Chapter 5 The Price of Their Love

Scott shot to his feet and roared, "Are you hearing yourself, Jenna? It was just one meal! What's the big deal? She's our mother!"

Dad slammed his palm down on the table. "Enough! You're making a scene over something this trivial and humiliating our family in front of the relatives. Your mother gave birth to you and raised you for all these years, and this is how you repay her, you wretched brat? Besides, Scott bought the watermelon for Riley. You ate it without her permission. That's stealing!"

I laughed, so hard that I doubled over.

After a long moment, I straightened and looked around the room.

The massage chair in the living room—I bought it because Dad's back was bad.

The gold jewelry Mom was wearing—I bought it because she cared about appearances and wanted to look the part.

The latest computer in Scott's bedroom—I bought it because he was good at gaming.

The collection of figurines filling Riley's bedroom—I bought them because she was my sister.

And now, after eating nothing more than a piece of watermelon, I had become the thief in this family.

I clasped my wrists together and held them out toward them, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why don't you call the cops and have me arrested then?"

Mom stared at me with such hatred that she no longer looked at me like a daughter, but an enemy instead.

After a long moment, she finally spoke. "Either throw up the watermelon or pay for it."

Riley tugged at Mom's sleeve.

"Mom, stop fighting with her. I won't eat watermelon anymore." She turned toward me. "Jenna, you should stop arguing too. She's still our mother."

Riley had never been a bad person. She was spoiled, but she was not unreasonable or domineering. However, she had always benefited from everything this family offered, and that was why I hated her.

"Fine. I'll pay!" I pulled out the envelope containing the 693 dollars Mom and Dad had given me and placed it in front of them. "Is this enough?"

"Not enough!" Mom lifted her chin, looking down at me as though I were nothing more than a tiny ant. "We raised you for 27 years. We poured countless hours, effort, and resources into you. Do you really think all of that is worth only 600 dollars? Three million. Pay us three million, and after that, you can do whatever you want. We won't interfere with you anymore!"

The blood in my body immediately froze. My throat felt as though a block of lead had lodged inside it. I could not utter a single word.

Mom stepped forward and stopped in front of me. "Don't have it?"

I stared at her blankly without answering.

She smiled. "In that case, shut up! This family isn't yours to run."

With that, Mom strode away, leaving only one final command behind. "Now, clean up the dishes and the dining table."

Dad, Scott, and Riley followed her out, closing the door behind them with a thud.

I collapsed onto the floor, my face tear-stricken.

Was I wrong? Should I not have eaten that piece of watermelon? Or should I not have talked back to my parents? The truth was, I did not know.

I only knew that my parents' love for me apparently had a price—three million. For the first time, I suddenly felt so valuable. So expensive. Expensive enough that I could never afford the price of their hollow love.

…

Over the next few days, it was as though they had all agreed to punish me on Mom's behalf. They changed the lock on the main door without telling me. There was no food set aside for me at mealtimes. Even the Wi-Fi password was changed.

Fortunately, I was getting married soon.

…

Isaac arrived the day before Labor Day.

I put on the white dress he had bought me and applied a light layer of makeup.

When I left the house, no one asked where I was going or what I was going to do. I did not tell them either. I simply held Isaac's hand tightly and walked with him into the vital records office.

Making the appointment, taking a number, waiting in line, signing the paperwork, getting married—I treated every step with the utmost seriousness. The moment I received our marriage certificate, I cried. Isaac pulled me into his arms and gently comforted me.

I thought I had finally found a family of my own.

When we left, it happened to be Labor Day, and the table was already covered with fruit, desserts, and all the food prepared for dinner.

I walked into the kitchen. "Mom."

She turned around, her voice cold. "Have you realized your mistake?"

I shook my head. "I'm leaving—"

Before I could finish, Riley came rushing into the kitchen and interrupted me. "Mom, my boyfriend is here!"

Mom did not even wait to hear what I was going to say. She turned and left.

I watched as Mom and Dad sat on the couch, putting on the full air of parents meeting their daughter's boyfriend—the kind of treatment I would never get.

I smiled and took nothing with me.

I walked downstairs, got into the car, and drove away.

From now on, when we met again, we would only be relatives.