Chapter 8: Family Ties and Final Bills

When morning finally came, it was time to head home. Derek strutted ahead with Lillian, cracking jokes, not sparing me a second glance. He’d splurged on the fanciest car for the two of them, acting like I was invisible.

As we passed a glittering jewelry shop, Lillian’s eyes widened with every display. Derek whipped out his phone and called his mom on FaceTime, letting her window-shop from the comfort of her living room:

"Derek, I like that necklace over there. It’d be so nice if someone gave it to me."

Derek’s mom peered at me through the screen, her voice growing shrill:

"Some people act like they’re owed the whole store just for showing up..."

She started fake-crying, crocodile tears and all, and a chorus of relatives chimed in:

"Your fiancée isn’t grateful at all. Derek should teach her a lesson."

"Exactly. I’m Derek’s aunt. What’s wrong with bringing me some nice jewelry..."

I just ignored their side-eye and kept my face stony. But Lillian couldn’t resist swooping in:

"Auntie, maybe Aubrey’s just in a bad mood. How about this—whatever you like, I’ll buy it."

She poured on the sugar and got all the relatives eating out of her hand. As she picked out bauble after bauble, Derek’s mom showered her with praise. Lillian looked like she’d just won homecoming queen.

Then came the bill.

Derek’s mom suddenly claimed her Wi-Fi was out and hung up, leaving Lillian alone with the sales associate, who read out the total—over $5,000. Lillian’s face went chalk-white. With no job and no savings, she was way out of her depth.

Derek fidgeted, his fake confidence crumbling. The tourists watching made him squirm. He called my name, voice low and urgent, but I let him sweat. On the third try, I put on my best innocent face:

"Derek, my bank card seems to be frozen. Why don’t you pay for now?"

Derek’s face darkened to storm cloud gray. He always relied on me to foot the bill. As soon as his paycheck hit, it went straight to his mom. He didn’t have a dime left.

Backed into a corner, Derek and Lillian ended up taking out online loans, with Lillian shouldering the bulk of it.

For once, I let the silence stretch, savoring the panic in their eyes.

On the ride back, the tension in the car was thick as August air in Atlanta. Lillian looked ready to cry, worried Derek would stiff her. I played dumb, scrolling the news on my phone—just in time to catch reports of a small earthquake down south. Airports were already preparing for lockdowns.