Rebury (The Cardigan Estate Book 35) by Emmy Ellis

Author:Emmy Ellis [Ellis, Emmy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Betty had learned to live under the shadow of the social services. Like she’d explained to the nice woman, Ingrid, who came to visit once a week, her job was just a job. It didn’t define her. It didn’t mean she was a bad person. It put dinner on the table. And, of course, drugs in Ezra’s system, although neither Betty nor Ingrid had openly acknowledged that by her giving him money, Betty was actually feeding his habit and, by design, committing child abuse.

But it seemed today was the day to bring that out into the open as Ingrid said, “You’re going to need to refuse to give him money. We both know he isn’t going to buy a new pair of trainers like he says, or a coat, or to go to the cinema. Cruel as this sounds, if he wants money, he’s going to have to get it for himself. A job, although he’ll likely steal again instead. When I spoke to him last, he was belligerent and put up a brick wall.”

“He only became a problem when he started hanging around with those lads.”

“He said the same, so he does understand where it all went wrong. It’s obvious to me that you’ve tried your best, and previous to him meeting those boys, Ezra was a decent kid. He’s had his head turned, and unfortunately, it means I’m here to talk you through ways to help him.”

“Which is, quite frankly, a waste of time because he won’t listen to us. I’ve tried to talk him round. I’ve even offered to move away, for us to start again, but he threatens to move out. The thought of him living somewhere with that lot churns my stomach.”

“But there’s nothing you can do to stop him. Sadly, our children grow up and realise they have rights. While he’s only young in our eyes, and incredibly naïve about how the world works, he’ll see himself as an adult. Do you think it would be of benefit if I offer him a place of his own? It would be a bedsit with a shared kitchen and bathroom and a house manager to oversee everything, but it’s a clean house. What I mean by that is there’s regular drug testing. You have to be clean in order to live there.”

The thought of Ezra moving out hurt Betty’s heart, but if it’d do him some good and get him back on the straight and narrow, she’d agree to anything. “He’s old enough, or he thinks he is, to make up his own mind. You can put it to him, but I’ve got a feeling he won’t agree. He doesn’t seem to think he’s addicted, or so he tells me anyway. All he’s bothered about is getting money for his next hit. I used to moan about him smelling of marijuana, but I wish that was all he took now. It’s gone too far, and I don’t know how to bring him back.”

“I’m coming to

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