Chapter 19:

Suddenly, Grace understood their scheme: they'd summoned her to pay her grandmother's medical bills. She suspected they'd rehearsed their pleas.

Sure enough, after Old Mr. Kelleigh finished speaking, her first uncle immediately interjected, "Dad, we're broke. I can't even afford my son's wedding; that's why Hogan's wedding has been delayed."

Her second uncle chimed in, "Yes, Dad, we have no money!" He then turned to Grace bitterly. "Grace, if our family weren't poor, we wouldn't have considered marrying you into the Miller family."

"So your poverty justifies marrying me off to a fool? Do you have that right?" Grace retorted coldly.

Before her second uncle could respond, her first uncle, with a disgruntled expression, said, "Your cousins are unmarried; they need to continue the Kelleigh line. Grandmother has always been kind to you. Shouldn't you repay her? Besides, you've been to prison; it's fortunate someone's willing to marry you!"

"Grandmother was kind, not you. Why should I repay you with my body?" Grace scoffed. "Some people are so selfish—always demanding from others, never considering what they've given."

Her third aunt, seizing the opportunity, said triumphantly, "Since you say Grandmother was good to you, you should contribute to her medical expenses."

Grace wasn't surprised. She remained silent, waiting for her aunt to continue.

"Grace, you should have told us you know a wealthy man. This misunderstanding could have been avoided. We just want you to have someone to rely on," her aunt explained.

Stella, Grace's cousin, added sourly, "I don't know where you found your luck, Grace. This important man—does he know about your prison record? Are you hiding something from him?" Stella had only heard descriptions of the man from her uncles and was consumed with jealousy. Why did Grace have such a powerful protector? Shouldn't all men scorn a woman with a prison record?

Grace offered only a cold smile.

Her third aunt sighed at her daughter, then addressed Grace. "Since you have someone to support you, you're clearly not short of money. Why not cover all of Grandmother's medical expenses? We've been visiting the hospital, so you should reimburse us for travel and meals. We need to hire a caretaker to help her eat, drink, and use the toilet. This will cost approximately $200,000 a year. We'll address any future increases later."

After her aunt finished, Old Mr. Kelleigh concluded, "Grace, transfer $200,000 to your uncle's account."

"I refuse," Grace stated flatly.