Chapter 3 Some Things Never Change

Lexie gritted her teeth as she bent down to stuff the clothes that had spilled back into her suitcase and yanked the zipper shut. Then, she stood up and shot me another furious glare.

The anger in her eyes had intensified.

Then, she dragged her suitcase and followed Peter into his B&B.

I followed after them, which immediately caused him to frown.

"June, what are you doing? Are you trying to steal my customer?"

I ignored him and walked straight up to Lexie, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "Congratulations, Lexie. Looks like you found the right person to scam this time."

I didn't bother waiting for her to respond before turning around and heading back to my B&B, pulling the metal gate shut behind me.

…

After that day, I swiftly sold the B&B I'd spent years building.

As my business hadn't faced any public criticism or online harassment, I managed to sell the B&B that I'd spent blood, sweat, and tears to build for a good price.

The money I received was enough to cover my mother's medical treatment for a long time. So, I no longer had to worry about how I was going to afford her next hospital bill as I did in my previous life.

I visited my mother at the hospital every day, kept her company, and brought little jars of homemade cookies she loved.

One afternoon, she suddenly reached over to grab my hand while I was pushing her wheelchair through the hospital garden to enjoy the fresh air and warm sunshine. "June, Aunt Linda called me a couple of days ago."

My heart sank.

"What did she want?"

"She said you're petty, that you no longer treat Lexie like family."

She choked on a sob as she continued, "I felt so hurt when I heard that. When you were a kid, Linda came to us asking for money. Your father didn't hesitate to lend a hand. He immediately went straight to the bank and withdrew all our savings to help her.

"Lexie had just started college at the time, and they couldn't afford her tuition. So, your father quietly transferred 5,000 dollars to them. He expected nothing in return. Back then, Linda held my hand and promised she'd never forget what we'd done for her."

My mother sniffled and added, "Yet, what is she doing now? God, she turned on us just like that."

I gently patted my mother's hand, saying nothing.

Some people have a conscience so rotten that even the dogs wouldn’t touch it.

"Mom, forget it. We shouldn't waste our time on people like them. Besides, I have enough money for your treatment now, and that's what matters most."

Just then, my phone started buzzing with multiple notifications.

I unlocked it and saw that Lexie had sent me a series of pictures.

She'd sent nine photos of a beautifully furnished guest suite, along with a long message praising her stay.

"I've been staying at this B&B for three days now, and it's honestly amazing! The rooms are spotless, and everything is so comfortable. The owner is such a sweetheart. He even gave me his best room without charging me a dime!

"Unlike some people who run a B&B but won't even give their own cousin a glass of water."

It didn't take long for the rest of the family to jump in.

"June has taken this a step too far. Then again, she's always been petty even as a child."

"Kids these days only care about money. Family doesn't mean anything to them anymore."

"I've been telling you all for years that she's trouble. See? I told you so!"

Eventually, someone tagged me, saying, "June, why aren't you saying anything? Is there some kind of misunderstanding between you and Lexie?"

I read through the messages, but I didn't bother replying.

In my previous life, I'd spent hours trying to explain myself in that same group chat, crying the entire time. The more I told them, the more they twisted my words. In the end, I broke down after receiving several angry voice messages from them.

This time, I wanted to see how long they were going to keep this up.

So, I muted the group chat.

The next three months passed peacefully.

Still, I didn't stay completely idle as I checked the security cameras installed around the B&B.

Peter's business was average at best. Regardless, Lexie still stayed a full three days before leaving.

Before she left, she got into a heated argument with him because she refused to pay for her stay.

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched a resigned Peter lose his temper. Some things really never changed, it seemed.