Chapter 7
“He still has his grandparents. You’ve taken good care of him all this time. Besides, I can’t even take care of myself right now-how could I possibly take care of him?”
Before my mother could respond, a loud knock rattled the door, making her flinch.
“Who’s knocking like that?!” she cried, startled.
I went to open it-and immediately froze.
Two men barged in, clutching thick wooden sticks. Their expressions were dark, dangerous.
“Talia,” one of them barked, pointing his stick at me, “when are you going to pay back the eighty grand you owe us?”
“Brother, I really don’t have the money right now,” I said quickly, hands raised.
Their eyes darted past me, landing on my parents. They sneered and aimed their sticks toward them.
‘And who are these two old geezers?”
‘They’re my parents,” I said sharply. “And they have nothing to do with this.”
‘What do you mean nothing to do with it? How could they be this old and still penniless? If you can’t pay, let them pay for you!”
My parents shrank back, terrified. My father, gathering what little courage he had, spoke up. ‘We don’t have any money-and we’ve already cut ties with Talia. Stop coming to us!”
‘If you’ve cut ties, why are you still living under the same roof?” the man demanded.
‘I’m moving out soon!” I said quickly, my voice trembling. “Please, give me a few more days. I swear I’ll pay you back.”
The man lowered his stick slightly. “Half a month. If you don’t pay by then, I’ll make you pay with your life.”
‘I will! I promise I will!”
When they finally left, my parents still looked pale and shaken.
‘See?” I said, clutching my luggage. “Even if I wanted to look after Caleb, would you really trust ne with him? Those people won’t leave me alone.”
‘Just… stay here for now,” my mother said weakly. “Maybe they won’t come back. And don’t come to the company looking for us anymore-if they know we’re still connected, they’ll come
after us too.”
Both my parents nodded vigorously, fear written all over their faces.
Once I left, I called my best friend.
‘You were perfect just now. Dinner’s on me tonight,” I said with a grin.
Because the truth was, I was healthy-and I didn’t owe a cent.
When I had arrived earlier and seen my parents sitting by the door, I had sent a WhatsApp message asking my best friend to help stage this little drama. I thought that would finally get them to stop leeching off me.
But the very next day, a new nightmare arrived.
The village chief and half the villagers stormed my company’s gates, shouting for me to come
out.
“Talia!” the chief roared, red-faced. “When are you going to compensate us for our losses?”
“Yes! Pay up!” several villagers echoed angrily. “Our whole year’s harvest depended on that land -and Caleb ruined it! What are we supposed to live on next year?”
I took a deep breath, forcing my tone to stay even.
‘Village chief, uncles, aunts-if you want compensation, you should go to my sister or my parents. I have nothing to do with this. Why should I pay?”
‘Your parents told us to come to you,” the chief shot back. “You’ll have to cover the damage!” opened my bag, pulled out the severance agreement, and held it up.
‘I cut ties with my family a long time ago. Their problems aren’t mine.”
The village chief scanned the paper, then tossed it aside.
‘This agreement is meaningless. The law doesn’t recognize this nonsense!”
‘Then you should also know,” I said coldly, “that Caleb’s only legal guardian is my sister-not me
f
you think I’m responsible, take me to court. Whatever the court rules, I’ll pay. Until then, stop harassing me.”
The villagers erupted in angry shouts, calling me heartless, unfilial, and worse. But I stood my ground, refusing to let them guilt me into taking on someone else’s mess.
