Chapter 1
The second I stepped through the front door, my eyes landed on the dining table, which was piled high with dishes.
There were exactly eight of them, no more, no less. Four had little notes stuck to them that read "Lauren's Exclusive."
My little brother Ryan Lawson spotted me and scrambled to his feet.
"Lauren, you're finally back! Mom said we couldn't eat until you got home. We've all been waiting for you! Mom spoils you way too much. What kind of family waits for their daughter to show up before they can start dinner?"
My mom, Patricia Lawson, heard the commotion and poked her head out of the kitchen.
"Lauren, you finally decided to show up? I thought you were gonna stay away forever just because we said we'd give you a share of the house, you ungrateful little brat! Same old rule as always: four dishes for you, four for your brother. Fairness is the only rule that matters in this house."
I kept my eyes on the spread and let out a quiet, bitter scoff.
Abalone, lobster, braised beef, and a platter of imported fruit, those were Ryan's.
Cabbage, tofu, potatoes, and bread, those were mine.
Sure enough, that same old rule hadn't changed one bit.
I didn't even bother taking my bag off my shoulder. My voice was flat and eerily calm.
"I'm not gonna eat. Just tell me what property you're giving me. I'll sign the papers, then I'll leave."
"What the hell are you talking about, you heartless little thing?" My mom stormed out of the kitchen, pointing the spoon straight at my face as she screamed. "I slaved away all morning making all these dishes, and you don't even give them a second glance? All you care about is the property, huh? I don't know who you're making that sour face for! Go find me another family as fair as ours. You should be thanking your lucky stars you have a mom like me who treats family with fairness!"
Her words grew nastier with every sentence.
"You haven't come home in years. Have you been messing around with random guys out there? Look at you, decked out in gold and silver. How can a young girl like you afford all that, huh?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but not a single sound came out.
I never would've imagined such vicious, ugly words could come from my own mother's mouth.
Screw that house. I didn't even want it anymore.
I spun around and headed for the door, but Patricia grabbed my arm and yanked me back.
"Oh, so you can't handle a little criticism? How are you still this immature at your age?" Her tone softened slightly. "You've been gone all these years. Didn't you ever miss this family? Didn't you miss me?"
Her questions felt like a sharp thorn driven deep into my chest, impossible to pull out, throbbing with an ache I couldn't ignore.
Throughout my four years of college, they wouldn't let me stay on campus during winter or summer breaks.
I didn't have the money to rent a hotel room, so I worked odd jobs during the day, then snuck around the dorm buildings after dark like a fugitive, hiding from the resident advisors. I never got a single good night's sleep.
After graduation, my coworkers constantly teased me for being a workaholic because I stayed late to grind through overtime, even during the holidays.
I packed every waking moment with work to keep myself busy. But whenever I looked out the window at the glowing windows across the city, a dull, heavy loneliness settled in my chest, one I couldn't shake no matter what I did.
My resolve finally crumbled. I set my bag down on the chair beside me.
But I'd barely sat down when Patricia spoke again. "Lauren, you know our family has always been fair. We'll give you the old family house back in our hometown. In exchange, you have to buy a new apartment for your brother. He's getting married soon, so he needs a place to live. It's only fair if both of you have a house, right? I'm getting old. I don't want people talking behind my back when I'm elderly, saying I played favorites and didn't treat my children equally."
The old family house in our hometown?
Oh, right. That total dump that didn't even have a proper roof, where the weeds out front were taller than I was.
I couldn't keep my deadpan expression any longer. A sharp, bitter laugh escaped me.
Ryan, though, looked absolutely over the moon, his voice practically brimming with excitement.
"Mom, look! Lauren is laughing! She must've agreed! I knew she'd never make you look bad after you spent all these years proving you treat children equally. She'd definitely agree."
Patricia's face broke into a pleased smile. She pulled two velvet boxes from her pocket and handed one to me and the other to Ryan.
Ryan opened his first. Inside was a luxury designer watch. I'd seen it before at the brand's counter. It retailed for 43,200.
"Lauren, go on, open yours! Your brother got a gift, so you get one too."
My heart thudded against my ribs like someone was pounding a drum inside my chest. Even though I knew whatever was in that box would never come close to Ryan's gift, I couldn't stop that tiny, foolish spark of hope from flickering to life.
It was a silver ring with rough, shoddy craftsmanship.
Patricia grabbed my hand and roughly tried to force it onto my finger.
The ring slipped right off and hit the floor.
"Oops, it's a little big. You've been gone so long, I forgot your ring size..."
"It's fine."
I let out a dry, mocking laugh. It wasn't just a little big. It was ridiculously loose. One glance was enough to tell it was cheap clearance junk that no store could've sold at full price.
The ring clattered softly as it rolled across the floor.
I snatched my bag off the chair and marched straight for the front door.
"I don't want that stupid house. And I'm not paying a cent for Ryan's new place either."
