“I knew it! Always buying things left and right—turns out she’s drowning in debt!”
“I can’t stand people like her, deadbeats who think no one can touch them, and now she’s even violent!”
“Exactly! I’ve seen strange men coming to her place all the time—her lifestyle is questionable too.”
Those were delivery guys! How could these people spread rumors without a shred of judgment?
I was seething, but my explanations were drowned out by their accusations. No one cared about what I said; they pinned me straight to the pillar of shame.
Splat!
Someone hurled a rotten egg at my head. The stench spread instantly, making me gag.
“Get out! All of you!”
My last defenses collapsed. I shoved Megan out the door with all my strength and slammed it shut.
Forcing down my fury, I scrubbed the foul smell off my body. By the time I came back out, most of the crowd had dispersed. Megan was gone too.
I hoped that lunatic had given up. I exhaled in relief and was heading to the living room when—bang, bang, bang—the door rattled again.
The pounding was even louder than before, more than one set of fists this time.
I froze and peered through the peephole. Staring back at me was Daniel’s face, with Mom and Dad standing right behind him, their expressions dark and fixed on the door.
Daniel shouted at the top of his lungs:
“Emily Harris! Get out here right now!”
Why were they all here?
I had thought it was just Megan being crazy, but apparently, Daniel was the same.
I didn’t want to respond, but Daniel kept pounding harder and harder, making the noise unbearable.
I yanked the door open, a kitchen knife in my hand, and thrust it toward his face.
“Daniel Harris! Have you lost your damn mind too?”
His face went pale. A moment ago, he’d been full of bluster, but now he was too terrified to speak.
Megan shoved him forward, refusing to let him retreat.
“You ungrateful brat! How dare you treat your brother this way!”
Mom rushed forward without hesitation, grabbing the knife, acting as if she’d sacrifice herself just to protect her son.
Dad cowered to the side but wouldn’t stop running his mouth, pressing me to hand over the money.
I was stunned and angry. Since childhood, Mom had always been this way—willing to risk her life for her son, threatening suicide to force me into buying him a house. Back then, the whole neighborhood called me unfilial.
And now, nothing had changed.