Chapter 3

"Hey, Vanessa! You really didn't have to bring the clothes up yourself." As Selena spoke, she hugged the jackets to her chest and stood in the doorway, clearly blocking me from entering.

I glanced inside. Mom was cooking in the kitchen, wearing a thin sweater. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the heat. Alex was barefoot in the living room, playing with building blocks. Under the warm yellow lights, it was a cozy, harmonious scene.

Selena subtly shifted, blocking my view. "Sorry, Vanessa. We're in the middle of tidying up, and the place is quite messy, so I can't invite you in today."

Howard was about to say something, but she quickly stopped him, telling him to take the jackets inside.

I lowered my head and smiled bitterly. Whether I went in or not, I already had my answer.

As soon as I got home, my phone rang. When I answered, the staff member on the other end tore away the last layer of pretense with his polite reply. "Hello, is this Ms. Walter? This is regarding your complaint about insufficient indoor heating.

"We've checked our system, and it shows that no payment was made for your unit."

The voice on the phone was clear and cold. Each word struck my heart like a hammer.

I didn't even remember how I ended the call. All that echoed in my mind were four words—"No payment was made".

William walked over and took my freezing hand. His palm was warm, but it couldn't drive away the chill spreading through me.

"William…" My voice came out hoarse, trembling with sobs. "My mom lied to me… She never paid the heating bill!"

At the same time, images flashed through my mind. The warm apartment upstairs, Alex complaining about the heat and asking for a popsicle, and Howard in a T-shirt in the middle of winter.

Could it be that my mom took the money I gave her for my heating bill and used it to pay for Howard's place instead? The thought alone blurred my vision with tears.

Mom had always been a little biased, but it was always just small things. And as the older sister, I never made a fuss. But thinking of Ciara, sick from the cold, my heart felt as if it were pierced by needles.

I clenched my fists and stood up abruptly, tears still pooling in my eyes. "No. I'm going to Mom to clear things up!"

William tightened his grip on my hand. "I'll go with you."

Soon, we reached Howard's front door. I took a deep breath and knocked hard. The door opened almost immediately, and Howard froze for a moment when he saw both of us standing there.

I pushed my way inside. Mom and Selena were sitting on the couch. When they saw my red-rimmed eyes, their expressions stiffened.

My voice trembled despite my effort to stay calm. "Mom, the heating company said my place was never paid for. The two thousand dollars I gave you on the 13th… Where did it go?"

Mom instinctively avoided my gaze, forcing herself to sound composed. "What are you talking about? I paid it already! It must be an issue with the heating company's system!"

At that moment, Selena chimed in, her tone exaggerated with surprise, "Yeah, Vanessa, maybe there's a problem on their end? Or maybe Mom paid in person and the staff made a mistake?"

I swept my gaze around the room, my voice turning cold. "A mistake? Then, how is it that your place has heat when you didn't even pay?"

Selena's face stiffened. A flicker of panic crossed Mom's face, too.

After a pause, Selena lifted her chin stubbornly. "What are you implying, Vanessa? Your heating not working has nothing to do with us. We just paid our bill today. What's wrong with that?"

As she spoke, she nudged Howard with her elbow. He immediately echoed, "Yeah, yeah. We just paid."

Watching the two of them working together to lie, I let out a cold laugh.