Chapter 3 — Every Choice Has a Price
Chapter 3 — Every Choice Has a Price
The next morning Ethan returned to the apartment alone.
His mother greeted him from the couch.
"Is she finished pretending?"
Ethan didn't answer.
Instead, he placed a folder on the coffee table.
Inside were every receipt, every bank statement, every utility bill from the past two years.
"You've all been living here for free."
His sisters exchanged nervous glances.
Teresa laughed.
"So what?"
"So today it ends."
He unplugged the internet router.
Silence.
He canceled the food delivery accounts linked to his credit card.
He removed every family member from his phone plan.
Then he handed each of them an envelope.
Inside was a thirty-day notice to move out.
"You can't do this!" Brittany shouted.
"I already did."
Kayla burst into tears.
"Where are we supposed to go?"
Ethan looked around the apartment.
"I asked myself that every time I worked a sixteen-hour shift to pay your bills."
Teresa stood.
"You owe me! I raised you!"
He nodded slowly.
"You gave me life."
Then he looked directly into her eyes.
"But Emily is giving life to my son."
"And she is the only person in this family who has ever thanked me for mine."
May you like
For once...
Teresa had nothing to say.
