Chapter 4

I was trembling with rage.

"What do you mean, Jacob's property? I bought the car myself!"

Dad let out a cold laugh.

"Are you married? No, you're not. Since you haven't started your own family, everything you own belongs to this family. It belongs to your brother!"

A surge of anger made my voice drop.

"I bought it with money I earned myself. In the eight years since I graduated, who paid for the refrigerator, the air conditioner, your and Mom's medical expenses, and every other household expense?"

Mom shouted, her voice choked with tears.

"Are you keeping score with your own parents? How could I have raised a son like you, someone who calculates every little thing with his own family!"

The call ended with a sharp click.

The workshop owner looked at me hesitantly, his eyes filled with pity, while Jacob stood to one side, a smug smile on his face.

He clapped his hands and walked away.

I took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

"Continue with the paperwork."

Once the car had been scrapped, I returned home.

Mom and Sophia were bringing dishes to the table.

When Sophia saw me, she greeted me sweetly.

"Riley’s back. Come eat."

Dad pressed his cigarette butt into the ashtray and glanced up at me.

"Let’s eat."

I sat down at the dining table and picked up my fork. With my other hand, I unlocked my phone and started looking at new cars.

Sophia immediately leaned over, peering at the screen.

"Riley, what car are you buying this time?"

"I'm just looking."

She lowered her head with a smile and exchanged a glance with Jacob.

Over the next few days, I went from dealership to dealership.

I looked at cars, compared prices, and calculated loan payments.

Sophia was more interested than anyone. She came over every day to ask different questions.

"What car did you look at today?"

"When are you buying it? Don't hesitate. A car is a necessity. The sooner you buy one, the sooner you can enjoy it."

"If you're going to buy one, get something decent. What's the point of keeping that money saved? Driving a cheap car around would be embarrassing."

Eventually, I made my decision and brought the order form home, leaving it on the coffee table.

Sophia picked it up and looked it over several times, grinning from ear to ear.

"A Porsche! Riley, you really know how to spend. You're buying such an expensive car.

"How much did you pay for the down payment? Which company did you get insurance from? When are you picking it up?"

I didn't even look up.

"You don't need to worry about any of that."

She smiled.

"But we're family."

Half a month later, I brought home my new car.

A black Cayenne sat downstairs, its paint so glossy it reflected people's faces.

The whole family went downstairs to look.

Mom walked around the car once and ran her hand over the door.

Dad stood beside it with his hands behind his back and, for once, gave a rare nod of approval.

"This time, you bought something respectable."

Sophia examined it most closely.

"Are the brakes responsive on this car?"

"It's new, of course they are," I said.

She asked another question.

"Have you registered the license plate yet? Which number are you using?"

"I'm just using my old plate, the one ending in 7723."

She said quietly, "Oh."

That evening, Jacob suddenly slapped Sophia.

She rushed downstairs in tears, carrying the hammer.

An hour later, she came back.

She looked refreshed, with a smile on her face.

I looked at her.

"You've taken your anger out. Feel better now?"

She gave me a meaningful look.

"Yes. Much better."

The next morning, Jacob left for work as usual.

At noon, Mom's phone suddenly rang. She answered, but her expression changed immediately.

The spatula in her hand clattered to the floor. She collapsed toward the ground, and Dad rushed over to catch her.

The phone fell onto the table, but a voice continued coming through the receiver.

"Your son, Jacob Kerr, has been in a car accident! On East Third Street, his brakes failed, and he crashed into a heavy truck. He's already been taken to the ER!"

In an instant, Sophia's face turned deathly pale.

She screamed, "How could there be something wrong with his car? The one I tampered with was obviously—"

When her eyes met mine, she suddenly went silent, as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.