Member-only story
Money Couldn’t Fill the Hole in His Heart
First Line Fiction Contest — Honorable Mention
When she began her search for the truth, she couldn’t have imagined the rabbit hole it would send her down. Rebecca Stanton crumpled the eviction notice so rudely taped to her door.
He is who he is.
It was Bentley Brigg’s idea for his daughter, Rebecca, to live at Tree Flower Village. He owned the complex, and like a king granting a wish, he reduced her rent as long as she played by the rules.
“It’ll be perfect. You’ll only be a hop, skip, and a jump from my office,” he’d announced, handing her the keys to a first-floor unit. “You and I are gonna do huge things, kid. We’ll take the New York housing market by storm!”
She’d nodded with a small smile, trying not to rock the boat. Rebecca’s first hurdle was earning her law degree from New York University, and what she did after that was her decision, despite what her father implied.
But defying her dad’s wishes came with a price.
Bentley Briggs wanted to be more than another blue-collar worker struggling to make a buck, but he learned early on that what he didn’t have in the bank, he could make up for in looks. It’s only a matter of time until I find the right woman and my financial woes are over.
