Chapter 1

Mom was a little surprised by my quick response. She sent another voice message, softening her tone when she said, "Don't overthink it, Michelle. It's rare for your aunt and her family to visit the big city. We can't let them stay in a hotel, can we?

"You have a big bedroom and a comfortable bed. You're still young, so it shouldn't be a problem for you to stay in your company for a couple of nights."

I didn't reply to her voice message even after I listened to it.

My family had always been like this.

When they needed someone to yield, they would tell me that I was young.

When they needed money, they would tell me that I was successful.

When they needed someone to shoulder the responsibility, they would tell me that I was the elder sister.

A few moments later, my sister, Tiffany Roth, sent a link to her short video into the group chat.

She was clutching her brand-new selfie stick. She spun around the room and said, "This is the first vlog of my summer break series! Our family's going to stay in my sister Michelle's spacious apartment in the heart of the city!"

Tiffany had been treating my apartment as one of her props long ago. She started filming her videos in it when she stayed with me in the past. She filmed my bed, my desk, and the projector that I bought with my hard-earned money and included them in her videos.

One of the commenters asked, "Your sister's amazing. Is she covering your family's expenses during the entire summer?"

"Of course," Tiffany replied immediately. "Michelle loves us the most."

My fingers froze above the screen as I stared at the reply.

Love. So that was what Tiffany considered it.

I had barely taken any vacations after I graduated from college.

The moment my year-end bonus was wired into my account, Dad would send me a photo of the old house's leaky roof.

Mom would tell me that Tiffany couldn't use an old computer for her video-editing lessons seconds after I received a notification from the computer store that my payment had gone through.

When Tiffany started her career as a vlogger, she slowly tacked on the expenses of her light stands, microphones, and viewership-boosting fees onto my credit card.

Whenever I asked them when they would pay me back, Dad would tell me to stop keeping score because we were family.

Later, they stopped giving me excuses altogether.

My monthly salary was a little over 10,000 dollars. My rent was 5,000 dollars. I gave Mom and Dad 3,000 dollars every month and also spent more than 2,000 dollars to pay off Tiffany's installment fees.

I usually ate my meals in the company's cafeteria. I refrained from buying clothes unless I absolutely needed to. When I caught a stomach bug, I stood in the pharmacy for ten minutes before finally buying the cheapest medication.

However, I was forever "the elder sister who was enjoying a lavish lifestyle in the big city" in the family group chat.

Dad sent a new message.

"Don't forget to buy new blankets, Michelle. Your uncle's a light sleeper, so buy a good quality one. Also, increase the internet speed in your living room. Hunter likes to play games. Oh, and one more thing. Your aunt likes seafood, so you should host the welcoming party in an upscale restaurant."

I looked at the notification from the bank regarding the recent transaction.

An upscale restaurant was a must. After all, they had already made the decision for me, booking a private room with a river view.

I called Mom.

The phone rang twice before she answered the call. I could hear Aunt Elise's laughter in the background.

"What is it, Michelle?"

"Did you use my card to pay for the private room's deposit?" I asked.

Mom paused for a moment before she replied, "Your father said that your card has a high credit limit, so we used it to pay the deposit for the time being. We're a family. We can discuss this later."

"But that's my card," I said.

"Why are you being so petty?" Mom retorted in a hushed voice. "Our relatives are right next to us."

Aunt Elise's voice echoed from the receiver. "Is Michelle making a fuss about the payment, Isabelle? She's renting such a luxurious apartment in New Grandia. Don't tell me that she doesn't want to pay for a single meal?"

Mom hastily laughed and said, "Of course not. She's very mature."

I suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.

My family always used the word "mature" against me. I had no doubt that as long as I remained a part of the Roth family, they always would.

Dad grabbed the phone from Mom and asked, "Have you cleaned up your apartment? Hunter wants to stay in the living room. We can't let him catch a cold in the middle of the night. Also, your uncle is a smoker. Be sure to clear a space on the balcony for him."

"Where am I going to stay, Dad?" I asked.

Dad fell silent for a second before he answered in a low voice, "You're working during summer break, yes? Your company has break rooms. Our relatives are traveling a long way to visit New Grandia. Are you really going to fight them over a bedroom?"

I looked at one of the walls in my apartment. There was a faint mark on it. I was the one who left it there after spending the night sitting next to the heater when I was running a fever last winter.

None of them had ever asked me about it.

"I understand," I said.

Dad was pleased by my response. "That's right. It's your aunt's and her family's first time in the big city. Don't let her think that the Roth family has no manners."

Tiffany sent a message to me shortly after I hung up. "I'm doing a livestream on the first day of summer break, Michelle. Don't make a long face when you're on camera. Also, your gray coat is way too worn out. Don't wear it."

"Don't worry. I won't appear on your livestream."

"That'll be for the best," she replied instantly.