Chapter 1 · Pay for My Food? I'll Just Move Out!

Chapter 1

I turned down a local job just to babysit for my brother.

On my first day in Riverside State, I was so wiped out that my back was killing me.

At dinner, my brother suddenly said, "If you're staying here, you'll need to pay me 300 dollars a month for board."

My sister-in-law chimed in, "Rules are rules, even between siblings."

I put down my silverware and stared at the couple.

Three hours later, I was on the high-speed train heading home.

As the train pulled out of the Station, I was still shaking.

It wasn't from the cold. It was pure rage.

I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and the scene from three hours ago kept replaying in my mind.

It was seven in the evening, and I was at the dining table.

I walked out of the kitchen with the last dish I'd just stir-fried, my wrist still throbbing.

I'd been running around this house for thirteen hours straight, from six in the morning until now.

Changing diapers, making formula, cooking breakfast, doing laundry, taking Tommy to the park, coming back to make lunch, washing dishes, putting the baby down for a nap, cleaning the whole house, and now finally making dinner.

I was so wiped out, my back was so sore I could barely straighten up.

My sister-in-law, Claire Ferris, walked out of her room, holding a bowl of soup.

She'd only shown up three times all day: took a few bites at breakfast and went right back to her room, came out for lunch, ate, and disappeared again, and now this was her third time out.

The rest of the time, she was holed up in her room, glued to her phone.

I could hear some variety show blaring from her room.

Sean got home late and headed straight for the dining table.

I'd cooked up four dishes and a soup: braised pork belly, steamed fish, broccoli with garlic sauce, tomato and egg stir-fry, plus a seaweed and egg drop soup.

All of it was made just the way my brother Sean always liked.

I'd just sat down, hadn't even picked up my fork yet.

Suddenly, Sean put down his phone and looked at me. "Oh, Julie, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Since you're staying here, you'll need to pay me 300 dollars a month for board."

He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world, as if he were just commenting on the weather.

My hand froze in mid-air, still holding my bowl.

"What?"

I thought I must have misheard him.

Sean frowned, sounding a bit annoyed. "Look, you're living here, eating my food, using my stuff. Shouldn't you be paying up? It's only fair."

I just stared at him, my mind completely blank.

A month ago, Sean called me.

"Julie, I'm begging you for a favor," he said.

"Claire's not feeling well, and Tommy's being a handful lately. I really can't manage everything on my own."

"Can you come help me for a bit?"

His voice sounded tired and desperate.

I was right in the middle of an interview, holding an offer from a big company, 28,000 dollars a year, just waiting for me to sign.

But the moment I heard Sean's voice, I didn't even think twice. I agreed on the spot.

"Come on, Sean, don't say that. I'll sort things out and head over next week," I told him.

I called up the HR and said something urgent had come up at home, so I couldn't start the job.

The HR sounded really disappointed. "Ms. Adams, this is a rare opportunity. Are you sure you want to give it up?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for believing in me," I replied.

I hung up and started packing my bags.

My roommate, Wendy Parker, tried to warn me. "Come on, you know what your brother's family is like. Don't do this."

"He's my brother," I replied.

"That's exactly why you should be careful," Wendy said. "Think about it. How many times have you given up things for him since you were a kid?"

But I ignored her advice.

I really thought Sean needed me.

And now, I was just sitting here at the dining table, feeling totally defeated.

Staring at the four dishes and soup I'd slaved over for two hours.

And Sean hit me with, "You need to pay for board."

Claire just grinned and added, "That's how it works. Gotta keep things clear, even with family."

She was holding her bowl of bird's nest soup, and on her wrist was a Cartier watch worth 4,500 dollars.

I'd seen the price tag on the watch this morning when I was doing the laundry.

"That's just how things are in my family," Claire went on. "When my brother stays with us, he has to pay up too."

Her tone had that patronizing air, like she was doing me a huge favor just by letting me stay here.

It was like she thought letting me stay here was some kind of big favor.

I put down my silverware and scanned the room.

In the living room, there was a brand-new massage chair, the price tag still hanging off it, 3,000 dollars.

On the TV stand, Claire had her full set of La Mer skincare products on display.

On the coffee table sat a package she'd just received today, a brand new Hermès silk scarf.

I lowered my gaze to my hands.

After scrubbing two big basins of laundry today, my fingers were pale and wrinkled.

My right wrist was still throbbing from carrying Tommy around all day.

My lower back ached from bending over to mop the floors. I could barely stand up straight.

I'd been up since six in the morning, working nonstop until seven at night.

Thirteen hours straight.

I hadn't even managed a sip of water.

And now they want to charge me for board.

"So, is there a problem?" Sean said, his impatience growing when I stayed silent.

He looked at me, clearly getting more annoyed as I didn't respond.

"You're living here, aren't you? Shouldn't you be chipping in?" he pressed.

"Do you even know how tough it is for me to keep this family afloat? The mortgage, the car loan. Do you really think supporting you is free?"

Support me?

Those words cut deep, like a knife straight to my heart.

"Sean, when you called me, you said you needed help," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I came here to help, not just to stay as a guest."

"Just because you're helping out, you think you get free meals? You think you don't have to pay for anything?" Sean shot back, sounding annoyed. Claire jumped in, her tone sharp.

