Paid in Full for Family Love novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

My mom’s voice cracked on the other end of the line, that panicked, breathless tone I

used to live in fear of.

A year ago, I would’ve already been grabbing my keys, heart hammering, ready to fix whatever mess they’d made.

Now I just leaned back against my headboard.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “I thought they were fine.”

She was practically hyperventilating.

“Something terrible happened. You need to get over here. Now. Mike and Jen are going

to kill each other.”

I let out a short laugh.

“That’s your house,” I said. “Your problem.”

She went quiet for a beat. When she spoke again, her voice pitched higher

“What kind of thing is that to say, Emily? We’re family.”

Before I could answer, a loud crash tore through the other end of the line. Then my

mom’s voice, frantic, “Stop it! Both of you, just stop!”

Another thud.

“You’re going to kill each other!”

The line went dead.

Two minutes later, Mike called.

“Emily, did you destroy our house?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I did.”

His voice shot up an octave.

“It was you?”

“Everything I paid for. I took it back.”

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Mom grabbed the phone.

“Are you crazy?! Mike and Jen were ready to kill each other! If the neighbors hadn’t spotted your guys hauling stuff out, we would’ve called the cops! This is your brother’s house, what the hell were you thinking?!”

I let her finish. Then, “Mom. Two days ago you said business is business. That’s what

I’m doing. You taught me.’

She didn’t answer.

Jen’s voice cut through, shrill.

“Emily you are sick. This is our house. What gives you the right to tear it apart?!”

I pulled the blanket up to my chin. Spoke calmly.

“Because every single thing I tore apart? I bought it. I paid for it. It’s mine.”

I paused.

“And don’t worry. I didn’t touch anything you paid for. Wouldn’t dream is business, right? I kept it clean.”

Heavy breathing on the other end. Then Jen screamed at Mike,

Isiness

“This is your sister, Mike! She torched our house over a lousy thousand bucks! We’re gone for two days and she strips the place down to studs! And you’re seriously blaming me for the trip? This isn’t about the vacation, this is about your unhinged sister biting the hand that fed her!” Mike took the phone back.

“Emily, why? What did we do to you? How is this, revenge?”

I almost laughed.

“Revenge? No. I’m just protecting my interests. You guys showed me how.”

Mom’s voice trembled.

“Emily… this is your brother’s home… how can you be so cruel…”

“Mom,” I said. “You told me two days ago this was Mike and Jen’s house. You said they have it hard. You said I should learn to give, not just take.”

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I paused.

“So I’m giving you what you asked for. I won’t come back. I won’t take anything from this family again. Everything I put in? I’m taking with me. The mortgage? I’m done.”

Mike jumped in. “Wait, you’re stopping the payments?”

“Yes. Business is business. I’m not required to pay someone else’s mortgage.”

Jen shrieked. “You’re killing us! We can’t afford the mortgage without you!”

“That’s your problem. Not mine.”

A beat.

“Two days ago, when you charged me rent to sleep in a house I paid for? You didn’t care about my problems then.”

Mom’s voice cracked.

“Emily… we’re family…”

“Family,” I repeated. “Family charges family rent? Family budgets out

dinner?”

of

Silence.

“You wanted business,” I said. “Fine. Let’s do business.”

I took a breath.

“Renovations? Twenty-three thousand. I tore it out, so I’m not asking for that back. But the mortgage payments, six grand total. You have three days to pay me.”

Another pause,

“Or I’ll see you in court.”

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Jen lost it.

“Six grand?! Are you out of your mind? That’s robbery! We don’t have that kind of

cash!”

“Then sell the house,” I said.

“Dream on! This is our home!”

“Then pay me back. I just want what’s mine.”

Mike’s voice went cold.

“You really have to take it this far? Burn everything down?”

“Take it this far?” I laughed. “Mike. You charged me a thousand to sleep in my own house two days ago. You took everything I gave you and pretended it didn’t count.”

“You priced out a family dinner. I gave and gave and gave, and you took it like it was your due. The second I asked for fairness, I’m the one burning things down>”

I shook my head.

“That’s not burning. That’s just… mirroring. The floors, the cabinets, the fixtures, my money. Your house didn’t want me in it. So I took my stuff back. What exactly is the problem here?”

Mom was breathing hard.

“Emily, what do you get out of this? Your reputation, you want people to know you did this to your own family?”

“My reputation,” I said. “You mean the one where I’m the family ATM? I think I’ll survive without it.”

I let the words hang.

“You taught me something, Mom,” I said. “Family doesn’t count for much when it comes down to money. So okay. You want to rip up the deal? Fine. I’m just making it official.”

I hung up.