Chapter 4

It was almost 9:00 pm by the time Aunt Elise and the others arrived at my old apartment building.

I didn't drop by to meet them.

Arthur called me, saying, "A group of people is claiming to be your family, Ms. Roth. They're insisting on entering your old apartment."

"I've already terminated the lease and returned the keys," I said.

Arthur sighed. "I understand. But your father keeps insisting that it's your apartment. He's also accusing me of kicking you out of your home."

I could hear Dad's voice on the other end of the line.

"Tell Michelle to answer my calls! She's just a young woman. She doesn't know anything. Our family is supposed to stay in this apartment. She doesn't have the luxury of terminating her lease whenever she wants!"

"The lease expired earlier this afternoon, sir," Arthur said in a hardened tone. "I've already returned the deposit to Ms. Roth. I need to find a new tenant for the apartment now. You and your family are not allowed to enter the premises."

"What's going on, Isabelle?" Aunt Elise asked. "Didn't you tell me that Michelle's living in a big house? Didn't you say that she asked us to stay with her?"

"She's throwing a tantrum at the moment," Mom hastily explained. "She'll come around soon."

"Can you let us into the apartment for now, Mr. Landlord?" Tiffany chimed in. "Michelle's just arguing with us at the moment. She'll show up soon."

Arthur didn't budge. "No. She's no longer my tenant. I can't let you into the apartment."

Dad lost his temper. "You landlords just love to pick on us outsiders!"

I heard the sounds of something crashing against a door.

"I'm going to call the police if you kick the door again," Arthur said immediately.

Dad cursed aloud.

"Go ahead and call the police, Mr. Wilson," I said.

Everyone on the other end of the line fell silent.

Dad snatched Arthur's phone from him and shouted, "How dare you ask someone to call the police on your own father, Michelle?"

"I've already returned the keys to Mr. Wilson," I explained. "You'll have to compensate him if you damage the door."

Dad seemed to be deaf to my words. "Come here right now. Settle our accommodations for us."

I glanced at the computer on my desk. The report on the screen was half-finished.

"I'm working," I said.

Dad started choking upon hearing my words.

They had used the same excuse against me when they wanted to force me to stay at the company. It was incredibly upsetting to them that I was using it against them now.

Mom sounded like she was on the verge of tears when she said, "Don't be like this, Michelle. Aunt Elise and her family are still dragging their suitcases around. Hunter's also getting sleepy."

"You can book a hotel room," I said.

"It's too expensive to book one during summer break," she said in a tight voice.

"Go home then."

"I'm sure you know how expensive the tickets are right now."

I didn't respond. They were perfectly aware of how expensive everything was, which was why they would always put their exorbitant purchases on my tab.

…

The police arrived 30 minutes later.

Arthur didn't call me again.

Aunt Elise sent me a video.

In the video, Dad's face had turned red as he stood in the stairwell. The officer asked him if he had a lease or permission from the owner to enter the apartment.

"My daughter was renting the apartment," he said.

"Did she give you permission to enter the premises?"

Dad pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Aunt Elise stood to the side, looking upset as she clutched her coat.

Tiffany had stopped livestreaming, but a recording of the livestream had already begun to spread online.

"My first experience in my sister's luxurious apartment" had turned into "My family can't enter the apartment because my sister terminated the lease".

It didn't take long before the commenters began to argue among themselves.

The top comment asked, "Did her sister actually agree to let them stay with her?"

Tiffany didn't respond to that particular comment.

…

Around 10:30 pm, I received a call from the restaurant where the welcoming party was supposed to be held.

"Your family has already arrived, Ms. Roth," the manager said politely. "The remaining payment for booking the private room is 1,830 dollars. Are you going to pay with the same card? Or will you be paying with another card?"

"I'm not there at the restaurant," I replied. "I also never said that I was going to pay the remaining amount."

The manager was briefly stunned before he said, "But the deposit was paid with your card."

"I'll pay the deposit. You can ask for the remaining payment from the people who are actually in the private room."

The manager left to do just that.

I heard Dad shouting in the background. "Tell her to answer my calls! She's my daughter. She's obligated to pay for this meal!"

"Can you speak to your family, Ms. Roth?" the manager asked awkwardly.

"No," I said. "If they refuse to pay, you can deal with them according to your restaurant's rules."

I heard Dad criticizing me in a hushed voice before I hung up.

"That ungrateful wretch!"