Chapter 1

I took the fake bills out of the box and spread them across the dining table.

The entire room went silent.

Mom, Linda Bennett, still had one hand frozen in midair.

Dad, David Bennett, was the first to react.

“Claire, what are you doing?”

I picked up a stack of the fake bills.

“Mom, this is the thirty thousand dollars you were talking about?”

Linda immediately grabbed my hand, softening her voice.

“Claire, didn’t I just explain this to you?

“Thirty thousand dollars is a lot of money. It wouldn’t be safe to bring that much cash here.”

She turned to our relatives.

“I’m only doing this for her own good.

“She just started college. Handing her that much cash all at once wouldn’t be responsible.”

My aunt frowned.

“Claire, your mom announced in front of the whole family that she’s giving you thirty thousand dollars. You really think she’d go back on her word?

“You’re making too big a deal out of this.”

Dad patted me on the back.

“Claire, it’s Thanksgiving. Don’t embarrass your mother in front of everyone.”

In my previous life,

those exact words had made me shut my mouth.

Everyone told me keeping the peace in the family mattered more than anything else.

Later, when I was starving and my stomach started bleeding, I called Linda.

She gave me only one answer.

“No. We already gave you the money on Thanksgiving.”

My throat tightened.

My fingers dug into the fake bills.

“If carrying cash isn’t safe, you can transfer it.”

Linda’s expression visibly stiffened.

I pulled out my phone.

“Do it now.”

Dad’s face darkened.

“Claire, has college made you lose all common sense?

“Your mother is giving you this money because she loves you. She doesn’t owe you anything.”

I looked up at him.

“Then transfer the money she’s giving me out of love.”

Someone at the table sucked in a breath.

One of my uncles slammed his fork down on the table.

“Is that any way to talk to your parents?

“That’s thirty thousand dollars, not thirty bucks. You should be grateful your mother is willing to give you that much at all.”

Linda’s eyes quickly filled with tears.

She pressed a tissue to the corner of one eye, her voice beginning to tremble.

“Claire, I know you’re grown now and have your own ideas, but you can’t just accuse your mother like this.

“When have I ever let you go without anything?

“Your brother is studying overseas. Your father and I are supporting both of you. You’re both our children.”

At the mention of Ethan, my palms went cold.

In my previous life, that thirty thousand dollars had gone straight into his account.

He said living abroad was expensive and asked me, as his older sister, to make a sacrifice for him.

So I did.

I kept giving way until I couldn’t even afford a hot meal.

I slid my phone across the table.

“We’ll know whether I’ve ever gone without once the money arrives.”

Linda’s tears spilled over.

“Are you trying to force me?”

Dad shot to his feet.

His chair scraped harshly across the floor.

“That’s enough.

“Apologize to your mother.”

I didn’t move.

His expression darkened further.

“I said apologize.”

Linda grabbed his arm and pleaded through her tears.

“Don’t yell at her. She doesn’t mean it.

“She just thinks we favor Ethan.”

The moment she said that, every relative at the table turned to look at me.

Another aunt immediately frowned.

“Your brother is studying overseas. Of course his expenses are higher.

“You’re his older sister. Why are you keeping score over something like this?”

I held up the stack of fake bills.

“I’m not upset because you spend more money on him.

“I’m upset because you told everyone you were giving me thirty thousand dollars, then put a box of fake money in front of me.”

Linda abruptly stopped crying.

I looked straight at her and spoke slowly.

“When the money reaches my account, it’s my living allowance.

“Until then, this is just a box of fake bills.”