Chapter 26- For Richer or Poorer
Rae gritted her teeth. "I already told you. Leave my daughter alone."
Jackson reached for Erica's arm. "Come on, Erica. Don't cause a scene."
Erica yanked her arm away. "It's because of these ladies… if you can call them that… that Myrtle kicked me out of her home. Myrtle and I were like this." She held up her hand and crossed her fingers. "But now Myrtle wants nothing to do with me."
"That is absurd," Rae said. "She kicked you out of her home for one night because she was frustrated with you. She didn't kick you out of her life."
Ring. Ring.
Skye pulled out her new phone and the display said Unknown Caller. "I better take this. I'm not in the mood to deal with former stepmommy," she growled at Erica before leaving the table.
"Why don't you just call Mama and make up with her?" Rae suggested. "She is missing you. But she doesn't miss your behaviour."
"My behaviour?" Erica laughed. "You're talking like I'm a ten-year-old child."
"Well, you certainly act like a ten-year-old."
"Why you little—" Erica made to jump at her, but Jack held her back. "You're going to regret everything you've done to me. Both you and Skye. No one takes Myrtle away from me and gets away with it."
Skye made her way to the restroom and pressed her phone to her ear. "Hello?"
A deep male, robotic voice came on the other line. "You have proven you have no attention to detail. I specifically said to shred the note, but you simply cut it into large pieces."
"Who the hell is this and what do you want? Are you looking to blackmail my father? Because he doesn't take too kindly to that—"
"You have failed the first step and you will pay for it. I know Myrtle has a shredder, so go home and shred it properly."
"How do you know she has a shredder?" Skye asked.
But the line went dead. Skye stared at her phone for a few seconds before returning to the table.
"I want both of you out of Myrtle's life," Erica said. "I don't like what you've done to her. She is distant, she's become cold, and she seems like a completely different pers—"
"Skye?" Rae looked over at a very pale and shaken up Skye. "Are you all right?"
Skye nodded but avoided eye contact.
"Erica, come on," Jack said. "Let's go have dinner and leave them in peace."
Erica glared at both of them as she and Jack headed over to another table.
Soon after, the waiter brought over the bill. Rae reached for it, but Skye snagged it from her. "This is on me."
Rae smiled. "Skye, I really don't mind."
"I want to pay for it. After all, I am rich and you're poor. I have to do my part with charity cases once in a while."
Rae gawked at her. "Skye…"
They headed up to the register to pay and Skye swiped her debit card. But she freaked out on the waiter when it said declined. "What the hell!? There must be something wrong with your machine! You're going to lose a heck of a lot of customers if your machine isn't even working properly!"
"Skye, try to be a little kinder," Rae said. "It's not the waiter's fault."
Skye rolled her eyes. "Okay, can you please fix your machine?"
The waiter fiddled with the machine but shook his head. "It's been working fine all evening."
"But Daddy has over $50 million dollars in that account. There's no way it's been emptied since yesterday." She groaned and tried her credit card instead, but it also declined.
"Skye, it's all right," Rae cut in. "I will pay for it."
"Fine. You pay for it and I'll go call Daddy's bank."
She stomped off in a huff and pressed her phone to her ear.
"I'd like to apologize on behalf of my daughter," Rae said as her debit card went through. "She's just dealing with a lot right now."
Rae sat on the bench as she waited for Skye. But Skye returned seething. "Daddy cut me off! He's changed all of his passwords and has new cards for everything." She plopped down beside Rae in defeat. "He even took away my trust fund!"
Rae's eyes grew wide. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, it's all gone. I'm even poorer than you now."
"Well, did you have your own savings account from when you've worked through the years?"
"Oh, please…" Skye groaned. "What need did I have to save money? It's all gone. I have nothing now."
FargateFargateFargate
"Skye, sweetie, I know you mean well, but you have to stop all this scheming," Rae said as they walked up to Myrtle's house. "Stuart and Myrtle were probably worried sick about us. And I'm certain your grandmother won't be too pleased—"
"Oh, stop. They probably had a really good time. In fact, I would bet you on it. I could really use the money."
When they opened the door, they found Stuart and Myrtle sitting on the couch laughing.
"And then me and Lottie got in on the magic show." Stuart grinned and rubbed his hands together. "The magician was so happy to have young volunteers help with his act. She pulled the flowers out of his hat and I got to help with his card trick, while Adam sat in the back pouting. We invited him, we did. But he was just too stubborn. So, when the magician asked me to pick a card, I pulled too many on accident and they all fell over the floor!" He started to giggle. "Everyone laughed and laughed and laughed, all except Adam. He just sat there grumbling and crossing his arms like this." Stuart crossed his arms and pretended to pout.
Myrtle laughed and touched his arm. "Oh, Stuart. Such happy carny memories."
Skye nudged Rae. "Told you. I expect my bet money by morning."
