I finished the last sip of my Margarita. I set the glass down on the table with a soft clink.
Chapter 5: The Loser Enjoys Life
“Family?” I echoed.
The word tasted like ash in my mouth, but spitting it out felt incredibly cleansing.
“Mom,” I said, ensuring my voice was loud, clear, and perfectly articulated so that anyone standing near her in that lobby could hear. “Melissa made it very, very clear to me on Thursday night exactly what I am to this family.”
“Rachel, don’t do this…” my mother pleaded, realizing the leverage had completely shifted.
“She told me I was a thirty-four-year-old loser,” I recounted smoothly. “She said I lived in a shoebox. She said I had no future, a mediocre career, and most importantly, she said I had no family. She told me my money was the least I owed you for simply existing.”
“She was just stressed!” my mother wailed. “She didn’t mean it!”
“She meant every word,” I replied. “And you know what? She convinced me. I am just a loser with no family. And frankly, why would a perfect, high-class wedding like Melissa’s need to be funded by a loser’s money?”
“Rachel! Please! Brandon’s mother is calling off the wedding! She says we lied to them!” Melissa shrieked in the background, her voice tearing with absolute devastation.
“I’m not holding a grudge, Melissa,” I said, addressing her directly through the speaker. “I’m just living up to the role you assigned me. I am not your bank. I am not your safety net. I am a stranger.”
I picked up my carry-on bag and slung it over my shoulder.
“My flight is boarding. I hear the weather in Cabo is beautiful this time of year. Good luck with the hotel manager. Have a lovely Saturday, everyone. Goodbye.”
I hung up the phone.
I didn’t wait for them to call back. I pulled the protective case off my phone, popped out the SIM card tray, and pulled out the tiny chip. I snapped the plastic SIM card in half and dropped the pieces into a nearby trash can.
