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wouldn’t hurt me again?
    “Dammit,” I buried my face in my pillow. There were lots of risks in starting up a relationship with Lance again, but my heart was screaming to take that chance.
    For once in my life, I was going to follow it.
    “Do you think she’ll give us her jewels?” Regina asked me as our family shuffled through the parking lot. She was the youngest of the family, with long dark-brown hair and tanned skin. I wouldn’t say she was materialistic, but she certainly took care to surround herself with expensive things. Being a Rossi had encouraged her behavior, and being the baby didn’t help either.
    “I don’t think you should go in to this expecting to get diamonds.”
    “Well then, why was our family invited?”
    When I opened my mouth to shoot a retort back, I realized I had no idea why my aunt had invited all of us. Instead, I shrugged.
    “I don’t know Regi. I’m sure everyone who knew her closely was invited.”
    She gave one of her childish sighs and pulled out her smartphone to play a colorful and loud mobile game.
    In front of us, the twins held open the heavy wooden doors of the law office that we were meeting at. Butterflies were flapping around in my stomach as I passed beneath the doorframe. I didn’t think my great aunt would have left us expensive jewels, but based on what Daddy had told me yesterday, there was a good chance that I would receive something.
    She had been a lovely woman, even though my great-aunt had been a staunch Catholic. It was difficult for me to watch her health deteriorate so quickly. Since I didn’t have classes to attend anymore, I made an effort to go see her and make her day better. I’d bring her fresh flowers from our garden. The gardener was beside himself with me for a while after that. Since she couldn’t do much other than listen or watch television, I made sure she had access to her favorite shows. The thing that helped the most was giving her an iPod filled with audiobooks from her favorite authors. Whenever I visited, I’d come with my laptop and upload another series for her to listen to. It was wonderful to see her smile. The stories provided her a respite from her pain.
    Since my family was rich, I hadn’t done those things to get at her money. If I was old, I wondered how I would want to be treated, and just did that. But come to think of it, that might have made a difference in her last days.
    Did that mean she was going to leave something for me? I didn’t know.
    What I did know was that the previous day, I had made my way to the bank and opened a new account that my parents had no access to. If I were to receive anything, the money would go to that account for my getaway.
    It was musty in the small room we filed into. Some other extended family and members of her church sat interspersed in thick wooden chairs. It looked like the lawyer was about to give an inspirational speech or lecture. The two-dozen chairs were placed around a long table. The type you’d think ham-and-egger business men would have their board meetings around. At the end of the table was a middle-aged man in a grey suit, scribbling away on some documents. By the way the others looked at him from the sides of their eyes, I expected he was my Aunt’s lawyer.
    We were the largest group in the room, my mother, father and 5 brothers and sisters sat politely on the opposite side of the table to the lawyer. My father, of course, was the head. He looked formidable in is suit, something I learned came in handy in his line of work. My brothers, all young and in their prime, looked like they could take anyone in a fight.  
    However, my mother and sister sat prim and proper, almost like they didn’t notice the overwhelming affect the men had on the room. A couple from church spoke in hushed whispers, probably passing the usual gossip about us. It was the largest non-secret, secret that our town had. The most respected and wealthy family was rumored to have connections to the