Chapter 3

On the bus ride back, I scrolled past a new update on Lena's social media feed.

The caption read: [The annoying person finally left! Now I can finally enjoy my birthday!]

Attached was a photo of Chester, Milford, and Collin gathered around the dining table. The spread was loaded with spicy buffalo wings, cheesy chili nachos, and, among others, Nashville hot chicken.

Every dish was something the doctor had strictly forbidden me from touching after my chemotherapy sessions.

Luckily, I hadn't stayed. Otherwise, it would have only been another exercise in self-humiliation. Out of that entire table of food, the only thing I would have been allowed to swallow was some corn.

Back at my apartment, I cooked myself a simple plate of pasta. For the first time, I didn't set out the three plush dolls to keep me company.

I ate my birthday meal completely alone. I ate until I was drenched in sweat, with tears and perspiration blurring my vision.

...

The next day, I went to my part-time shift at the Boba shop as usual.

Before leaving for Lake Tahoe, I needed to make sure the hospital would prescribe me enough painkillers to get me through the long drive.

I was still a little short on funds, but once I collected my wages for the last few days, it would be just enough.

The shop was running an outdoor promotion in front of the shopping mall that day. My assignment was to wear a heavy mascot costume and hand out flyers.

By midday, the sun was brutal. The thick material of the suit trapped the heat like an oven, suffocating me. Unable to endure it any longer, I pulled the massive headpiece off and crouched down in a shaded corner to gulp down some water.

A familiar voice suddenly drifted over from behind me. "Vicky?"

My hands froze, and I slowly turned my head.

Chester, Milford, Collin, and Lena were standing just a short distance away. The three men were laden with designer shopping bags. There was no need to guess who they were for.

Chester took in my sweat-drenched appearance, but his eyes held no pity or concern. There was only profound embarrassment and simmering anger.

"Didn't I give you an allowance?" he demanded, his voice tight with irritation. "What are you doing wearing a ridiculous outfit like this to pass out flyers on the street?

"Are you doing this on purpose to make people think we mistreat a sick girl? If a client from my company spots you, what do you think happens to my corporate reputation?"

"You give me $2,000 a month. The rent alone is $800," I retorted, tightening my grip on the water bottle. "The remaining money isn't even enough to cover my basic prescriptions. If I don't work part-time, how am I supposed to stay alive?"

Milford frowned, stepping forward to give me a hard shove. "You've got some nerve! How dare you talk back to Chester like that?"

Collin stood beside Lena, a complicated expression flitting across his features. Ultimately, he adopted his usual lecturing tone. "Vicky, you just spend money too recklessly. Lena doesn't even receive an allowance every month, and you don't hear her complaining, do you?"

"That's right," Milford snorted. "If you need money for medicine, just ask. Chester wouldn't say no. You're probably squandering your cash on useless things and feel too ashamed to ask for more!"

I opened my mouth, but the words withered on my tongue. Lena didn't need an allowance because she carried Chester's secondary credit card, racking up five-figure bills every month.

Meanwhile, even when I begged for my meager $2,000, I had to follow up repeatedly, enduring delays until the end of the month before it was sent to me like a piece of casual charity.

If I asked for more, would they give it to me? I knew deep down that arguing was pointless. It would only invite a fresh barrage of criticisms labeling me as ungrateful and unreasonable.

I kept my face cold, picking up the headpiece. "Just leave. Don't interfere with my job."

I brought the heavy mascot head down over my face, plunging my vision into instant darkness. But in the next instant, a violent force slammed into my back.

"You're not allowed to speak to my brothers like that!" Lena snapped.

The headpiece was so thick that even a light bump hurt. With that strong push, I stumbled forward, and my forehead slammed into the hard shell inside the costume.

Everything went black for a moment. I leaned against the wall, struggling to recover. Not a soul came over to check if I was injured.

Chester grabbed Lena's hand, asking anxiously, "Are you all right?"

Milford frowned. "She's wearing something so thick. Why did you push her? What if you hurt yourself?"

Collin gently comforted her. "Look at you, already learning how to defend your family."

While they were occupied with comforting her, I staggered away on uneven feet. My face was soaked, though I could no longer tell if it was sweat or tears.

By the time my shift concluded that evening, a massive, painful welt had risen across my forehead. The only silver lining was that it was payday.

I returned to my rental apartment carrying the $3,000 in cash wages I had just earned. I wrapped the bills meticulously in three layers of plastic film.

Early the next morning, I went to the hospital and handed the cash to the cashier. But when she looked up, her eyes hardened into an icy glare.

"Where did you get this, young lady?" she demanded.

I blinked, utterly confused. She slammed the stack of bills against the counter. "You look clean and put-together. Why are you doing this? Tell me, where did you get all these fake bills?"