Myles' POV
“Call the police? You’d really call the cops on your own brother?” Tamara’s voice was dripping with disdain. “We’re just taking the car for a spin. Why are you overreacting? You’re so stingy.”
And with that, she hung up.
I stood there clutching my phone, my whole body trembling.
The store manager stared at me coldly.
“Well?” he asked.
“They said… they’ll return it tonight,” I said softly, unable to meet his eyes.
But his voice instantly rose. “Tonight? Do you even know how much the insurance costs per day for that car? What if something happens out there? Do you know how much the damages could be?”
My knees were beginning to buckle.
“Sir, I swear, I had no idea they would do this.”
“No idea?” he scoffed. “Myles, I’m giving you one last chance. If that car isn’t back before we close tonight, you’re suspended immediately, and you’ll be held responsible for the entire loss.”
“Almost half a million. Can you afford that?” he hissed.
I sat in the office, overwhelmed, frantically redialing their numbers. But every time, it went straight to voicemail, signalling their phones were off.
As the deadline crept closer and closer, I had no choice but to call my parents.
“Mom, something serious happened!” I cried.
“Justine and Tamara… they took a Maybach from the dealership. It’s worth almost half a million!”
But instead of sounding worried, my mom responded as if it were nothing. “It’s just a car. You’re a manager, aren’t you? Besides, the dealership’s full of cars. What’s the big deal if your brother drives one?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Mom! It’s not my car! It belongs to the company! What they did is illegal!” I shrieked.
“Illegal?” she said with a dismissive snort. “We’re family. Why are you being so petty?”
“Mom, I could get fired for this! I could even go to jail!” I explained, hoping she could understand my point of view at least.
But her voice only turned cold. “Jail? You’re so dramatic!”
Then my dad took the phone, his tone sharp and commanding. “Myles, your brother finally found a wife. If your sister-in-law likes that car, what’s the harm in letting her have it? We raised you all these years just for you to turn against us now?”
“Dad, this isn’t about personal feelings. It’s my job. There are rules—”
Yet he cut me off instantly. “Don’t talk to me about rules! The only rule in this house is that sons come first! Who are you supposed to spend your money on if not your brother?”
My hands were shaking as I held the phone.
“Dad, what they did is theft. I can’t cover for them,” I said, wishing it could knock some sense into him.
“Cover for them?” he shouted. “He’s your brother! So what if you cover for him?”
Then he added, “Listen, fix this immediately, and don’t you dare embarrass us by calling the police. If it really can’t be helped, pay the car yourself.”
Pay it? It was almost half a million!
I was stunned in disbelief. “Dad… that’s almost half a million!”
“So what? You make tens of thousands a month, don’t you? Just pay it off slowly,” he said matter-of-factly.
Yet his words stabbed like a knife.
“Dad… I only make a grand a month,” I corrected him.
But he sounded even more annoyed. “A grand? Who are you trying to fool? You’re a manager! There’s no way you earn that little!”
“I swear it’s true! The rest depends on sales commissions. I—”
He cut me off again, this time with a snarl. “Enough! I don’t care. Just handle it. And if you dare call the police on your own brother, then forget about being our daughter. If anything happens to your brother, our whole family will hold you responsible!”
As such, the call ended.
I sat there in the chair, gripping my phone as silent tears streamed down my face.