Rae cleared her throat and walked into the living room. "Hello. I'm sorry we didn't make it to the Valley Inn." She looked back at Skye. "A little miscommunication going on…"
"Oh, we had a marvelous time." Myrtle grinned. "Stuart was sharing all of his visits to the carnival as a child with his brother and sister. And how he sold some artwork at the Pine Valley Fair a few years ago."
"And Myrtle told me all about her carnival days too," Stuart said. "I think we should all go to one this summer! We should bring Scott and JR and Colby and Hayley and the new baby too."
Skye rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, that sounds just peachy."
"I better head home," Stuart said, but turned to Myrtle. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Rae's mouth dropped slightly. "You're seeing each other again?"
"Yes," Myrtle said. "We're having brunch together after church."
Skye smirked at Rae and grabbed Stuart's arm as he walked past her. "Wait, Uncle Stuart. You have to talk to Daddy. He cut me off."
Stuart frowned. "Cut you off? Why would he do that?"
"I don't know, but I have no money now." Skye started to cry. "You have to talk to him. Otherwise, I'm going to end up homeless and freezing on the street all alone."
"Oh, settle yourself!" Myrtle snapped. "You don't even pay rent here and the food is free."
"You will always have a place to live, between my place and Mama's," Rae added. "You'll never be alone."
"In fact," Myrtle said. "I think this is best thing your father has ever done for you."
Skye's mouth dropped slightly. "How?"
"Because now you can get out there and look for a job," Myrtle said. "And this time it won't just be a hobby and something to kill your time writing nasty articles about people that aren't true. This time you'll work to actually save money."
"But I've never had to save money before," Skye said. "And who is going to hire me? Neither Viki or Daddy are going to give me a good reference. And I doubt Grandfather will take me back at ELQ after I quit on him."
"I noticed they are hiring waitresses at the Pancake Palace, you could start there," Myrtle suggested.
Skye gawked at her for several seconds. "A waitress job? As in servant work? Excuse me, but whether I'm a Chandler or a Quartermaine, I am nobody's servant. In fact, I think it's best I move back into the Quartermaine Mansion."
Rae threw her head back.
"But Skye," Stuart said sadly. "I was so very happy that you were back in Pine Valley. You know it's hard for me to travel without Adam. Otherwise, I would've visited you lots in Llanview. We have such exciting plans to make daisy chains and to go to the carnival. I would be very sad if you left so soon. And you seem so happy here with Myrtle and Rae."
Skye raised an eyebrow. "I do?"
He nodded. "Please stay. If you don't want to work at the Pancake Palace, you should come work for me at the gallery." His face lit up. "We'd have so much fun working together. You could give tours or work the cash register, whatever you want. You can even just work part-time and get back into singing again if you want. I miss hearing you sing."
"I didn't know you liked to sing, Skye," Rae said.
"I haven't sang in years," Skye mumbled. "I don't even sing in the shower anymore. But okay, I'll stay here and work at the gallery."
Rae sighed in relief.
Stuart beamed.
After Rae and Stuart left, Skye went to bed. She was abruptly awoken at midnight when she received an Amber Alert on her phone. Colby Chandler had gone missing from her room less than two hours ago.
Ring. Ring.
Unknown caller again. With a shaky hand, she pressed her phone to her ear. "What have you done with my sister?"
"I waited for you to go home and shred the note, but you didn't comply," the automated voice came through. "Therefore, the youngest Chandler is paying for your mistake."
Her heart sped up. "What are you watching my grandmother's house? What kind of a sick freak are you?"
"You will watch your tongue and listen carefully. You will change into your most casual clothes—"
"I don't have casual clothes."
"Then pants. Once you're changed, you will tuck the cut-up note and picture you threw in the garbage inside your pocket. Then you will climb out your window and climb in through the window to Myrtle's den."
"But it's a blizzard outside and the windows are frozen! I could fall."
"You will do as I say without complaining or else the next member of your family I'll take, is the Quartermaine matriarch."
"But Grandmother is the kindest soul ever next to Uncle Stuart," Skye said.
"Once you're inside of Myrtle's den," the automated voice continued. "You will find her shredder right next to her desk and you will shred the note and the picture until it's unrecognizable."
"Okay, fine. Then you'll take Colby home?"
"Then you will await further instructions."
Skye groaned when he hung up on her again. She quickly changed into some pants and a blouse and slipped on a pair of flats since her boots were downstairs and tucked the remains of the note and picture in her pocket. She opened the window and stepped onto the slippery roof hip. "This is insane…" She shivered and shimmied herself across until she reached Myrtle's den. She lowered herself inside and trampled in some snow as she made her way to the shredder. She turned it on and began to push the remains of the note and picture through. But it made a loud motor sound and within seconds, Myrtle burst through the door.
"Skye Chandler, what on earth do you think you're doing?" Myrtle crossed her arms.
Skye gaped at her and turned off the shredder. "I… uh… I just wanted to shred something."
"At 12 o'clock at night?" She stared at Skye's went feet, and her eyes traced the snow trailing from the opened window.
Skye gulped. There was absolutely no way to explain this without Myrtle thinking she's lost it.
