I was carrying my luggage out the door, box by box, when a burst of giggling suddenly spilled in from the stairwell.
Three girls with bleached-blonde hair sauntered through the door. The one in front was chewing gum, and she tromped straight into the living room without even taking off her shoes.
"This the place?" Her gaze swept around and landed on the laptop sitting on the coffee table. "Ooh, nice computer."
That was the one I'd bought on installments last month, the one I used for online classes after work.
I reached for it. "Don't touch that."
The blonde pinned it down with one hand and rolled her eyes at me. "Your name on it or something?"
Janice waved a careless hand. "It's my sister's, but she's got no use for it. Take it, have fun."
I clenched my fists, then slowly loosened them.
"Fine. But the computer's password-protected. There are company files on it. Anyone who cracks it and gets in is stealing trade secrets."
The three girls exchanged looks.
Janice, annoyed that I was killing the mood, frowned. "One crappy laptop, who wants it. Come sign the agreement."
I bent down to lift the last box, my side vision brushing the edge of the computer.
Beside the camera, that faint little indicator light, covered over with a strip of clear tape, glowed on quietly.
"Sis," Janice suddenly called out to stop me, her smile so sweet it turned my stomach. "Don't leave just yet. Auntie's coming by in a bit. Hang around."
I stared at her and said nothing, unsure what she was scheming.
Speak of the devil.
Aunt Daphne Simmons came clicking in on her little heels, marched straight over to Janice the moment she was through the door, and grabbed her hand.
"Oh my, our Janice gets more scholarly by the day! Your mom tells me you're doing some big international research project? I'm so proud I could burst!"
As she spoke, she fished an envelope out of her purse.
"Janice, honey, this is the fifty thousand I borrowed from your sister. Perfect timing, you can use it for your research."
Beaming, Aunt Daphne pressed the envelope into Janice's hands. "When you're a big professor someday, don't forget your auntie! One call from you and I brought the money right over."
That was the fifty thousand dollars I'd lent her the year before last.
She'd said she needed it to keep her business afloat, called me and cried the whole night through, and in the end I caved and lent it to her.
Two years it dragged on. Every time I asked for it back, she'd mumble and dodge with one excuse after another.
Now Janice makes one phone call and she brings it over on her own, using my money to buy herself goodwill.
Janice took the money, grinning ear to ear. "Thank you, Auntie! I definitely won't forget."
"Hold on." I stepped forward, my voice hard. "Auntie, that's my money. Where do you get off deciding for me?"
Only then did Daphne turn to look at me, her smile stiffening for a second.
"Loretta, sweetie, your sister's research comes first. You're in no rush to get married, so of course Janice takes priority!"
"Exactly." My mother leaned out from the kitchen to back her up. "Your sister is this family's only hope. As the older one, don't be so selfish."
These shameless people I called family actually made me laugh.
"Fine. I'll give it to Janice. But, Auntie, you have to write me a statement. Even though this fifty thousand is you paying me back, you're also the one who decided to hand it over to her, and it has nothing to do with me."
Daphne blinked, not getting what I was after.
Janice froze for a second too, then said breezily,
"So write it. Auntie, once I land a job overseas, I'll pay you back a hundred thousand."
Daphne was clearly delighted by that, and immediately had me draft the statement, which she signed and stamped with her thumbprint.
I photographed the statement, saved it to the cloud, and then walked out of that house without looking back.
I rented my old place from the last life all over again, and the moment I stepped inside I opened the recording app on my phone.
Through my earphones came Janice's pitiful little voice.
"...Dad, Mom, that surgical equipment costs another hundred thousand. But I've spent all my money finding test subjects. Could you help me go borrow some from my sister?"
