Her Ticket to Prison Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Aunt Brenda delivered Kayla exactly on time.

Kayla was only ten years old, but she was already round as a beach ball.

She made a face at me.

"Mom said you have to obey me for the entire trip."

Aunt Brenda laughed awkwardly. "Mason, once you reach Bellhaven, just hand your cousin over to her father. Keep an eye on her during the trip. She's energetic, but easy enough."

I sneered inwardly.

Kayla wasn't energetic. She was a brat, plain and simple.

Endless energy, a real talent for destruction, no manners at all, and a full-blown princess complex.

Whenever she visited our home, she either broke one of my models or poured soda into Mom's prized houseplants.

Aunt Brenda always said the same thing. "Oh, she's a girl. A little spoiled just means she was born lucky. Kayla takes after me. She's got a charmed life ahead of her."

The moment Kayla entered the car, she planted her muddy shoes against the back of my seat and chewed gum loudly.

Aunt Brenda stood beside the window and handed me a bank card.

"Mason, there's fifteen thousand dollars available on this card. Buy whatever Kayla wants during the trip. Don't be stingy.

"But I can see every transaction, so don't think about buying anything for yourself."

She looked at me like I was already a thief. Beside her, Dad rubbed his hands together, embarrassed.

I accepted the card and smiled brightly. "Don't worry, Aunt Brenda. Every cent will be spent on Kayla."

Kayla became restless again at the airport.

While we waited for security, a young woman ahead of us wore an adorable character backpack.

Kayla stared at it for two seconds, then rushed forward, seized one strap, and yanked backward.

"Give it to me. I want it."

The woman stumbled and almost fell. She turned around in shock. "What are you doing?"

"It's mine. If I want something, it belongs to me."

Kayla refused to release the strap.

I calmly took out my phone and began recording.

The woman's face reddened with anger as she looked at me. "Are you her guardian? Control your child."

I spread my hands helplessly. "I'm sorry. I'm only her cousin. I don't have authority over her."

"Her family is wealthy, and her mother owns a large company. Before we left, she specifically warned me never to suppress Kayla's natural personality. Whatever Kayla wants, I have to give her.

"If I interfere, her mother will punish me when we return."

Kayla heard that and went in harder.

She released the strap and spat at the woman. "Poor loser. My mom has money. She'll pay you."

Then she pulled out the wad of spending money Aunt Brenda had stuffed in her pocket that morning and threw it into the woman's face.

Bills scattered across the floor.

Everyone nearby gasped.

"What kind of parenting produces this?"

"Money doesn't make you better than anyone."

I stepped forward, made a show of gathering up the cash, and dipped my head in apology.

"I'm truly sorry. Please take this and have your clothes cleaned. Don't argue with the child. Her mother isn't someone people like us can afford to cross."

The woman studied my humiliated expression, then Kayla's arrogance. She cursed us as lunatics, took the money, and stormed away.

Kayla looked at me triumphantly. "See? Mom says money can solve anything."

I patted her head and said gently, "Excellent work, Kayla. Your mother was absolutely right."