“You wouldn’t dare.”
I placed the glass back down.
“I already did.”
Connor leaned forward. “Wait, you canceled the internet?”
I looked at him.
“That’s your first concern?”
Mom’s face went pale.
“Olivia, don’t be cruel.”
I stood up, grabbed my purse, and looked around the table.
“No. Cruel is eating a dinner I paid for while calling me selfish.”
Then I walked out before anyone could ask what else I had stopped.
Part 2
My phone began ringing before I even reached my car.
Mom called first. Mother-daughterjewelry
Then Dad.
Then Connor, twice.
I ignored every call and drove home in silence, the kind of silence that felt heavier than yelling. For a year, I had carried my parents in secret. I had shielded their pride from relatives, shielded Connor from consequences, and shielded myself from admitting that helping had become an obligation.
That night, I opened my laptop and checked every cancellation.
Electric company autopay: removed.
Gas bill: removed.
Water bill: removed.
Internet and cable: removed.
Discover more
Family dinner recipes
Mom and baby
New parent guide
Phone bundle: removed.
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