Chapter 4

My mind went blank for a second.

The next moment, the bank called.

"Mr. Jackman, we're contacting you regarding the 500-thousand-dollar mortgage Mrs. Jackman has taken out on the property. Please arrange repayment at your earliest convenience."

A crushing sense of disbelief washed over me. My vision went dark.

By the time I stumbled back to Dad's house, Shannon was already there with a group of staff conducting an inspection.

"What are you doing?" My voice came out hoarse.

She glanced at me, calm as ever. "Your little prank last night caused Mr. Gardner Senior to have a heart attack. He's now waiting for a stent surgery. You've made a mistake, so you have to take responsibility for it."

I forced myself to steady my trembling voice. I was close to breaking down.

"This is the only thing Dad left me. You know that…"

Shannon paused, then looked around the house. "Where is he? I'd like to know how he raised his son."

I scoffed. My eyes were red. "He's… dead."

Shannon's head snapped up to look at me. Sean stood beside her. He looked as if he were about to collapse at any moment.

"Chase, don't use that as an excuse to dodge responsibility. Your dad had a hard life too. I know what that feels like," he said in a weak voice.

Shannon's face darkened at the sight of Sean's pitiful expression. "Sean stayed up all night with Mr. Gardner Senior. He didn't even get a wink of sleep. You should know what that feels like. Actions have consequences. You should know that."

Back when I stayed outside Dad's hospital room and cried myself dry, she said it wasn't that serious and that I was overreacting.

But the moment Sean shed tears, she was a bundle of care.

I stepped forward and spread my arms to block the doorway. "Not a step closer," I said, enunciating each word clearly.

Shannon's eyes flashed with impatience. "It's just a mortgage. It's not demolition. Stop making a scene. Sean's father needs surgery. Can't you show a little compassion?"

Just looking at her self-righteous expression made my blood boil.

Losing whatever patience she had left, Shannon signed the mortgage agreement, then walked over to me. "Don't forget that I was the one who paid for this house for your dad. I have the right to do this."

She pulled out a stack of cash from her wallet and handed it to me like she was doing me some great favor.

"Take this and find a place for your dad to rent for a month. I promise everything will be back to normal after that."

Then she helped Sean, who looked pleased with himself, and left.

I tightened my grip on the money and collapsed onto the floor.

In that moment, our broken relationship had finally fallen apart.

…

The next day, Sean's social media feed was buzzing with activity.

Shannon stayed at the hospital with him, taking care of James. She was like the perfect daughter-in-law, attentive and considerate.

In the meantime, she also kept messaging me.

"This month has been hard on you. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you next month. I've already picked out a place for you and your dad. You can move there temporarily. I'll explain everything to him later."

But I no longer wanted Shannon or her compensation.

That night, Sean happily approached her as she walked into the hospital room with dinner. "You should've told me Chase's dad was dead. We wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shannon's eyes widened. The food in her hands crashed to the floor.≈