Mouth and watching it. "So what have you been doing while we were gone?" Natalie asks as she puts down her phone in her lap.

"Oh we all know what Ellie did this week!" Jeff perks, grinning at me. When I turn over to look at him, his gaze brought me into this trance where I couldn't stop looking. The way his eyes had small specks of gold that was complimented by a rich, brown color. "What did she do?" Suzy asks, snapping me out of the moment we shared.

"Suzy! You ruined it!" Natalie laughs. When I turn over to look back at Jeff, I realized he never broke eye contact. He winks at me once again, before turning away to look at Suzy, "She works all the time. Maybe a little too much." 

As much as I was enjoying this side of Jeff, it felt so weird mostly because I wasn't used to it at all. "This may sound extremely offensive and you don't have to answer it, but why do you work so much if you make a lot of money?" Jonah asks.

Considering I never really give them a valid explanation, except Todd, who knows that my family struggles and that's about it, it can't always hurt to let them know why I'm a workaholic.

"Long story short, my family grew up and is still struggling and I just find every way that I can to support them even if it means I have to constantly work."

The room is quiet for a few seconds, "On top of
paying for bills, groceries and trying to help my family out, it takes most of my money." I add.

We all sit there, letting the tv play in the background. I look down to see Jeff's hand on top of mine, running his thumb on the back of it. It was something I didn't realize would soothe me as much as it did.

The rest of the night we thankfully spent talking about other things. It was around 1am when they decided to leave. I was waving them goodbye from my doorframe before I see Jeff swiftly turn around and run over to me.

"Hey," he grins, a little out of breathe, "Let me take you out soon."

I don't even try hiding the fact that I was shocked. If anything, it seemed a little soon and it wasn't what I was trying to do. It made me wonder if I was giving off that impression the past few weeks.

"As friends?" I smirk at him.

He jokingly brings his hand to his chest, his face scrunching up in pain, "Am I being rejected?" He pretends to wipe away a tear. "Date or not, as long as you're there."

On top of his good looks and charming accent, it was hard to not say no. But I closed that part of my heart before coming here and I had no intentions of opening up to anyone else again. But as long as he knows that it's not a date.

"Just two friends hanging out then."

***

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