Chapter 2

The crowd's voices were sharp with judgment.

"She's always like this. Last time, when we wanted elevators, she was the only one against it, whining about load-bearing issues."

"Her family's got one car, so she doesn't care. We've got three, and we're scrambling for parking every day. Does she even get how hard that is?"

"Selfish! How is someone like her fit to be our neighbor?"

Amid the rising clamor, I stood slowly. Every eye in the room locked onto me, expecting my usual protests. Neville's brow furrowed, his patience visibly thinning.

But instead of arguing, I broke into a wide smile and clapped. The sharp sound cut through the room, stunning everyone.

Raising my voice, I spoke with a fervor I'd never shown before. "Neville is absolutely right! I'm all in. Let's dig sooner rather than later. Everyone is getting rich!"

...

The room went still, the air thick with disbelief.

Ansel looked up at me, puzzled. "Mom, didn't you say there'd be a flood?"

I patted his back gently, signaling him to stay quiet. Neville's irritation morphed into astonishment.

"Do you really think so?" he asked warily.

"Absolutely!" I replied, raising an eyebrow. "I was too narrow-minded before, always focused on risks and not the rewards. With a manager like you looking out for us, what's there to worry about?"

My words won nods of approval from the crowd.

"See? She gets it now."

"Nobody turns down a chance to make money."

The doubt in Neville's eyes faded, replaced by a smug grin. He cleared his throat and pulled out a stack of documents.

"Looks like we're all on the same page. To keep things fair and ensure smooth construction, please sign this Voluntary Fundraising Agreement for the Underground Garage," he declared. "Once signed, head to the finance office to pay the $50,000 contribution fee. The sooner we collect the funds, the sooner we start."

The residents surged forward, eager to comply.

"I'm first. I'll sign!"

"Don't shove! I've got my money ready!"

Hannah shot me a glance before elbowing her way to the front to sign and pay. I held the agreement, my fingers cold against the paper.

In my previous life, my resistance had stopped things before they reached this point. But now, Neville had come prepared with a contract to dodge accountability.

"Sherry, you done reading?" Neville urged, noticing my hesitation. "If there's no issue, sign it. Don't waste our time,"

I set the agreement back on the table, leaving the pen untouched. "My family won't be contributing."

His smile froze. "What?"

The residents in line turned, their eyes boring into me. Hannah pointed at me, her voice sharp. "What's that supposed to mean? You just said you supported it. Are you playing us?"

I put on a troubled expression. "Don't get me wrong. I fully support Neville and all of you, in spirit."

I sighed and pulled Ansel closer. "But my son is not well. He has asthma and is allergic to dust. If construction starts, with dust everywhere, I'm afraid he'll get sick. The doctor warned that a severe attack could be life-threatening."