Chapter 3: Breaking the Cycle, Live

After she begged and begged, I helped her stop Tyler from working at the beauty warehouse again.

I made the calls, sent the texts, played mediator—again. It was like running in circles, chasing my own tail. Still, no matter what I did, it was never enough. It never was.

But in the end… I wound up getting scalded with boiling oil. I just stood there, stunned. Was this really happening to me?

That memory was a raw nerve, pulsing just beneath the surface. I could almost smell the oil, hear the sizzle. Feel the betrayal. It burned deeper than the pain.

I could still hear the words Marlene said to me before I died. My chest tightened at the memory.

Her voice was sharp. Every word was a fresh wound, echoing in my ears.

"It's all your fault!" she screamed.

She spat the words like venom, her face twisted with rage. It didn’t matter what I’d done. She’d already made up her mind.

"If it weren't for you, Tyler wouldn't have lost such a good job!" she yelled.

She glared at me, eyes wild, hands shaking with anger. The kitchen felt like a war zone. The air was thick with accusation.

"Maybe he'd already have a wife and a big, healthy kid by now!"

She always talked about grandkids, as if that was the only thing that mattered. The weight of her expectations pressed down on me. It was suffocating.

"It's all your fault! All of it!" she shrieked.

Her words echoed. Bounced off the walls, chasing me even as the pain took over.

…

I could still feel the burning pain from the oil. It lingered, sharp and real.

It was like a ghost, haunting me from the inside out. My skin crawled, my heart pounding. Every nerve ending was raw. Exposed.

Marlene's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I jumped, startled.

Her tone was sharp. Impatient. "Eli, did you hear what I said?"

She was tapping her foot, arms crossed, staring at me like I was the one causing all the trouble. The kitchen clock ticked. Louder than ever.

"Tyler will be home soon. You better talk to him."

She didn’t ask—she ordered, her voice brooking no argument. She'd already decided my answer.

I nodded. "Sure."

My voice was flat, almost robotic. I forced a smile. Tried to hide the storm inside. There was no point in arguing—not yet.

When Tyler came home, Marlene immediately shot me a look. My stomach dropped.

Her eyes flicked to me, then back to Tyler, then to me again. She was practically vibrating with anticipation. Waiting for me to jump in. Save the day.

I pretended not to notice, focusing on my laptop. I just wanted out of this mess.

I clicked around on the screen, pretending to answer emails, anything to avoid getting dragged into the mess. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Marlene got anxious, almost rushing over to remind me. I braced for her nagging, but Tyler beat her to it:

He dropped his backpack by the door, frowning. "Mom, what's up with you today?" he asked, confused.

He cocked his head, squinting at her. "You keep winking—are your eyes hurting? Or are you having a spasm?"

I fought to keep from laughing, my shoulders shaking. I had to bite my cheek to keep a straight face.

I bit my lip, glancing down at my keyboard. Tyler’s deadpan delivery was spot-on. For a second, the whole situation felt almost normal.

"Aunt just wants me to talk you out of working at the warehouse. She says it's not a good idea."

I kept my tone light, almost teasing. But the words hung heavy in the air. Marlene shot me a look, half-grateful, half-terrified.

Tyler bristled with anger. He pointed at Marlene and started yelling:

He spun around. Eyes blazing. "Mom! What is this?"

His voice cracked. Anger and hurt mixed together. "So you brought me home today just to lecture me, huh?"

"My whole life you've looked down on me, always saying I'm not as good as Eli. Now you're dragging him in to try to talk me out of the warehouse thing!"

He stomped his foot. Voice rising. "You just think working in a warehouse is beneath me!"

Marlene was quick-tempered. Her face went red, then white, then red again. I almost felt sorry for her.

She threw up her hands. Shook her head. "No, no, that's not what I meant."

Her voice wobbled. Desperate. She glanced at me, eyes pleading, silently begging me to back her up.

When she looked at me with pleading eyes again, I finally spoke up. My stomach twisted.

I met her gaze. Then turned to Tyler. "Yeah, that's not what Aunt meant."

I shrugged. Tried to sound casual. "She just asked what I thought about the warehouse."

"But I've never been there, so I don't really know. I did hear it's full of pretty girls, though. Who knows? Maybe you'll even find a girlfriend."

I let the words hang. Watched Tyler’s face light up. Marlene stared at me in disbelief, eyes wide.

She was about to say something, but Tyler cut her off. I could see him gearing up.

He jumped in. Voice triumphant. "Mom! Did you hear that? Even Eli knows the warehouse is packed with beautiful women!"

He grinned. Threw his arms wide. "I just don't get why you won't let me take such a good job!"

"You just look down on me, that's all!" he shouted.

Marlene was quick-tempered. Hearing Tyler yell at her, she snapped, slamming the table and shouting:

She pounded her fist on the table. Dishes rattled. "Fine! I don't want you working at that warehouse, so what?"

Her voice was sharp. Cut through the room. "The news says some places use stuff that's bad for your health! You can't go there!"

Tyler exploded, copying her by slamming the table and shouting back. I flinched, bracing for impact.

He matched her move for move. His face was red with fury. "Are you even my mom?"

