Stolen by My Holy Mother

My mom loves using me as her bargaining chip to buy her way into heaven. My haute couture dresses, my original sketches, my entire trust fund allowance—the second I look away, she hands them off to her church buddies or broke relatives. All in the name of "saving souls." Whenever I snap, she just acts all smug and self-righteous. "You ungrateful brat! I’m earning brownie points with God for you! It's the only way you’ll ever get into heaven!" The night before my final pitch for Global Lead Designer at L'Étoile, I warned her again and again. I told her not to touch a single thing of mine. Late that night, I caught her trying to sneak my car keys to our neighbor. I rushed over and snatched them back. She just stood there, acting totally innocent. "Your cousin and her friends are going to the new Disney resort tomorrow. She just wants to borrow the car. Is taking the early subway going to kill you?" "Do more good deeds, and God will bless you with that Lead Designer job." I shook with pure rage. "Taking two subways to HQ takes a full hour and a half! Tomorrow's pitch is my entire career! Do you even care?!" "Mom, I’m dead serious. You touch my car today, and we are done. Permanently." She muttered curses under her breath and slammed her bedroom door. The next morning, I saw my sports car still sitting in the garage. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Then I looked at my desk, and my blood ran ice-cold— My briefcase was gone. The one with my exclusive sketches, my encrypted flash drive, and my pitch credentials. Completely gone. I let out a bitter laugh. She thought she could hold my life hostage forever in the name of "holy virtue." But little did she know, this time, I’m kicking open the gates of hell for her. Since she’s so desperate to get into heaven, I’ll personally send her to prison to cleanse her soul first! Chapter 1 "Mom! Where’s my black leather briefcase? My original pitch sketches and encrypted flash drive are in there!" I stood in the living room, shaking with rage. Only forty minutes left until the doors locked for the final pitch for Global Lead Designer at L'étoile. I gave five years of my life for this one chance. My mom, Evelyn, was sitting on the leather sofa with her legs crossed, sipping fresh coffee. "What are you screaming about this early?" She didn't even look up. "God teaches us to stay graceful. Acting like this is a sin." "I’m not kidding!" I rushed over and slammed my hand on the table. "That bag has a whole year of my designs! It has my only pass into the board meeting today! Where is it?!" I knew something was off last night when she tried to sneak my Porsche keys to my cousin. I lost it then and warned her not to touch any of my things, or I’d call the police. She gave me some vague answer. Now the Porsche was still in the garage, but the briefcase on my desk was gone. "It’s just a bag. Do you really need to yell at me like a mad dog?" Evelyn set her cup down, her voice cold and unbothered. "I don't know what bag you’re talking about. You lost it yourself. Don't blame me for your mistakes." She acted totally innocent and leaned back in her seat. "You don't know?" I let out a bitter laugh and pulled out my phone. "Fine. I have a hidden camera in my room. I’ll call the cops right now and pull the footage. If you took it, that's grand larceny. You’ll be in jail for years!" When she heard "cops" and "jail," Evelyn’s calm face cracked. She cared about her holy, pure image in the church more than anything else. "You ungrateful brat! You want to send your own mother to prison?!" She snapped, jumping up and poking me hard in the forehead. "I took it! But I did it to earn you good karma with God!" An ice-cold chill ran straight down my spine. "What did you do with it?!" I glared at her. "Our neighbor Mrs. Smith’s granddaughter is studying fashion design too. The poor girl had no ideas and was crying her eyes out." Evelyn sounded totally justified, almost proud. "Mrs. Smith came over to pray with me this morning, so I lent her your bag. She’s just copying it for inspiration. What’s the big deal?" "Inspiration? Those are my unreleased haute couture designs! L'étoile owns the copyright! If they leak, I could be sued for millions or go to jail!" Tears of rage filled my eyes as I screamed, "Without that drive and pass, I can't even get into the building! Are you insane?!" "Watch your tongue! How dare you call your mother crazy?!" Evelyn slapped the table, her eyes wide. "Good deeds cleanse your soul! Show some generosity to our church members, and God will bless you with that Lead Designer spot! You really think your stupid drawings are going to get you there?" "Tell Mrs. Smith to bring it back! Now!" I couldn't listen to her crazy brainwashing anymore. I checked my watch. 8:35 AM. Morning traffic would take at least twenty minutes. I was losing my mind. "What’s the rush?" Evelyn rolled her eyes and sent a quick voice message. "Mrs. Smith said she’ll send it back with a courier within ten minutes. Just sit there and wait!" I forced down the urge to scream and stood by the door with my fists clenched. The clock kept ticking. Every second was chewing away at my nerves. I kept telling myself that as long as it got here in twenty minutes, I could floor it in my Porsche and still make it. Ding-dong— The doorbell broke the silence. My eyes lit up. I didn't even wait for the security panel to unlock—I just yanked the door open! Standing outside was a courier in a bright yellow uniform. He handed me a sleek black box and smiled. "Good morning. Rush delivery for a new briefcase from Mrs. Smith. Sign here, please." Chapter 2 I snatched the box, ripped it open, and stared inside. It was completely