Chapter 2
Phoebe had long since stopped caring about her biased family. To her, it was like they didn't even share the same blood. When she was just a kid, Jamar had lost her, plain and simple. She ended up in the hands of human traffickers, nearly sold into a brothel. Her life had nearly been ruined beyond fixing. If it hadn't been for a stranger who saved her and took her in, she didn't even want to think about where she'd be now.
The words Phoebe threw at the Jenkins family hit them like a punch to the gut. They stood there, faces frozen in shock. They never saw it coming. Never thought Phoebe would cut them off so coldly—no second-guessing, no hesitation, not even a backward glance.
Sienna curled up in Lydia's arms, her face a fall of guilt as she threw nervous looks at Phoebe. “No, I should be the one leaving. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to take anything from you. I just really wanted that part, and that’s why Leon came to you.”
“Now, I don’t even want it anymore, so you don’t have to feel bad. I don’t want Mom, Dad, or the boys stressing over this because of me.”
Her fake apology was pure manipulation—acting all sweet and self-sacrificing, trying to make it seem like she wasn’t stealing anything from Phoebe. But underneath, she was planting the idea that Phoebe was just being dramatic, throwing a fit to get her way.
As expected, the Jenkins family’s faces grew even darker, the tension thickening like a storm about to break. Phoebe locked eyes with Sienna, unflinching, and tore through her act without mercy. “Cut the innocent crap. I’m not falling for it.”
She’d stopped caring about “family loyalty” a long time ago, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to sugarcoat things now. Phoebe said, her voice cold and razor-sharp, “You’ve been pulling this ‘I’ll leave’ stunt for years, but guess what? You never actually do. Your fake retreats make me want to vomit, and honestly, it’s pathetic that anyone still falls for it.”
“You don’t need to come to me for anything. One word from you, and the whole Jenkins clan would bend over backward to give you whatever the hell you want. So don’t bother with those guilty looks—I don’t give a damn what these people think of me anymore.”
Her words sliced through the air like a blade, leaving an even darker cloud hanging over the Jenkins family. Sienna’s face flushed a dozen shades as she fought to keep her anger in check, wrapping her arms around Lydia, with a touch of resentment. “Mom, I swear I didn’t do it. Don’t listen to a damn word she’s saying about Dad, you, or the boys.”
Inwardly, she fumed, “What the hell is wrong with Phoebe today? Is she loving it! How dare she come at me like that?” Despite feeling attacked, Sienna knew Phoebe’s outburst would only make the family turn against her even more, so she decided to keep her cool.
As expected, Lydia was seething, nearly on the verge of fainting. “Phoebe, what the hell are you saying? Where’s your respect?” Phoebe just shrugged, completely unfazed. “Respect? Yeah, I was born with you, but you didn’t raise me. So I guess my respect got eaten by the dog.”
The room went dead silent as the Jenkins family stood there, too stunned to respond. Lydia’s face was clouded with disappointment as she stared at Phoebe. “You’re still holding a grudge, aren’t you? Did we make a mistake bringing you back?”
“We’ve done everything we can for you this past year, trying to make things right. What more do you want? Why can’t you and Sienna just get along like normal sisters?”
Her tone hardened. “Even though you’re our biological daughter, Sienna’s been with us all these years. She’s part of this family—she’s my daughter too, and that’s not gonna change.”
Phoebe used to let those words sting, but now they didn’t even touch her. “What have I ever tried to fight for? Since I got here, you and Sienna have been on my case every damn second.”
“No matter what I do, you make it out like I’m trying to get attention or steal something. If you’re that paranoid, go see a shrink. I’m done with your bullshit.”
She reached into her bag, pulled out a bank card, and slapped it down on the table. “Here’s the so-called ‘compensation’ you threw at me. I haven’t touched a single damn cent. And all that crap the butler bought? Keep it. I’ll pay you back in cash for whatever I used.”
There were 300 thousand dollars on the card, and Phoebe hadn’t spent a dime. She then tossed a piece of paper onto the table. “I’ve been living here for over a year, and I haven’t spent more than 30 thousand dollars. There’s the breakdown. I’ve just wired 30 thousand dollars to this card. From now on, we’re done. You owe me nothing. I owe you nothing.”
Phoebe thought to herself, If money can fix it, it’s not a real problem. She’d squared away the financial side of things, but deep down, she knew the emotional scars would never really heal. Her blunt, no-nonsense attitude left the Jenkins family in stunned silence, realizing she was serious.
Lydia, still in disbelief that the usually passive Phoebe was acting out like this, slammed her hand on the table, her face burning with rage. “Fine, if you want to leave so badly, then get the hell out! But if you walk out that door today, don’t ever think about coming back.”
She was convinced, just like Sienna had said, that Phoebe was bluffing—just trying to get them to fold. There was no way her own daughter would really walk out on the family. And deep down, Lydia had the sinking feeling that if Phoebe did leave, there’d be no going back. She didn’t actually want Phoebe to leave; she just wanted to warn her not to push it too far.
The rest stayed silent, clearly backing Lydia up. Phoebe got it right away—they figured she wouldn’t really walk out on the house. “If I’m going, I’m not looking back.” With that, she grabbed her suitcase and left without a hint of hesitation.
Elliot called after her, trying to reel her back. “Alright, that’s enough. Sienna already turned down that spot on the show, and from here on out, I’ll have your second brother find you better gigs.”
Family was family, after all. They couldn’t just let her walk out for good. Phoebe stopped and shot him a cold look. “Oh, so you’re trying to buy me off with a few gigs now?”
Elliot frowned. “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to know that now that we’ve found you, we’re ready to make up for lost time.”
Phoebe let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, how generous. I’ve already gotten my fill of your cold shoulders, complaints, and eye-rolls this past year. Sorry if I’m not jumping at the chance for your kindness.”
Elliot faltered, at a loss for words as he saw her unyielding expression. Finally, he let out a sigh. “Fine. What do you want, then?”
Wrapped up in his work, he realized he had indeed let Phoebe slip through the cracks over the last year. Phoebe’s voice was firm and sharp. “I want a clean break. Simple as that. No more calls, no more anything. I’m done.”
Elliot’s face twisted with anger, and her five brothers didn’t look any happier. Especially Jamar, who looked at her with a storm of guilt and frustration. “So, that’s it? You’re just going to blame me for everything. You’re just trying to force us to bend over backwards so you can one-up Sienna.”
Phoebe glared at him, her voice ice-cold. “Blame you? You’re damn right I blame you. You’re the one who lost me in the first place! Because of you, I ended up with human traffickers—I almost wound up in a damn brothel!” Her voice shook with barely suppressed rage. “Am I supposed to be grateful for that ‘gift’ you gave me?”
Jamar’s face went pale. “I didn’t mean for any of that to happen,” he stammered. “I had no idea you almost… went through that.”
Phoebe raised an eyebrow, her words cutting. “Oh, so you didn’t mean it, and that just makes it all better? Doesn’t change the fact you lost me and messed up my whole life.”
She could barely think about it without feeling that sting. Sure, since she’d been back, Jamar had tried to make amends, more than her other brothers or even her parents, but every single time she clashed with Sienna, Jamar didn’t hesitate to take Sienna’s side.
Phoebe sighed inwardly. A brother that selfish and biased? Whoever wants him can have him, but I sure as hell don't.