Chapter 3

Matthew's tone was sharp with irritation as he urged, "Keep your voice down! Don't let her hear you."

"I hope she hears me! Maybe then she'll finally get the sense to move out," Pamela shot back.

Matthew grumbled, "How could I have known she'd be like this? I thought she'd let us off easy for Mom's sake. Who knew she'd be so stubborn?"

"So what do we do now? She refuses to pay rent, and Holly's starting elementary school soon. She doesn't even have her own room! We can't keep cramming together like this!"

I didn't bother listening to the rest. It was probably just more complaints and digs at me.

So, I rolled over, closed my eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

…

That morning, I had been out running errands for work and decided to take the afternoon off.

I went home without telling anyone. But the moment I opened the door, I saw my bedroom door slightly ajar.

Lily was hunched over my nightstand, rifling frantically through the drawers. A phone lay on the pillow beside her, on speaker.

Just then, Pamela's voice rang out loud and clear. "Mom, have you found it yet? The property deed is a big document. You can't miss it."

"Not yet… I've looked everywhere and still can't find it."

"Look again!" Pamela urged anxiously. "Now that Noah's gone, Matthew is your only son. If it's not him, who else do you have?

"Once we transfer the apartment into our names, we'll finally be able to take proper care of you. But if you can't find the deed, and the apartment goes to Veronica, the four of us will have nowhere to live. Don't expect to live comfortably in your later years!"

All the while, I watched coldly from the doorway.

Lily's hands trembled as she spun around, eyes locking with mine. Her face drained of color at once, and she fumbled to end the call.

"Vera… w-why are you back?" she stammered.

She stood rooted to the spot, unsure what to do. Then, she avoided my gaze like a child caught doing something wrong.

My chest tightened as I looked at her. A beat later, I let out a soft sigh and said, "Mom, even though Noah's gone, I've always treated you like my own mother."

Having said that, I ignored her shameful expression, walked into my room, and shut the door behind me.

…

That night, I skipped dinner. Believing I wasn't home, Pamela and Matthew spoke freely in the living room.

"Mom, you couldn't even find the property deed we asked for," Pamela said bluntly. "What can you actually do?"

"I've searched everywhere… She must have hidden it really well," Lily replied softly.

Matthew snapped impatiently, "It's just one room. How hard can it be? Look again tomorrow. It has to be in a drawer or a cabinet. There's no way it disappeared."

…

I barely slept that night. The next morning, I slipped the deed into my bag and brought it to work, locking it into my desk drawer.

When Pamela and Matthew couldn't find the deed, they started plotting something else.

After work that evening, Pamela called me. "Vera, come home early. There's something important we need to talk about."

I took my time getting home. But the moment I stepped through the door, I saw an unfamiliar man in his early 30s sitting on the living room couch.

Pamela immediately grabbed my arm, pulling me over with enthusiasm. "Vera, come meet my distant cousin. He's an honest man with a steady job, a house, and a car."

The man smiled at me, but I ignored him.

"What's this supposed to mean?" I demanded, looking at Pamela.

She beamed at me, but her words were blunt. "Vera, Noah's gone, and you're still young. You can't spend the rest of your life alone. Why not remarry while you can?

"Find someone to rely on, so you'll always have someone to take care of you. My cousin here is a good man. He won't let you down."

I couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Noah hasn't been gone that long, and you're already trying to find me a new husband? Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Matthew's expression hardened at once. "What's inappropriate about it? We're doing this for your own good. You're still young. How can you spend the rest of your life as a widow?"

"For my own good?" I sneered. "Or is this just a way to make me leave sooner?"