empty. A brand-new leather bag, identical to mine. No encrypted drive. No design sketches. Not even a single piece of scrap paper. "Why the hell did Mrs. Smith send this?! Where is my actual briefcase?!" I spun around and glared at Evelyn. "What are you screaming about? Mrs. Smith was being thoughtful!" Evelyn got up from the couch and smoothed down the new bag with a satisfied look. "She thought your old leather bag looked cheap, so she bought you a brand-new one out of her own pocket. As for your little sketches and flash drive, her granddaughter isn't done looking at them. She'll give them back in a few days." "A few days?!" All the blood rushed to my head. My eyes felt like they were going to burst. "My pitch is at nine today! Without my sketches and pass, I get automatically disqualified!" "Then get disqualified! With your reputation in fashion, can't you just wing it?" Evelyn waved her hand like it was no big deal, totally shameless. "Don't be so selfish. Helping that poor girl get some design inspiration is the greatest good deed you could ever do." I didn't have time to argue with this crazy woman. I turned on my heel and sprinted toward the garage. If I floored it in my Porsche right now, I could make it to HQ, find a high-level manager, and get a temporary pass. Even if I had to pitch verbally, I wasn't giving up! I hit the garage door opener, jumped into the Porsche, and slammed my foot on the gas. A bright red warning light flashed on the dashboard. Battery: 0%. "No, no, no!" I pounded the steering wheel like crazy. "I fully charged it last night!" Evelyn walked into the garage, leaning against the doorframe with a smug smile. "Oh, I woke up at five this morning to attend morning prayer at the Church of Holy Light. Your sports car drives so smooth, so I took it to pick up and drop off our church sisters all over town. As for last night, didn't you know the neighborhood sent out a notice? The charging grid went down for routine maintenance at eight, so the power was cut off hours ago!" "Evelyn! Are you even my real mother?!" I completely broke down, screaming at her through my tears. "Why do you have to ruin my life over and over again?!" "When I was seven, you stripped off my winter coat to 'show love' to a homeless man! I nearly froze to death in the snow and spent two weeks in the ICU!" "When I was twelve, my blood sugar crashed on the street! I was holding a piece of emergency chocolate, but you snatched it out of my hand to feed a stray dog! I went into shock and ended up in the ICU again!" "And now, on the biggest pitch of my life, you give away my designs and drain my car's battery!" Tears streamed down my face, hitting the steering wheel as my whole body shook violently. Evelyn just scowled, her eyes as cold as a snake. "You ungrateful brat! Everything I do is to wash away your sins! Without the massive good deeds I earned for you, you would’ve died on that hospital bed years ago!" I pulled out my phone and opened the rideshare app. A red warning popped up: High Demand. Estimated wait time: 45 minutes. I checked my watch in pure despair: 8:42 AM. Driven into a corner, my shaking fingers dialed 911. "911, what is your emergency?" the dispatcher's voice came through loud and clear. "This is Chloe, a lead designer at L'étoile! My confidential commercial documents were stolen! I'm being held against my will on 8th Street, and I need emergency police escort to a critical meeting at nine! My location is—" Tears of hope had barely welled up in my eyes when a sudden shadow lunged at me from the side. Evelyn charged forward out of nowhere, her face twisted in rage, and slapped my wrist with all her strength! SMACK! The iPhone flew through the air in a hopeless arc and landed with a loud splash right into the freezing swimming pool in the yard. Chapter 3 "God only purifies your soul when you abandon worldly greed and vanity!" Evelyn said, dusting off her hands, her eyes cold as a stranger's. "Calling the cops? You're sinning against God!" "Get the hell away from me! Stop sickening me with your hypocritical cult logic!" I completely snapped. I slapped her hands away and sprinted toward the neighborhood entrance like my life depended on it. 8:45 AM. Morning rush hour traffic was deadlocked. I ran out to the curb like a lunatic, waving my arms frantically at passing cars, even standing right in front of them with my arms wide open. "Who can drive me to L'étoile HQ?! I'll pay ten grand! A hundred grand! Anything!" Finally, the light turned red at the intersection. Hearing my massive cash offer, a few drivers rolled down their windows, genuinely interested. But before I could make a deal with anyone, Evelyn came sprinting up behind me. Without hesitation, she threw herself right onto the pavement in front of every driver on the street! "Everyone, look! My own ungrateful daughter has lost her mind!" Evelyn wailed at the top of her lungs, her shrieks tearing through the morning air. "She’s risking her own mother's life over a few drawings and cheap fame! If you want to leave, run your own mother over first! Let God judge your filthy heart!" Drivers started slamming on their horns, creating a deafening chaos. Neighbors gathered around, pointing, whispering, and looking at us with disgust. "Isn't that Evelyn? She seems so devout. Why is her daughter so crazy?" "Is this for TikTok? Forcing her own mother onto the road... kids do anything for clout these days." Their harsh words stabbed my back like knives. I shook violently, tears burning my eyes. "Hey sweetie, get in!" Lisa, a nice neighbor from the next street over, pulled up to the curb and popped open her passenger door, waving at me frantically. "Lisa! Please lend me your phone!" I rushed over, holding