"Julie, you've got a graduate degree, right? How can you not understand something so basic?" Claire said, almost mocking.

Chapter 1

I turned down a local job just to babysit for my brother.

On my first day in Riverside State, I was so wiped out that my back was killing me.

At dinner, my brother suddenly said, "If you're staying here, you'll need to pay me 300 dollars a month for board."

My sister-in-law chimed in, "Rules are rules, even between siblings."

I put down my silverware and stared at the couple.

Three hours later, I was on the high-speed train heading home.

As the train pulled out of the Station, I was still shaking.

It wasn't from the cold. It was pure rage.

I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and the scene from three hours ago kept replaying in my mind.

It was seven in the evening, and I was at the dining table.

I walked out of the kitchen with the last dish I'd just stir-fried, my wrist still throbbing.

I'd been running around this house for thirteen hours straight, from six in the morning until now.

I was so wiped out, my back was so sore I could barely straighten up.

My sister-in-law, Claire Ferris, walked out of her room, holding a bowl of soup.

She'd only shown up three times all day: took a few bites at breakfast and went right back to her room, came out for lunch, ate, and disappeared again, and now this was her third time out.

The rest of the time, she was holed up in her room, glued to her phone.

I could hear some variety show blaring from her room.

Sean got home late and headed straight for the dining table.

I'd cooked up four dishes and a soup: braised pork belly, steamed fish, broccoli with garlic sauce, tomato and egg stir-fry, plus a seaweed and egg drop soup.

All of it was made just the way my brother Sean always liked.

I'd just sat down, hadn't even picked up my fork yet.

Suddenly, Sean put down his phone and looked at me. "Oh, Julie, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Since you're staying here, you'll need to pay me 300 dollars a month for board."

He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world, as if he were just commenting on the weather.

My hand froze in mid-air, still holding my bowl.

"What?"

I thought I must have misheard him.

Sean frowned, sounding a bit annoyed. "Look, you're living here, eating my food, using my stuff. Shouldn't you be paying up? It's only fair."

I just stared at him, my mind completely blank.

A month ago, Sean called me.

"Julie, I'm begging you for a favor," he said.

"Claire's not feeling well, and Tommy's being a handful lately. I really can't manage everything on my own."

"Can you come help me for a bit?"

His voice sounded tired and desperate.

I was right in the middle of an interview, holding an offer from a big company, 28,000 dollars a year, just waiting for me to sign.

But the moment I heard Sean's voice, I didn't even think twice. I agreed on the spot.

"Come on, Sean, don't say that. I'll sort things out and head over next week," I told him.

I called up the HR and said something urgent had come up at home, so I couldn't start the job.

The HR sounded really disappointed. "Ms. Adams, this is a rare opportunity. Are you sure you want to give it up?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for believing in me," I replied.

I hung up and started packing my bags.

My roommate, Wendy Parker, tried to warn me. "Come on, you know what your brother's family is like. Don't do this."

"He's my brother," I replied.

"That's exactly why you should be careful," Wendy said. "Think about it. How many times have you given up things for him since you were a kid?"

But I ignored her advice.

I really thought Sean needed me.

And now, I was just sitting here at the dining table, feeling totally defeated.

Staring at the four dishes and soup I'd slaved over for two hours.

And Sean hit me with, "You need to pay for board."

Claire just grinned and added, "That's how it works. Gotta keep things clear, even with family."

She was holding her bowl of bird's nest soup, and on her wrist was a Cartier watch worth 4,500 dollars.

I'd seen the price tag on the watch this morning when I was doing the laundry.

"That's just how things are in my family," Claire went on. "When my brother stays with us, he has to pay up too."

Her tone had that patronizing air, like she was doing me a huge favor just by letting me stay here.

It was like she thought letting me stay here was some kind of big favor.

I put down my silverware and scanned the room.

In the living room, there was a brand-new massage chair, the price tag still hanging off it, 3,000 dollars.

On the TV stand, Claire had her full set of La Mer skincare products on display.

On the coffee table sat a package she'd just received today, a brand new Hermès silk scarf.

I lowered my gaze to my hands.

After scrubbing two big basins of laundry today, my fingers were pale and wrinkled.

My right wrist was still throbbing from carrying Tommy around all day.

My lower back ached from bending over to mop the floors. I could barely stand up straight.

I'd been up since six in the morning, working nonstop until seven at night.

Thirteen hours straight.

I hadn't even managed a sip of water.

And now they want to charge me for board.

"So, is there a problem?" Sean said, his impatience growing when I stayed silent.

He looked at me, clearly getting more annoyed as I didn't respond.

"You're living here, aren't you? Shouldn't you be chipping in?" he pressed.

"Do you even know how tough it is for me to keep this family afloat? The mortgage, the car loan. Do you really think supporting you is free?"

Support me?

Those words cut deep, like a knife straight to my heart.

"Sean, when you called me, you said you needed help," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I came here to help, not just to stay as a guest."

"Just because you're helping out, you think you get free meals? You think you don't have to pay for anything?" Sean shot back, sounding annoyed. Claire jumped in, her tone sharp.

"Julie, you've got a graduate degree, right? How can you not understand something so basic?" Claire said, almost mocking.