He glared. Fists clenched. "You wanted me to get a job, and now that I found one, you won't let me go! Making up these ridiculous lies!"

"You just think I'm not as good as Eli! Even when I find a job, you compare us!" he shouted.

He choked back a sob. Voice trembling. "Is it my fault my grades were bad?"

"That's because you never taught me!" he yelled.

Marlene was so angry, her chest heaved. Her face turned red, then white.

She grabbed at her chest. Breathing hard. Her eyes darted between me and Tyler, searching for some escape.

When she ran out of words, she grabbed a broom and started swinging it at Tyler:

She lunged for the broom. Brandished it like a weapon. "I can't believe I raised such an ungrateful son!"

She swung it at his legs. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her point. "I'm only stopping you from working at the warehouse for your own good! Why can't you see that? Ask your cousin if you don't believe me!"

She looked at me for help again, but I just packed up my laptop, ready to distance myself from this mess. My patience was gone.

I slid my laptop into its case. Moved slow. Let the tension simmer. "Honestly, I think my cousin's right. Working at a warehouse, surrounded by pretty girls and air conditioning, sounds a lot better than other jobs."

I zipped the case shut. Stood up. "You both know Tyler's situation. It's not that I don't want to help him find work, but the jobs available now all require certification."

"You already said no to food delivery and courier jobs. Compared to those, the warehouse is pretty decent, and there's room for advancement. Maybe he could become a shift supervisor someday."

I paused. Let the words sink in. "If Tyler can get some kind of skills certificate, that'd be even better."

In my last life, what Tyler hated most was having to study in his twenties. The moment he saw anything with words, he'd make a face. Like it was torture.

He'd groan at the sight of a textbook. Dramatic sighs. Endless complaints. It was like pulling teeth just to get him to fill out a job application.

Looking at him now, his face as dark as a thundercloud, I kept fanning the flames. A little voice in my head said, careful now.

I leaned in. Lowered my voice. "But it's up to Tyler. If he changes his mind, I can ask someone to get him a welding job—the pay's pretty good."

I shrugged again. "I'm not here to persuade anyone. It's your decision."

With that, I took my laptop and went back to my room. My pulse thudded in my ears.

The hallway was cool and quiet, a world away from the chaos in the kitchen. I closed the door behind me. Let out a long breath. My heart was still pounding, but at least I was out of the line of fire.

Sure enough, the next second, I heard the sound of tables and bowls crashing behind me, along with Tyler's furious shouts. Here we go.

The crash of ceramic. The thud of a chair tipping over. Then Tyler’s voice, raw with anger. "You're just an old hag!"

"You can't stand to see me do well!"

"You barely raised me, and now that I'm grown, you still want to control me?"

"Let me tell you, Marlene—no way!"

"I'm packing up tonight and heading to the warehouse! Just wait—I'll prove you wrong!"

His words echoed down the hallway, full of bravado and heartbreak. Muttering curses under his breath. I could almost see him stuffing clothes into a duffel bag.

What can I say? He’s impatient. I let out a long sigh.

I shook my head, sinking onto my bed. The house felt emptier already. The echoes of their fight still ringing in my ears. Some things never changed.

That very night, Tyler packed his bags and left home. I felt a strange emptiness settle over me.

I heard the front door slam, the muffled thump of his footsteps on the porch. Marlene's voice trailed after him, half-pleading, half-cursing. The silence that followed was heavy. Suffocating.

As soon as he was gone, Marlene turned her anger on me, storming over and swinging a slap at my face. My stomach clenched as I braced for it.

She barged into my room, face flushed, eyes wild. Her hand shot out. The slap stung. More from shock than pain. "What is your problem?"

Her voice shook with rage. Tears glistened in her eyes. It was the same old script, played out one more time.

"You set Tyler up to go to that warehouse?" she demanded.

She jabbed a finger at my chest. Voice rising. "What did you promise me before he got home?"

I looked at her, feigning confusion. For a second, I almost laughed at the absurdity.

I blinked. Tilted my head. "Aunt, what did I promise you?"

I kept my tone gentle. Almost soothing. "You asked me to help him find a good job, and I never said the warehouse was bad."

"I told you, if Tyler didn't want to go, I'd help him find something else. Why are you yelling at me now?"

I met her gaze. Steady and calm. "I know you've always felt like I overshadow Tyler, but he's my cousin—I've never thought that way."

I let the words hang. Heavy with meaning. "It's always been you who thinks that."

Marlene was about to lose it, but I was ready. I took a breath, lifted my phone, and hit record.

I went live in the family group chat, holding the phone steady. My voice was calm. Measured. The words clear for everyone to hear. "Uncle, Aunt—everyone, you all saw what happened. This really isn't my fault, but now Aunt is blaming me."

I let the camera linger on Marlene’s face. Captured every flicker of emotion. "My mom passed away early, and since I was a kid, Aunt's always treated me like this. I've put up with it for over ten years, but I'm done."

I looked from Marlene to the camera. Held her gaze with a steady, unblinking stare.

For the first time, I didn’t back down. The silence between us was thick. It stretched out as the video kept rolling. I could almost hear the family chat blowing up with notifications, the truth finally out in the open.