So when Rhys got married and the old house couldn't fit everyone, I offered to let them move into the villa. It was sitting empty anyway.
Vivian was newly pregnant at the time. The moment she laid eyes on the three-story house, her whole face lit up.
The day they moved in, she grabbed my hands and said, "Lola, this is our home now. You come back anytime—I'll save the best room for you."
But now, every other word out of her mouth was my house.
Did she really not know this place was mine?
Did she not even know who'd paid for tonight's dinner?
I found Dad and asked him directly. "Dad, does Vivian not know this house belongs to me?"
He hesitated, mouth half-open, about to speak.
Christine suddenly took my hand. Her eyes glistened.
"Lola, this is my fault. I'm the one who told your father not to say anything."
"Back when Rhys was dating, the girl almost called it off the moment she heard it was a blended family—with an unmarried sister-in-law still in the picture. I told her the house was Rhys's. That's the only reason she agreed to marry him." Her voice cracked. "Lola, I know I wronged you. But I didn't have a choice."
Dad sighed too.
"Lola, I know this isn't fair to you. But you know how good Christine has been to you all these years. Can't we just consider this repaying her kindness?"
A tangle of emotions knotted in my chest.
"Aunt Christine, I understand your situation. But this can't stay hidden. Leo's about to start school, and the enrollment slot for this villa's school district is tied to my household registration. The moment they run a check, everything comes out."
Christine froze. She clearly hadn't thought of that.
"Here's what I suggest," I said, softening my tone. "I have a small apartment downtown—also in a good school district. Vivian's family can move there so Leo can enroll. But this villa? You have to tell Vivian the truth."
Dad's eyes went red immediately. "Lola... thank you for thinking of this family."
I squeezed his hand. "Dad, we are family."
In that moment, I meant it with every fiber of my being.
But I had underestimated the depth of human greed.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Vivian's attitude toward me changed completely.
"Some people are thirty and still can't land a husband. And they have the nerve to leech off their parents."
"Freeloading every single day—who does she think she is, a princess?"