Chapter 3

The two of them kept badmouthing me nonstop, chatting away without caring about anything else. I cleared my throat, and only then did they notice me.

Mom's face fell when she saw me. "You finally decided to come back? It took you long enough to send the door code. Look at Tessa. She's so well-behaved, waiting quietly at the door this whole time."

Tessa looked a little awkward at being caught gossiping and called out hesitantly, "Kimberly?"

I stared at her, and that surge of hatred rose up from deep inside me.

I kept a cold expression, walked to the front door, and threw Tessa's luggage into the elevator. "You're not welcome here. Please go."

Tessa dropped all pretense. "What is this supposed to mean? I came to spend the summer with you out of kindness, and you just throw my things out? Do you have any manners?"

Mom joined in the scolding. "What's the point of all your education if you act like this?"

She tried to grab the luggage back. "Apologize to Tessa right now!"

I snapped, "This is my house. You have no right to make decisions for me."

Mom's face twisted with fury. "Well done, Kim. Now that you've got money, you don't even acknowledge your own family? How did I end up with an ungrateful brat like you? If I had known you would grow up to be this kind of person, I shouldn't have let you be born."

Tessa gave Mom a reassuring pat on the back, acting all innocent. "Aunt Florence, don't be mad. Kim's probably just in a bad mood. She's used to calling the shots at work, so she accidentally treated you like a subordinate."

Then she turned to me. "Kim, I'm just saying—even if you're making money now, you shouldn't treat your mom like this. I was only trying to keep you company since living alone can be lonely. If I had known you would be so hostile and make a fuss over me, I would never have come."

Mom grabbed my hand and tried to press her fingerprint on the smart lock. "Tessa, don't worry about her. Listen to me—this is your home now. Stay as long as you want. Let's see who dares kick you out."

I yanked my hand free and called the security desk. "There are two intruders at my door. Please come and remove them."

Before long, the security guards arrived and dragged them out, along with all their luggage.

I ignored their furious curses, stepped inside, opened a bottle of red wine, and settled on the couch, thinking the ordeal was finally over.

However, I had underestimated just how shameless they could be.

I was sleeping peacefully when a loud crash jolted me awake. The front door had been forced open.

I froze and saw Tessa standing inside, smirking at me.

Mom was paying the locksmith. "See? I told you she was just asleep and didn't open the door for us. Thank you for your hard work."

Mom shot me a glare, shoved Tessa's luggage into the master bedroom, and threw all my clothes from the closet onto the floor.

Tessa shrieked in excitement. "Wow, Kimberly, you really know how to enjoy yourself! This walk-in closet is amazing, and there's even a bathtub!"

Without even changing her clothes, she flopped onto my bed. "This bed is amazing. It's definitely better than any five-star hotel bed."

Mom glared at me furiously. "Why are you just standing there? Hurry and help Tessa unpack. You wouldn't let us in, and you made me pay five hundred dollars to a locksmith. Consider this a lesson—you're sleeping in the guest room. Tessa gets the master bedroom."

Since I was a child, she had always punished me whenever I stepped out of line. I was almost 30 now, and she still acted like she could get away with the same tricks.

I lost it. "Five hundred dollars for a locksmith? Do you even realize that my smart lock costs over ten thousand dollars? This is my house. You have no right to tell me where to sleep. Get out now."

Mom jabbed a finger at me. "What's with this attitude? How dare you talk to me like that! If you had just opened the door, I wouldn't have needed a locksmith. I got locked out of my own daughter's house. Who else has a daughter that treats her parents like this?"

I caught Mom's flustered glare and Tessa's amused smirk. Suddenly, it hit me—if I didn't let them in, there was no telling what kind of mess they could create.

Mom was my legal next of kin. Even if the police showed up, it would just be treated as a family dispute and brushed off.

A cold shiver ran through me. I felt like someone had my throat in a grip. My nails dug into my palms as I forced myself to stay calm. "Tessa can stay. Move her stuff to the guest room, and you go back to wherever you belong."

Mom tried to protest, but Tessa pulled her toward the guest room, knowing her plan had succeeded and worried I would change my mind. "It's okay, Aunt Florence. Kim needs some space. I don't mind staying in the guest room."

Mom turned to me and snapped, "See how sensible Tessa is? And look at you."

I didn't even bother replying to her nonsense. In this second life, all I wanted was to steer clear of the disasters from before.

However, they kept pushing, giving me no way out. If that was the case, it was time I started collecting a little interest myself.