Five Million Dollars To Erase You

ar crash, and seventeen-year-old Channing took me in a

ngs to him at eighteen, the look in his

brought home his socialite bride, Brenda

meless plagiarist, condem

emanding to know why he had stolen

rpiece for her show. She's my

preserve his own name and standing,

t a five-million-dollar check on the

is day on, we owe

pte

ia's

his wedding date to the media, I

d, what I got was him personally handing my private sketch collection to his fi

through the receiver, cle

m is ready for

aid, looking around my studio at the estate, half of it a

l family. But before you board, you should set things straight wit

llion dollars. Every cent he's spent on me

alked over to t

cture frame, coated wi

at on a wooden swing, head tipped back

white shirt, steadying the swing ropes, looking dow

killed instantly in a head-

business - he had funded his first ventu

enormous life-insurance payout, but not one of them was willing to t

a black suit and resolutely signed the guard

he gave me ev

air from online tutorials. Whenever I ran a fever, he would abandon a board

e walk-in closet with dresses made to my measurements, and ev

ep by step, into the most power

birthdays, my gratitude curdled into something e

birthday, Channing threw me

usiness partners and finally lay down

t beside him, and

es, I met his deep, dark ga

was swift a

ng to his feet, his eyes f

nough to freeze the air. "I raised you with my own hands. This

t of him, arguing back through tears. "You're only t

. "You're just a child. Take one more step over the line and I'l

dn't contr

ortrait I had painted myself as a confession. He tosse

tition and begged him for a chance, he slammed th

he brought Brend

socialite of some renown in the scene, and an up-a

riend, held her hand in front of me,

Channing said to the housekeeper that night, knowing full well I was stand

something inside

ssaging app, and sent a text to m

, can I come l

oto in my hands, I felt not the slightest stir

able, picked up my coat, and walked