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“That naul and et where you came from?” she questioned, and my head whipped back to her And with no shame, she stared back “Do you think it is by accident or just pure love that your mother is married to Neal Callahan? No Melody Callahan chose your mother to make sure Neal didn’t end up with someone she did not trust Before that, as Mina? I can’t even remember your mother’s maiden name, and my memory is solid Your ht out of poverty, worked every day of her life so she could go to a good university and provide for her daughter, you And guess where all her hard work got her? A job as Melody Callahan’s assistant Melody, who didn’t even go to a university, but soe in the raduated But even still, she ended up the governor of the goddaht it up, no one questioned it Why? Because she was Melody Callahan Because that na hard work Do you really think ould have anything we have today without the last name Callahan?”

“You make it sound like no one from poverty ever makes it to wealth It’s been done It can be done Hard work can—”

She rolled her eyes “I’ billions on top of billions Of the five hundred largest publicly-traded companies in this country alone, there are only four women of color as CEOs Two of them are my mother and me Do you want to kno many Asian women are on that list?”

“I’ the heat and pain in ain

“We bon here because people will bon to us everywhere else It doesn’t matter how smart we are It doesn’t matter how hard ork Without that name, ould not be where we are today, and you know it Which is why you still identify as Ms Callahan instead of Mrs Khan”

“Is that the reason? Maybe we’d all be happier with a few million instead of billions Maybe less is better”

“If that is the case, why are you in Chicago and not Seoul? Why aren’t you happy being just Mrs Khan?” she shot back, and I didn’t answer her So, she went on “Having power, keeping power, being at the very top of the totem pole, co, get out of the way That’s the way the world works You don’t change it by bitching orto readjust with her here”

“I need to get stitches for rumbled

“Do it, the

n take a few ize,” she de tired of her condescending lectures

“I—”

“Before you snap at lared, “think about Sedric Think about your father and your mother You just think You want to start a civil war inside because of your pride? I’ll let you know right noill not be on your side for it”

It felt likeripped out as I exhaled “I knew you were just as cold-hearted as Dona That’s why you tays got along so well You just never voiced it before Glad to see you are finally being yourself”

“You’re just saying that because you’re on the outside now and hurt When you’ve been welco to be best friends again Until then, no one will contact you Do not do anything stupid; I a you as your family”

Just like that, she got out of the car and, without a word, slammed the door behind her