onto her door like a lifeline, tears streaming down my face. "She threw my phone into the pool!" I took her phone and dialed 911 without hesitation. The second the dispatcher picked up, I screamed at the top of my lungs right in front of Evelyn and the crowd: "911?! I need to report a felony! Someone broke into my house and stole millions of dollars in confidential design sketches and encrypted drives! This is grand larceny! The suspect might destroy the evidence—send patrol cars right now!" When she heard "grand larceny" and "send patrol cars," Evelyn's face turned ghost-white! She cared about her holy, pure image in the church and neighborhood more than anything else. If the police searched Mrs. Smith’s house, it wouldn't just ruin Mrs. Smith. It would blow up into a massive scandal for the Church of Holy Light! "You ungrateful bitch! How dare you try to ruin the church's reputation?!" Evelyn went crazy. She lunged forward like a rabid animal, her long nails tearing through my wrist as she tried to snatch the phone from my hands. "Give me the phone! Hang up! Hang up right now!" I used my back to block her, shouted my exact location into the phone, and slammed the end call button. A few minutes later, sirens blared in the distance. A black-and-white patrol car slammed to a halt at the curb. Two officers stepped out with hands on their holsters, instantly freezing the crowd. "I'm the one who called! She stole my commercial assets!" I shoved Evelyn away and rushed toward them. "The thief is right next door at Mrs. Smith’s house! She stole my confidential sketches owned by L'étoile!" Before I could finish, Evelyn threw herself at the officer’s feet, sobbing loudly and grabbing his pant leg with a twisted face. "Officers! Don't listen to this crazy girl! Nobody stole anything! She's having a psychotic breakdown! She called 911 for a livestream prank to chase clout online! Our whole family is devout believers in the Church of Holy Light—how could we steal?!" The officer's brow furrowed. He turned to me, his eyes guarded and dead serious. "Ma'am, grand larceny is a serious charge. Before we search anyone's home, we need to verify your identity. Show us your driver's license and your L'étoile employee badge right now." Chapter 4 Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water. All my IDs were in that stolen briefcase! My phone was at the bottom of the pool. I couldn't even prove that I was Chloe, Lead Designer at L'étoile! Evelyn saw my pale face, her panic instantly vanishing into a cruel, triumphant smile. She adjusted her shawl, stepped closer, and called out so the whole street could hear: "Go ahead then! Show them your proof!" The officer's eyes turned completely cold when he saw my pale face and lack of ID. "Ma'am, filing false police reports is illegal. Since this is a domestic issue, we're giving you a verbal warning," the officer said, glaring at me. "Stop wasting police time, or we will arrest you for disturbing the peace." "Officer, please!" My voice was raspy with rage. "My driver's license, badge, and sketches were in that briefcase! They took everything that proves who I am!" I pointed at Evelyn. "Just check neighbor Mrs. Smith’s house! The bag is right there!" He just gave me a cold look and turned away. The patrol car sped off, taking my last sliver of hope with it. Evelyn dusted off her long dress and let out a smug laugh. "See? Even the cops think you're crazy. It’s just a stupid work pitch. Miss it, and you can apply next year! Learn to accept God’s plan." "Shut the hell up!" My last remaining thread of sanity snapped. I lunged forward and shoved her with all my strength! Evelyn threw herself onto the ground and started screaming at the top of her lungs. "She hit me! My own daughter hit me! Everyone, look at this heartless bitch!" I stood in the middle of the crowd, trembling violently, completely drowning in grief and despair. Just then, a black sedan slammed its brakes at the curb. Mrs. Smith sprinted out, clutching my black leather briefcase, completely out of breath. "Chloe! I'm so sorry! I freaked out when I saw the cops," Mrs. Smith said, wiping cold sweat off her forehead as she shoved the bag into my arms. "I'm done with it. Take it back!" In that instant, I felt like I was pulled off death row. My heart pounded in my chest! "Lisa, I don't need the phone anymore!" I grabbed the briefcase and pressed it against my chest. I turned and screamed at Mrs. Smith, "Can you drive me to L'étoile headquarters?! Fast!" "Yes! Get in!" Mrs. Smith nodded frantically and pulled the car door open. She drove like a madwoman. At 8:58 AM, the car slammed to a halt right in front of the L'étoile building. Mark, the senior executive assistant, was pacing nervously at the entrance. The second he saw me, he ran over and yanked the car door open. "Chloe! Where the hell have you been?! The board is waiting for you! You have two minutes!" "I'm here! I have the sketches!" Holding the briefcase tight, I sprinted right behind Mark into the executive elevator. 32nd floor. Executive Conference Room. I slammed through the double doors just one minute before they locked. Top executives and international board members lined both sides of the long table. The CEO glared at me coldly. "Chloe, you're late. If you can't blow us away right now, this meeting is over." "I'm sorry. I'm ready!" I took a deep breath, forcing my racing heart to slow down. I slammed the briefcase onto the center of the conference table and unzipped it. The next second, the air in the room froze. Instead of my encrypted flash drive, sketches, and clearance pass, it was filled with nothing but a stack of yellowed newspapers and blank paper! The entire board erupted into chaos.