While my family was preparing for the banquet, I received a call from my classmate, Denise Trevino.
She sounded really urgent, saying there was a family urgency. Thus, she needed a few tens of thousands of dollars to cover it and asked me to return the portion of the startup fund she'd contributed.
The startup fund was money we'd all contributed, so I immediately transferred it to her using the private savings I'd taken from Dad a few days earlier.
To my surprise, Denise called me again two days later.
There was a commotion in the background, and I could faintly hear several familiar voices.
The next moment, Denise said, "Mabel, your parents are here at my company."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mom's screeching voice came through the phone.
"You cow, who are you calling? How dare you borrow money from Mabel? Give it back right now! Since you borrowed it for two days, you need to pay interest! Otherwise, don't blame me for making your life difficult!"
I hung up the phone.
When I got to Denise's company, my parents and Grandma were pulling at her clothes, demanding an explanation.
Looking at me as if I were a savior, Denise said in a voice choked with tears, "Mabel, hurry up and talk some sense into your parents! I told them it's true that I borrowed money from you, but that money was originally mine."
"How dare you still lie?" Grandma said, moving forward again to grab Denise's hair.
I stopped Grandma and turned to my parents.
"How did you find out I transferred money to her?" I asked in confusion.
Chad, standing nearby, replied smugly, "It was all thanks to me. How else would I know if I hadn't installed a hidden camera in your room?"
When I heard that, my mind went blank, and my whole body began to tremble. I swept my gaze over my parents, and they lowered their heads guiltily.
Even in my previous life, I never imagined Chad would install a hidden camera in my room, and that the whole family knew about it!
Only Grandma scolded me matter-of-factly, "You little brat! You still owe us money, yet you dare hide your own savings to lend to your friends? Don't tell me you think they're more important than us?"
After she said that, Mom and Dad puffed up with confidence as well.
"That's right. You still owe us 300 thousand dollars! Either your friend pays back the money, or you give the 300 thousand dollars today. Otherwise, we'll continue to harass you.
"I haven't even bought the jewelry I need for the party, and you're telling me you have no money? Yet, you still lend money to outsiders? Oh, how did I end up with such a disloyal daughter?"
Even though I explained that the money was originally Denise's and that her family was in trouble, they refused to believe me.
Mom glanced at Denise contemptuously. "Someone in your family died, yet you still came to work? Why aren't you at their funeral service? The way I see it, you're just a liar. Next thing you'll do is trick Mabel out of her money, delete your contacts, and run far away."
Denise was so furious at Mom's words that she shook all over. "Mrs. Livingston, if you speak like that again, I'll call the police."
"Even if you call them, we're still in the right," Mom retorted confidently.
They were locked in a fierce dispute.
Nearby, some nosy bystander had already taken out their phone to record everything.
To keep Denise from being further inconvenienced at work, I had no choice but to say to my parents, "Alright, alright, I'll give you the 300 thousand dollars! Just stop this!"
Hearing this, my parents stopped what they were doing and eyed me suspiciously.
I used the transfer system to move Dad's private savings and then transferred the money to them.
"See this? Here's 80 thousand dollars. I'll give you the remaining 220 thousand dollars when we get home. Are you satisfied now?"
My parents nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it."
