When the House Lost Value, She Came for Me

Why were they all here?

I had thought it was just Megan being crazy, but apparently, Daniel was the same.

I didn’t want to respond, but Daniel kept pounding harder and harder, making the noise unbearable.

I yanked the door open, a kitchen knife in my hand, and thrust it toward his face.

“Daniel Harris! Have you lost your damn mind too?”

His face went pale. A moment ago, he’d been full of bluster, but now he was too terrified to speak.

Megan shoved him forward, refusing to let him retreat.

“You ungrateful brat! How dare you treat your brother this way!”

Mom rushed forward without hesitation, grabbing the knife, acting as if she’d sacrifice herself just to protect her son.

Dad cowered to the side but wouldn’t stop running his mouth, pressing me to hand over the money.

I was stunned and angry. Since childhood, Mom had always been this way—willing to risk her life for her son, threatening suicide to force me into buying him a house. Back then, the whole neighborhood called me unfilial.

And now, nothing had changed.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I had thought maybe, as they grew older, they might finally appreciate me. But I had been wrong.

In the end, I had to call security to get them out of my apartment.

Even when I got to work, my irritation lingered.

Years ago, I had worked myself to the bone to buy them that house, thinking I could cut ties with the family. Yet here they were, clinging to me again—for such a ridiculous reason.

That evening, when I returned home, the hallway was finally quiet. I let out a breath of relief, hoping they wouldn’t come back.

But the moment I opened my door, something felt wrong.

The lights were on.

I rushed inside to find Megan, Daniel, and my parents sitting comfortably on my couch, watching TV. The cushions I had just cleaned were now covered in muddy footprints.

The snacks I’d just bought had been devoured by Ethan, and the stench of garbage filled the room.

I nearly vomited. Rage swirled inside me.

“How did you even get in here?”

They barely glanced at me before continuing to eat. I slammed a glass to the floor, and only then did they finally look up.

“This is your place? Everything you buy should also belong to us! Helping your brother is only natural!”

Daniel smirked and strolled toward me, acting like it was all a joke.

“If you want us to leave, fine. Just give me the money, and we’ll walk right out.”

Megan stormed toward me, grinning maliciously, ready for a showdown.

So that was still their plan.

I refused to swallow this humiliation. If I gave in now, they’d never stop bleeding me dry.

Mom and Dad pretended not to see any of it, focusing instead on fussing over Ethan.

“In your dreams!”

I sneered, unwilling to give that woman an inch.

I stormed into my bedroom—only to find my bed buried under piles of clothes, the foul odor stronger here than anywhere else.

Disgust rose in my throat. Megan was deliberately pushing me to the breaking point. My home was now crammed with their belongings, leaving me nowhere to sleep.

“You’re just a girl—what do you need the master bedroom for? Tonight you can sleep on the couch. Your brother and your father can’t be allowed to suffer.”

Mom hadn’t uttered a single word of concern for me. Instead, she lashed out, accusing me of being ungrateful.

All my life, I had never had a bed of my own. As a child, I shared with Grandma Rose. And now, even as an adult, they wanted to take it from me.

Daniel and Dad stayed silent, as though none of this concerned them.

I drew in a long breath. I wouldn’t endure it like I had as a child. If they wanted to force money out of me, it wasn’t going to happen.