Chapter 3

Things finally quieted down at last.

I put my phone on silent and tossed it onto the couch.

I knew this call was only the beginning.

The real storm was just beginning.

I took a shower, dried my hair, and lay down in bed.

But sleep was nowhere to be found.

My phone kept lighting up on the couch, silent and relentless.

I knew it was Jason, or maybe Dad calling from Jason's phone.

I just ignored it.

After about half an hour, my phone finally went silent.

I figured they'd finally given up for now.

But then, the family group chat suddenly lit up.

It was Jason.

He sent a long message in the group chat.

[Seriously, Emily? Mom and Dad raised you all these years, and you just decide to stop sending money? All because Dad said one thing at Christmas?]

[So now that you're out there making your own money, you think you're too good for us, huh?]

[Dad's so upset his blood pressure's through the roof. If you still care at all, hurry up and transfer the money, and apologize to Dad while you're at it.]

As soon as Jason finished, Mom chimed in right away.

[Emily, is what your brother said true? Don't take it out on your dad. He's got a sharp tongue, but deep down he really does love you.]

[Come on, just send the money already. We've got a ton of bills to cover this month.]

They were tag-teaming, working together so smoothly it was almost like they'd practiced this a thousand times.

One played the bad cop, the other the good cop.

It was the same old tricks and same old drama.

Then Jason sent a photo in the group chat.

In the picture, Grover was clutching his chest, leaning back on the couch, looking like he was about to pass out.

Jason followed up right away with another message.

[@Emily, did you see this? Dad's actually gotten sick from being so upset with you.]

[If you keep ignoring us and something happens, don't blame me, You're gonna have me to answer to.]

They had been using guilt trips and family pressure on me for ten years.

And it always worked like a charm.

But this time, I stared at that blurry photo, and felt absolutely nothing inside.

Was Grover really sick?

I busted my ass for ten years, ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach. Did they ever bother to visit me?

Not once.

I just got one phone call from Mom.

She always said, "It's just a minor thing, don't waste money on it. Your brother's about to buy a house, so you should save up and help him with that."

That was the moment my heart died.

What Dad said at Christmas was just the final shovel of dirt on my grave.

I picked up my phone and sent a quick message in the group chat.

[Oh, then hurry up and take him to the hospital.]

[As for the medical bills, let his dutiful son handle it.]

After sending that, I finally pressed the button I'd been waiting to hit for years.

I left the group chat.

The moment I left the group chat, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

For the first time ever, I felt a kind of lightness I'd never known.

It was like I'd finally shed a boulder I'd been carrying for a decade.

Finally, it was gone.

My phone buzzed again almost immediately.

I picked up my phone and glanced at the screen.

Mom was calling.

I hit decline without a second thought.

Right after, Jason called again.

He just wouldn't give up.

I kept ignoring Jason.

I tossed my phone back onto the couch.

I got up and walked to the kitchen and poured myself a hot cup of milk.

I leaned against the window, looking down at the sea of lights below.

This city held my dreams and my work.

But in this city, there was no place I could truly call home.

I used to believe that if I gave enough and was a good daughter, that distant home would be a warm haven waiting for me.

But now...

I finally get it.

Some things were never mine, not even from the start. They were never mine to begin with.

The warmth from the milk radiated through the cup.

It warmed my hands.

But it couldn't melt the chill in my heart.

I found myself remembering the first time I wired money back to my family.

That was right after I graduated, my very first month out of college.

I was barely scraping by on my first paycheck.

I pinched every penny I could to make sure I could send that $1,500.

I called home.

I called Mom, all excited. "Mom, I sent you the money.! Did you get it?"

On the other end, Mom just replied with a flat "Mm."

Then Mom just replied, "Yeah, got it. Jason said he wants a new computer lately."

Right then, all that excitement I felt just vanished, like someone poured ice water straight down my back.

I was left standing there, completely at a loss.

But I was still naive enough to think maybe Mom just didn't know how to show her feelings.

Maybe, somewhere in their hearts, they still cared about me.