Roofers.

36. Alabaster dollar signs.

Scarlett POV.

Mom came home as soon as she could after getting word from the school about what happened. She managed to get me out of my suspension after threatening to pull her funding out of the school. Let's just say Mr Garner would be on the search for a new job and they were more than happy to suspend my suspension.

Since arriving she'd barely said a word to me, she made dinner, and she left it on the kitchen counter for me. I didn't mind it too much; I guess maybe I would've done the same thing. I mean, it must be tough having a rebellious roofer with depression for an only child. It's funny, even though she was around now, the house still felt empty. That cold eeriness that graced the lonely walls of the mansion when no one was home was thick with its presence. Maybe even more than before.

So I guess you can imagine my shock when I saw her sitting alone at the counter, waiting patiently for me to eat the meal she'd made for me. She swirled the wine in her glass before gulping the rest of it down. Her head snapped towards me when she heard me coming in. And in an instant, she snapped her head away from me again as if she was ashamed of herself. Ashamed of me.

"I'm a terrible mother," she murmured quietly. "How could I have just left you alone here for so long and just assume it would just be okay? What kind of mother-"

There's a silence in the air as I contemplate whether to spare her emotions or not. She wasn't a terrible mother; if anything she was just a small inch away from being one. But she wasn't a good mother either. Some days she was one, and other's she was the other, but it never lasted long.

"I'm fine, mom. I spoke to dad about it, " I told her as I grabbed the foiled plate from the table. "Besides what happened was my fault, not yours."

"You don't tell me these things anymore." She commented.

"You're never around long enough," I replied. She huffed quietly, reaching for the bottle of wine that sat on the table in front of her.

"I know... I'm sorry" She dragged drunkenly, offering me a small smile. "I've spent so much time trying to build my company for you but I guess I forgot the most important part of that equation"

"What can I say. I'm very easy to forget". I commented as I watched her pitifully pouring another glass of red wine for herself. She took another long, dragging sip. Closing her tired eyes as she slumped into herself, leaning onto her arms before she looked at me once more.

"That's not what I said" she murmured.

"But it is what you meant. It's the truth, anyway, and you know it"

"That boy called you a roofer," My mother stated quietly.

"He did, ma" The valley ran thick in my accent.

"I'm so sorry, baby" she cooed. I didn't reply. I didn't know how.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," She told me, ignoring my backhanded comment as she patted the seat bar stool beside her for me to sit. I hesitantly made my way back to her, taking a seat right where she wanted. She sat up, laying her glass onto the table as she tried to conjure her thoughts. I started eating my food as I waited for her to speak.

"This whole thing had me thinking... I - I want you to take over Holloway Inc," I stated as she nervously looked over to me.

"You want me to take over the company?" I asked, failing to hide an ounce of shock. I'd always wanted to run her company someday, I just assumed she'd rather die before passing it over to me.

"Of course" she nodded. I wondered if it was the alcohol that had gotten to her head, made her say things she really didn't mean. But she seemed sober enough. I hadn't really thought of my mother ever giving me her company. In my mind, she was going to give it over to Malik, her most trusted COO of whom she spent most of her time with, anyway. Someone she trusted not to make rebellious decisions. Someone she could control, even from the sidelines. My mother, though a submissive, was a controlling woman in nature. In fact, if you didn't really know her you'd have assumed she was just as much a reverse as I was.