It was the first time Caroline had said what she really thought, right there in front of everyone, like she was finally letting the venom out.
Even with the medication, my body wouldn't stop shaking.
Something sat lodged in my chest—dense, suffocating, ready to burst.
I turned to look at Vincent, but my vision wouldn't focus.
My voice cracked:
"Vincent, I'm so tired. I really can't come up with two hundred thousand."
I thought he'd understand.
After all, he'd once told me:
"Amanda, it's not your fault. I'm your husband. Protecting you is what I'm supposed to do."
His lips moved. But what came out was:
"Amanda, I'm paralyzed because I saved you. An older brother's wife is like a mother to his siblings. You can't just abandon Godfrey."
"I paid this price to save your life. Helping him out a little now—is that really too much to ask?"
"I don't care how you do it. Get that two hundred thousand together. Soon."
Is that really too much to ask.
Those words landed on me like a mountain, crushing the air from my lungs.
Godfrey sat on the couch scrolling through his phone, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Elise's gaze drifted between us, her expression cold and detached.
The wire I'd been stretched across for so long finally snapped.
But the chains only grew heavier.
I borrowed a hundred and fifty thousand from my parents and relatives. Scraped together two hundred thousand and handed it to Caroline.
They were thrilled. Bought the house.
Property in our area wasn't expensive. The mortgage was seventeen hundred a month, and Godfrey would handle that himself.
End-of-year accounting, year three.
Godfrey's tabs at the restaurant: $15,270. The house: $200,000.
Household money for Caroline: $60,000.
Vincent's physical therapy: $20,000.
Elise's tuition, tutoring, and rent: $45,000.
After that incident, they realized that ripping my wound open worked better than dancing around it. So they stopped bothering with subtlety.
Godfrey bought the house, then needed renovations. After renovations, he needed a car.
"Vincent lost his legs saving you. The renovation costs should come from you."
"My brother's paralyzed because of you. He can't help me, so you should be the one paying for my car."
End-of-year accounting, year four.
Godfrey's tabs at the restaurant: $18,420. Renovations: $150,000. The car: $200,000.
Vincent's physical therapy: $15,000.
Elise's tuition, tutoring, and rent: $42,000.