Chapter 2

Unexpectedly, the quiet didn't last.

Over the next two days, my phone became a nonstop hotline. Relatives kept calling, one after another.

After Linda kicked me out of the group chat, she clearly put on a show in there. The heartbroken, loving mother act.

The first to call was Uncle Greg.

He used that elder tone. Serious and heartfelt. "Claire, your mother raised you. It wasn't easy. How can you be so immature? Making her angry during the New Year?

"Just make one phone call. Go home and give in a little. This will all blow over."

I didn't say a word and just hung up.

The second was Aunt Ruth. Her voice was sharp, with that mean, gossipy edge.

She said, "Claire, you're a young woman. What do you think you're doing, off on your own like that? You're not getting any younger, and you're still not married. Now you're throwing away your family?

"Let me tell you, go home and apologize to your mother. Right now. Or you'll be sorry later."

I blocked her number too.

Then came the other aunts and uncles, all those relatives I barely talked to once a year. Now they all played self-appointed moral police, passing judgment on me one after another.

So I just turned on my spam blocker. I only answered calls from my whitelist. Finally, the world went quiet again.

Not long after, a text popped up. It was Ethan. He wrote: [Claire, I'm a little short on cash lately. Just send me 15,000 dollars.]

His tone was so matter-of-fact, like he wasn't asking, just taking back what already belonged to him.

I stared at the message, rage bubbling up inside me.

I typed two words back: [No money.]

Almost instantly, his call came in. The system blocked it right away.

Then came a long string of voice messages. The text previews were full of nasty insults.

He roared, "Claire, you're so ungrateful. You forget who raised you? Now that you've made it, you think you don't need us anymore?

"Let me tell you, don't push your luck. You lived off us. Now giving a little money is like pulling your teeth.

"You're heartless. No wonder no man wants you."

I turned each voice message into text, my face blank. Then I took screenshots and saved them.

All of them were weapons they handed me themselves.

My phone buzzed. My best friend Zoey Grant's name lit up the screen.

I picked up. Before I could even speak, her trademark loud voice came through.

She said, "Claire, what kind of drama are your crazy relatives causing now? My mom said your mom kicked you out of the group chat?"

Zoey's mom and my mom were card buddies. News traveled at the speed of light.

I gave her a quick rundown of what had happened.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. Then came an explosion of cursing.

She said, "What the hell? What year is it? They're still on that superstitious crap? You're not married, so you ruin their luck? They must be out of their minds.

"And that leech of a brother of yours. Asking for 15,000 dollars just like that? Why doesn't he just go rob a bank?

"Ignore them. Those overgrown man-babies deserve to crash and burn on their own."

Zoey let it all out. Everything I'd been bottling up inside. I couldn't help but laugh. The tightness in my chest finally started to loosen.

"Claire, listen up. I'm being serious now." Zoey's tone turned serious. "You bought them a place back in your hometown so they'd be more comfortable, right?

"Whose name is actually on the deed?"

Her words hit me like a flash of lightning. They cut right through my messy thoughts.

I answered right away, "It's in my name."

Back when I bought it, Linda kept saying putting it in my name would make it easier to handle paperwork later.

She probably never thought that one day, that convenience would become my leverage.

On the other end of the line, Zoey gave a cold laugh. "Then that makes things easy. Claire, remember. It's your property. Not their free retirement home."

I hung up. A vague thought in my head suddenly became crystal clear.

This was just the opening act. The real drama was about to kick off.