Mom’s face tightened immediately. “Sit down. You’re being dramatic.”
I placed my napkin neatly beside the ruined plate. “No.”
Derek muttered under his breath, “There goes Rachel again. Always the victim.”
I walked toward the front door while laughter followed me down the hallway.
Nobody called my name.
At 9:18 that night, Mom sent a message into the family group chat.
Don’t contact us again. We’re tired of your attitude.
Eric reacted with a thumbs-up emoji.
I stared at the screen for a very long time.
Then I typed a single sentence.
Understood. Mortgage auto-pay ends tomorrow.
By 11:42 p.m., the family chat exploded.
