Chapter 18
Mira stayed in the hospital for three days, which also served as a way to escape the public scrutiny.
Celine and Liora stayed with her the entire time.
The Mercer family didn’t punish Mara for framing Mira. Instead, they blamed Mira for airing the family’s dirty laundry and for her refusal to clear Mara’s name, which they claimed had damaged Mara’s reputation and caused the Mercer Group’s stock to fall.
But Mira no longer cared about any of that.
The debit card Ethan had given her at the hospital didn’t have much money on it, only a hundred thousand dollars, which was what her monthly allowance used to be. But now, she had to budget every single cent.
Mira knew that if she didn’t do as the Mercers demanded, they would cut her off completely.
When Mira was discharged, the Mercer family didn’t arrange for a car to pick her up. That was fine by her; she didn’t plan on going back just yet.
She had wanted to open her own bank account to withdraw the money from the card and deposit it into her own, just in case something happened with Ethan and she ended up with nothing. Unfortunately, her ID was still at the house. Celine and the others had rushed her to the hospital, so she hadn’t brought anything with her. She would have to deal with it tomorrow.
Mira found a high-end apartment complex across from her school called Emberline Residences and rented a small, two-bedroom, 800-square-foot unit.
The apartment was on the twelfth floor and came fully furnished, ready for move-in. Most importantly, it was a secure building in a good neighborhood.
The rent and a one-month security deposit cost her thirty-six hundred dollars. She didn’t know when the final break with her family would happen, but given Mara’s personality, she would surely convince them to leave Mira penniless. At least now, she wouldn’t be homeless. She could also use the opportunity to move her most cherished belongings here for safekeeping.
Next, she bought a new laptop and a new phone, spending ten thousand dollars. She took the opportunity to transfer all the data from her old devices. She figured she probably wouldn’t be able to take her old phone and computer with her when she left, and she wanted nothing more to do with the Mercer family anyway.
She had just over eighty thousand dollars left. It would be enough to cover her living expenses for a while and serve as startup capital.
After getting a bite to eat and buying some snacks, she took a taxi back to the Mercer residence.
When she returned, the family was having dinner. Her brothers weren’t there; only Adrian, Lacey, and Mara were at the table.
Lacey was placing some food on Mara’s plate. “This is nutritious. Eat more, so you can get your strength back p>
Adrian glanced at Mira before lowering his head to continue eating.
Lacey started to call out to Mira but stopped when she received a warning look from
her husband. She sighed and said nothing more.
Mara simply pretended not to see her.
Mira ignored them all and went straight upstairs.
Only after she had passed did Mara look up, feigning surprise. “Oh, sister, you’re
back. You haven’t eaten, have you p>
Adrian shot a glance in the direction Mira had gone. “Just ignore her p>
She didn’t even greet her own parents when she walked in. She had no manners at
all. She really needed to be taught a lesson.
Mira entered her bedroom, closed
ет
the door, and after freshening up, she began to pack. She opened a bottom drawer and took out her ID, student card, and other important documents. These were her top prority without them, she couldn’t do anything.
From between a stack of clothes, she pulled out a jewelry box. Then, she unfolded a
heavy coat and retrieved two designer bags.
These were now the most valuable
things in Mira’s room. After the bracelet incident, at Mara’s urging Lacey had come in and personally
taken everything of value. Mira had
hidden these items, her favorites, in
hidden compartment in her closet,
and they had gone undiscovered.
She wrapped them carefully and placed them in the inner pocket of her backpack After adding a few of her favorite outfits, the backpack was full. She zipped it up an@tucked it away in the closet.
Next, she began to sort through her school materials and the books she absolutely
had to take. She would have to move those out later.