Chapter 2| Heartbreak

Olivia’s POV:

“Okay…where am I supposed to stay?” I asked.

My mother pulled out two hundred dollars and tossed it on the table carelessly as if she were giving money to a beggar. “Here, take this. Find a motel or rent a place. It's up to you.”

I forced a bitter smile. “And what about Paul? What does he say about this?”

Just then, Paul emerged from the bathroom. Without hesitation, he said, “Of course not. You're my sister. Of course, I'm on your side. If you want to stay here, I'll clear the room for you.”

It seemed he still cared about me. I nodded with relief. “I’d like to stay for a while. I missed you guys.”

But as soon as I said that, Paul’s expression froze. He stood there, looking at me, but made no move to clean the room. I stared back, puzzled. Did I say something offensive?

At this time, Miles walked up to me, her voice sharp. “Olivia, have you lost your mind in prison? How can you be so inconsiderate? Can't you see how cramped the house is? Even if we clear out the room, it should be for the baby. You're an adult now. Why can’t you just take the money and leave?”

I felt sorrowful and replied hoarsely, "Miles, this is my home. Isn't it normal for me to stay for a few days?”

“Your home? This house is under Paul’s name now. He's married, and you're twenty-eight years old. How can you still want to live with your brother?” Her disdain was no longer hidden, her eyes filled with contempt.

I looked at Paul. He pressed his lips together, looking everywhere but at me. I turned to my mother, but she just stared back, her expression dark, offering no support. My father puffed away on his cigarette, acting as if none of this concerned him. There I stood, awkward and helpless, realizing their rush to property transfer wasn't just to avoid a potential dispute. They wanted to use it as an excuse to kick me out. My heart ached with a thousand tiny stings.

Looking at my family, I asked incredulously, “Did I do something wrong?”

Without hesitation, Miles responded to me, she sounded like the newest spokesperson in the family now. “That’s self-explanatory, Olivia, before, you could make money and support the family, so we all got along. But now, you're just an ex-con. Finding a decent job is nearly impossible. In your situation, what can you do but be a freeloader?”

“So, because I'm no longer useful and might be a burden, you don't care about me anymore?”

“Liv, be reasonable. It's not our fault,” my mother finally spoke, “Another mouth to feed isn't something we can afford. You're better off finding a place to rent and taking care of yourself instead of being a burden to us.”

“I-I’m a burden?”

I looked at my mother with a pained expression. “Mom, you begged me in tears to take the fall for Paul. You said if I did, I'd be the savior of this family. Now, I just got out and haven't even had a sip of water at home, and suddenly, I'm a burden? I've given so much for this family. I handed all my salary to you, contributed to buying this house, and even served five f*cking years in prison for him. Doesn't that entitle me to a room in my own home?” My voice was hoarse, and I felt utterly wronged.

Paul interfered, “Liv, I know you're upset, but do you think it has been easy for us these past five years? Having a convict in the family brought shame on all of us. People point and whisper wherever we go. Who knows what people will say about us if you stay here? Can't you think about us for once?”

“Are you for real?”

The brother I sacrificed everything to protect finally revealed his true feelings. To him, I was now just a burden, the reason for their shame. All my sacrifices were reduced to a joke.

I looked at him with deep disappointment and said coldly, “Paul, don't forget, the one who should have been a convict is you. The one who shamed the family is you! If you really cared about the family's reputation, you should have confessed from the start. Instead, you let me take the fall, and now you have the audacity to blame me for not thinking about you!”

My parents cried and begged me to take the blame for him five years ago. I was stupid to say ‘yes’. I didn't do it for any reward. I did it out of love for my parents and genuine care for my brother. I sacrificed myself, went to prison for him, sold my car, drained my savings, lost my job, paid the compensation, and endured all the insults.

But I never expected my wholehearted sacrifice to be met with utter betrayal and contempt. “I don't understand. Isn't blood supposed to be thicker than water? What happened?”

Paul heard my words, and his face turned dark with displeasure. He retorted, “I've already thanked you for taking the fall. What more do you want from me? This house is under my name now, and Miles will give birth in a few months. There's not enough room. You need to move out. We can't afford to support a convict.”

Unbelievable! In his eyes, five years in prison for him was worth only a single “Thank You”. Asking for more made me the unreasonable one.

My mother chimed in, “Liv, don't you get it? A woman's fate is to marry and have children, not live off her family. We were hoping to marry you off to a good man and get some money, but now, as an ex-convict, no one will want you. Letting you stay here is already us considering for old times' sake.”

Then, Miles added, “Exactly. You've been to prison, so you'll be poor forever. If we let you stay, you'd drain us dry.”