Evelyn walked into the living room. The air felt heavy. Her father was not there. Her mother sat on the sofa, eyes red, a tissue in her fist.
“What happened?" Evelyn asked.
Her mother wiped her cheeks. “Your father went to the office early. The phone kept ringing. A supplier pulled out. The bank called about the line of credit. He said there's also a rumor that a bigger company wants to swallow us."
“Who called about the supplier?"
“Mr. Luo from plastics. He said he was sorry. He said he can't ship to us anymore."
Evelyn sat beside her. “Did he say why?"
“He wouldn't say on the record. Off the record, he said someone warned him not to support us. He has a family. He can't take the risk."
Evelyn knew what that meant. She did not need a long analysis. James had started to squeeze. He
