No Job, No Money

I was awakened by the slam of the door.

Harry was crying. Frowning, I soothed him. I looked up and realized we had guests. Clara, Jessica, and Gregory were all here.

Pointing a finger at me, Clara scolded me as though I'd committed a terrible crime. "Sasha! You made a fuss when Jessica used a few tens of thousands of your money, but you spent ten thousand dollars last night in the hotel! Have you gone nuts?"

Oh, right. Gregory had secretly linked his number to my bank account before this. He would know whenever I spent money.

Clara grabbed my hair and dragged me toward her. Hugging Harry tightly, I shoved her aside.

"You!"

The Chance family stared at me. They looked like they were going to beat me up.

With my head held high, I returned their gazes with a warning glare.

Calming down, Clara then signaled to Gregory before she left the room.

Gregory glared at me dangerously. "Come out! We need to talk."

I calmed Harry down and gave him an expensive chocolate bar. When we were going out, Jessica stared intently at the chocolate Harry held.

"That chocolate bar costs more than 100 dollars. Holly can't even bring herself to have some, yet you're giving it to your son!"

I retorted calmly, "Is there a problem with me spending my hard-earned money on chocolates for my son?"

Jessica snorted.

Suddenly, Clara hit my leg with a feather duster, and it immediately became swollen. "Sasha, you know the family rules! Being loyal and respectful is the most important one of them all! You're being very disloyal. Hurry up and apologize to Jessica and Gregory!"

I thought she had gone crazy. Gregory took money from my account without my permission. Why was I the one who should apologize?

"Are you sure you're in your right mind?" I asked.

Clara didn't expect me to challenge her right after she lectured me about being respectful. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "I dare you to repeat that!"

"Are you too old to understand me now?"

Gregory snatched the feather duster from her, preparing to hit me.

Right then, a voice came from the door. "Enough!"

Just wonderful. Even Jessica's husband, Frank Jarvis, was here. He brought Holly with him.

"Sweetie, you're here!" Gregory exclaimed the moment he saw Holly. He even spoke in a honeyed tone. However, when Harry bawled his eyes out just now, he didn't even cast Harry a single glance.

The Chance family and Frank sat across from me. Right then, I felt like I was being interrogated.

Frank said, "Sasha, we're family. It's only tens of thousands of dollars. It's not like we can't pay you back."

I almost forgot. Frank was unemployed too. Gregory undercounted the sum Frank used. I paid for Frank's lifestyle needs, even the 500 dollars he spent on prostitutes.

I nodded. "When will you pay me back then?"

"Anytime," he replied confidently.

I instantly recited the amount he owed me. "You owe me 66 thousand dollars this time, 5200 dollars for Holly's tuition fees she requested on Thanksgiving, and 30 thousand dollars from when Jessica said she was sick on Labor Day.

"During the New Year, you and Jessica wanted to buy a house near Holly's school and asked Greg to give you 150 thousand dollars…"

The Chances were stunned, as though they had only found out about his debt now.

"Also, there's the time you solicited a prostitute—"