Chapter 4
John and Sophia quickly crowded in behind her to look at the screen. When their eyes locked onto the undeniable transfer receipt, their faces morphed into a spectacular display of shock, confusion, and unadulterated fury.
"Jessica?" Sophia practically shrieked. "Isn't she that gold-digging bitch who dumped David for a rich guy years ago because David was broke?
"Why the hell is David still talking to her?
"Three hundred grand? Has he lost his damn mind?"
John looked livid. He didn't say a word, but his white-knuckled fists practically vibrating at his sides told me exactly how enraged he was.
Mary finally snapped out of her paralyzed state. She whipped her head up and shot me a look of pure venom.
"This is your fault! You forced him to do this!" she spat, her voice shaking with delusion.
"You probably treated my son like absolute garbage at home, and that's why he went running back to Jessica!
"Jessica is ten times sweeter and more understanding than you! This is all because you're a jealous, toxic bitch!"
I couldn't help it. Her wildly twisted, psychotic logic actually made me laugh out loud.
I fired back, "Let me get this straight. Your son commits financial infidelity, cheats on his wife, and funnels all of our marital assets to another woman, but somehow, that makes me the villain?
"In your delusional little world, your son is literally incapable of making a mistake, isn't he? If he murdered someone in cold blood, you'd blame the knife."
"You!" Mary choked on her own rage, her face turning an alarming shade of crimson.
"Enough!" John, who had been completely silent the entire time, finally snapped. He looked at me, his voice tight but controlled.
"Emma, right now is not the time to point fingers and assign blame.
"The only thing that matters right now is saving David's life.
"We will figure out the money situation later.
"You go find that doctor right now and tell him we consent to the surgery!"
"Figure it out later?" I repeated the phrase.
I looked at John's severe, commanding expression and found the entire concept absolutely hilarious.
"John, how exactly do you plan on 'figuring it out'?" I asked. "Are you planning on putting your house on the market, or are you just going to drain your retirement accounts?"
I asked the question calmly, my eyes sweeping over the three of them.
John completely choked on his words, his face darkening with intense discomfort.
Mary instantly leaped into the air like a cat that had just had its tail stomped on.
"Why the hell should we have to pay for it?" she screeched at the top of her lungs. "He is your husband! Saving him is your legal responsibility!
"My husband and I only have a tiny bit of savings left for our old age! If we spend it on this, are we supposed to just starve on the streets?
"Don't you even dare think about touching our money!"
Sophia immediately backed her up. "Yeah, Emma! So what if David gave the money away? It was still money that the two of you owned together as a married couple!
"Arguing about who is at fault right now is completely pointless. We need to save his life.
"Don't you still own that property under your name? The one your dead parents left you? Just sell it or take out a massive mortgage on it. Boom, problem solved."
I stared at the three of them, looking at their completely shameless, self-righteous faces. The very last shred of warmth I held for this family evaporated into thin air.
How incredibly easy for them to say.
The house listed under my name was the absolute last thing my parents left me before they passed away. It was my only remaining connection to them.
It was my anchor. It was the only safety net Adam and I had left in the world.