Chapter 3

"Maybe he didn't even realize it himself…" Mom said.

"For three months? How could he not feel it if the performance was that bad? He was still using that laptop to edit videos and play games, wasn't he?" I shot back.

That shut her up. Her expression darkened immediately.

"Michael, do you really have to fall out with Joe over a small amount like this?" she asked coldly.

As I looked up at Mom's disapproving expression, a deep sense of sadness washed over me.

"Mom, are you seriously telling me 7,000 dollars is just a small amount to you?"

"You make over 2,000 dollars a month. Is it really worth all this trouble for just 7,000 dollars? Joe just started working, and he barely earns anything. If you make him pay that much, you're basically ruining his life," she said.

For a moment, it felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Mom, that laptop cost 7,800 dollars, split into 12 installments of about 650 dollars a month. I'm still paying the loan, and now the laptop is ruined. Why shouldn't he be held responsible?"

Mom took a deep breath and softened her tone. "I know it's not easy for you, but Joe is your cousin. I just worry you'll end up damaging the relationship. Alice dotes on him the most. If you do this, how are we supposed to face each other in the future? What will people think?"

"What will people think?" I repeated.

"Exactly. They'll say you're unreasonable and making a big deal about money with your own family," she said.

"He destroyed my property first," I said through clenched teeth. "If I let this go, what's next? My camera? My car? Or would he just borrow money and never pay it back like it's nothing?"

"Why are you being so stubborn?" she snapped.

I cut her off. "Enough. You don't need to be involved in this anymore."

I said nothing more, turned away, and headed to my room.

At 2:00 pm the next afternoon, we met at Starlux Cafe. Mom insisted on coming along, saying she was afraid Joe and I would fight.

Joe showed up 30 minutes late, and he wasn't alone.

Mom's sister, Alice Bennett, was with him.

When our eyes met, Joe's expression gave nothing away except impatience, edged with open provocation.

Aunt Alice frowned, as if I were the one being unreasonable.

As soon as Joe sat down, he snapped, "Mike, did you bring me here just to put me on trial in person?"

"I just want to get things straight," I replied.

Joe looked agitated. "What's there to straighten out? I already told you I didn't swap anything!"

I raised a brow. "Then how did every single internal component get replaced?"

Joe's expression darkened. "What are you implying? That I did it on purpose? Do you think I have nothing better to do?"

"Then tell me, how did it end up like this?" I asked.

"How should I know?" he shouted. "I used it normally. It crashed once, I took it to a shop downstairs for a system reinstall, and that was the end of it!"

"Which shop? What's the name?" I pressed.

"I told you, I don't remember! It's just some tiny crappy shop. Who remembers names like that?" he shot back.

I slid the inspection report across the table.

He glanced at it and didn't even reach for it.

"I'm not looking at that. I don't understand it," Joe said flatly.

"It's an official diagnostic report with the company seal," I said evenly. "The CPU, RAM, SSD, and GPU core have all been replaced with low-end secondhand parts."

"Yeah, right," he said, scoffing lightly. "Do you really believe everything a repair shop says? They're just trying to scam you."

"This is from an authorized service center, not some random shop," I said firmly.

"Sure, whatever you say," he replied, crossing his arms. "You've already decided I'm guilty. What's the point of me saying anything?"

At that moment, Aunt Alice spoke up.

"Mike, Joe would never do something like that. He's not in tech, and he doesn't understand hardware at all. It must've been the repair shop that messed with it."

I turned to her and said calmly, "Aunt Alice, he chose the shop. He says he doesn't remember which one. The laptop was in his hands for three months, and when it came back, everything inside was replaced. Shouldn't he be responsible for that?"

"Responsible for what?" Joe snapped, leaning forward. "Do you have proof? Did you see me do it?"

"The proof is simple," I said calmly. "The laptop was fine when I lent it to you, and it came back damaged. Time, possession, cause and effect—it's all crystal clear."

"Clear my ass!" he shouted, suddenly standing up. "I'm telling you now, I'm not paying a single cent! Go ahead, take me to court! I want to see what they can do to me."