Chapter 4

The message ended with a hug emoji.

I closed the chat and nearly crushed my phone in my hand.

Like my parents? What right did she have to bring them up?

I shoved my phone into my pocket and stood at the side of the road, taking a deep breath. The wind blew past and made my eyes sting. However, I had no time to feel sorry for myself. There were things I needed to take care of before the weekend.

I had the forensic report on the sales contract, my bank transfer records, my cousin's credit report, and the timeline my lawyer had helped me put together. It covered everything from the year my parents died when I was ten up to the present, with every payment and every date laid out clearly.

I was not about to walk into this unprepared.

Before I even reached the front door, I could hear lively chatter and laughter coming from inside. Aunt Marlene's voice was the loudest of all. "Our Wade just got promoted to department manager. From now on, his monthly salary will be at least this much..."

She must have gestured with her hand, because a circle of relatives chimed in right away.

"Oh my, your Wade really has made something of himself."

"He sure has. Not like mine, who does nothing but play video games all day."

"You've done such a great job raising him."

I stood outside the door listening to all of it and found it painfully ironic. Done a great job raising him? The son she raised was blowing the money I had worked myself half to death for.

The moment I walked in, Aunt Marlene greeted me warmly, "Josie, you made it! You've lost weight. Have you been skipping meals again? Come, have some fruit. Dinner will be ready soon."

I smiled but did not move.

She turned and headed back into the kitchen, talking to the relatives as she went.

"This girl has never given me a moment of worry, but she's always been too independent for her own good. She works so hard out there on her own and still sends money home every month. I keep telling her she doesn't have to, but she insists."

The relatives nodded along.

"Josie really is such a sensible girl."

"She is. She knows how to be grateful. It wasn't easy for her aunt to raise her."

"She's a lot better than mine, that's for sure."

As I listened, I slowly clenched the fabric over my knees.

Sensible and grateful. I had been hearing those words for more than ten years, and every time, they made me feel as though I owed Aunt Marlene a debt I could never repay in my lifetime.

Only now did I know that the debt had never existed. The gratitude she demanded from me had been built on a scam.

Dinner was soon on the table. The relatives showered her with compliments as they ate, and the mood was festive. Meanwhile, the fire burning in my chest made it hard to breathe.

I set down my fork and slowly looked up. "Aunt Marlene, do I still have a debt to pay this month?"

The noise around the table went quiet for a moment.

Aunt Marlene froze, then quickly laughed it off. "Oh, sweetheart, why bring that up at dinner?"

"I just want to know which lender is asking for the money."

Aunt Marlene's smile stiffened, and Wade froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. The whole table suddenly turned tense.

Aunt Marlene let out an awkward laugh. "Didn't I already tell you? The lenders don't want to be contacted. All you need to do is pay."

"I've been paying for four years now. I'd like to know how much I've paid off and how much is left."

Aunt Marlene waved a hand. "You're almost done now, sweetie. Stop worrying about all that. Would your own aunt lie to you?"

Her eyes flickered as she said it.

The relatives around the table jumped in to smooth things over.

"She's right, Josie. Your aunt raised you all these years. Why would she ever hurt you?"

"She carried the whole burden for you all that time!"

"Why go looking for the lenders out of nowhere? What if they start harassing a young woman like you? Your aunt is only looking out for you!"

Looking out for me? That was the very excuse she had used for years to keep me pinned down.

I lowered my eyes, and the corner of my mouth twitched. Then I slowly stood up and took my phone out of my bag. "I came here today to show everyone something. While I'm at it, I'd also like to know whose pockets the money I've been paying for four years has really been lining."