Chapter 3
I walked back into the living room as my mom came out carrying some dishes.
"Mom," I said, standing by the dining table, my voice tense. "Who bought all that stuff in Brian's room?"
She paused, her gaze avoiding mine. "Brian bought it himself. He got into the civil service, so what's wrong with him buying himself some gifts?"
"Where did he get the money?"
"He saved up the allowance we gave him." She set the plate down on the table, her face suddenly darkening. "What's with you? Brian spent eight years working hard to get a job. It's a huge success.
"As his younger brother, what's wrong with spending a bit of money? Think of it as investing in the family. Once he gets promoted, you'll benefit too."
"And what could he ever benefit me?" I stared at her, all those years of frustration and anger finally boiling over. "In these eight years, has he ever helped me once?
"When I was in college, I paid my own tuition with student loans and covered my living expenses by delivering food, handing out flyers, and tutoring during every break. I never asked the family for a single dollar.
"On Christmas, when everyone else was home having a big family dinner, I was chewing bread at a convenience store, so I could earn a little extra overtime pay to send to Brian.
"After I started working, he was always hitting me up for money to buy game skins and upgrade his gear. Even if I had to pinch every penny, I always made sure he got what he wanted."
I thought maybe my words would at least make Mom feel a little guilty, but she brushed me off, not pretending to comfort me.
It was my dad on the couch who lost his temper first. He slammed the remote down on the coffee table with a sharp smack.
"Isn't it a man's job to make money for his family? And now you're digging up the past?" he said, frowning, his voice full of irritation. "Brian is your older brother.
"Maybe one day you will have to rely on him. This family's future is riding on him. Of course, you should help him out. What's there to feel wronged about?"
He didn't pause before going back to the money. "When are you going to send over the 30,000 dollars I mentioned before?
"Brian needs to put down a deposit on a car, buy a new suit, and invite his new colleagues out to dinner. He needs the cash ASAP, so hurry up and hand over the money."
It hit me that they hadn't heard a single word I said. All the anger I'd been bottling up finally boiled over, and my hands were shaking.
"Mom, Dad, I'm getting married in ten days!" I managed to get the words out, my voice trembling, almost biting them out between clenched teeth.
My mom's impatience froze for a moment, and my dad's frown got deeper. They obviously knew it, but it was clear they didn't care at all.
My mom kept avoiding my eyes, and my dad turned away, grabbed the remote again, and didn't say a word.
I said, looking them straight in the eye, making sure every word landed, "Sophie and her parents and I have already agreed I will bear the wedding expenses of 150,000 dollars.
"That's every penny I've saved over the past two years. There's not a single cent I can lend Brian. I won't ask for the 10,000 dollars you took out this month. But this time—"
My mom cut me off, her voice so calm that it was almost scary. "Brian needs to buy a house, and he's short 100,000 dollars for the down payment. You should help him cover that, too.
"Now that he's a civil servant, he needs to find a girlfriend. Without a house or a car, no girl would consider him."
I thought maybe I'd heard wrong, so I turned to my dad, hoping he'd finally stand up for me.
But he lit a cigarette, took his time blowing out a smoke ring, and said, almost lazily, "Your mom's right. Brian's marriage is the most important thing in this family.
"Without a house or a car, no girl would be his wife. You can postpone your wedding for a bit and help Brian with the down payment first. Once he's got things sorted, we'll help you out."
I froze on the spot, feeling like all the warmth had drained from my body.
"Chipping in for the down payment is what brothers do. We're family, after all. Once Brian starts to get paid, he'll pay you back bit by bit," my mom said, like it was nothing.
"He's been mooching off us for eight years. There is no way he could pay me back," I spat the words out through clenched teeth.
"He's got a government job now, a guaranteed paycheck. He'll pay you back eventually," my mom shot back, sounding so righteous, like I was some kind of criminal for not handing over the money.
My dad chimed in, backing her up. "A real man looks at the big picture, not his own petty stuff. Now that Brian has made it, people will look up to you, too. Don't you get how this works?"