Chapter 2

Kaden looped his arm through my mom's and shot me a smug look. "Want to know the truth? Mom bought this house five years ago for me. She was just waiting for you to pay off the mortgage so she could transfer it to me. We're not here to ask. We're here to tell you."

I looked at my mom in disbelief. "Is that true? Was this whole thing just you manipulating me from the start?"

After she remarried, I became invisible in that house. My south-facing bedroom went to Kaden. I got moved to the storage room. I walked on eggshells for over a decade. That kind of life eats away at whatever bond a mother and son are supposed to have. Once I started working, I moved out and rented my own place.

Then my mom tried to guilt me into handing over my paycheck every month. I said no. I figured she wouldn't let it go that easily.

But then, one sunny afternoon, she took me to the property exchange and bought me a house. She said she knew I'd never felt secure, and that this house was the biggest gift she could ever give me. Sure, it was zero down. But still, I felt a warmth from her that I hadn't felt in years.

Turns out, it was all a lie.

My mom didn't deny it. She just looked at me and said, "This house goes to Kaden. You can either move back home, or save up and buy your own place. You make good money. Five years and you'll have another one."

I held up my sleeve—the one with the frayed cuff—right in her face. "Do you have any idea what the last five years have been like for me? I didn't buy a single new piece of clothing. I never ate out at a restaurant. How many more five-year stretches like that do I have?"

I saw a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Kaden immediately picked up a dish from the table and handed it to me. "Xavier, let's just eat first and talk this out. Tell you what—consider this house a loan from you to me. I'll pay you back after the wedding."

I swung my hand. The plate hit the floor. Food scattered everywhere.

Kaden put on a hurt face. "Xavier, even if you don't want to do it, you don't have to take it out on the food. Mom worked so hard making this for you."

I shouted right at him. "Stop pretending! Get out of my—"

Before I could finish, a loud slap landed across my face.

My mom glared at me. "You don't get to throw your weight around in this house. Apologize to your brother. Now."

Kaden's eyes flashed with satisfaction, though his face still looked wounded. "Mom, if he really doesn't want to, forget it. I just won't get married."

My mom immediately cut him off. "Don't be ridiculous. You're my son. Of course, you're getting married. I'm waiting for grandkids."

Kaden leaned his head against her shoulder. The picture of a loving mother and son. It stung my eyes.

My cheek was burning. I wiped the corner of my eye with my hand, pointed at the door, and said coldly, "Get out. Both of you. You're not welcome in my home."

The last bit of warmth in my mom's eyes disappeared. She looked at me like I was a stranger. "The deed says it in black and white. This is my house. You're the one who needs to get out."

She glanced at the dark night outside. "It's too late tonight. You'd have nowhere to go. I'll give you three days. Find a place, pack your things, and move out. Three days from now, if you're still here, don't blame me for forgetting we're family."

I watched them leave. I took a breath, walked to the door, and closed it. Then I went back inside, reached under a box at the bottom of a cabinet, and pulled out a property deed.