Daniel stood by the sink, refusing to meet my eyes.
“You knew about this?”
He sighed. “Mom thinks structure will reduce conflict.”
Lorraine stepped closer. “You snack whenever you want, you buy expensive things, and you make the house chaotic. From now on, meals are at my discretion.”
“My refrigerator,” I said.
“Our family refrigerator,” she corrected.
I walked into the garage.
When I returned with a hammer, Trevor raised his phone to record me, grinning. “Go ahead. Show everyone how crazy you are.”
I struck the lock once.
Metal snapped against stainless steel.
I hit it again, and the padlock dropped onto the tile.
Lorraine shrieked.
I set the hammer on the counter and looked at all three of them.
“This is my notice.”
Trevor laughed. Daniel looked embarrassed. Lorraine looked almost pleased, as though my anger proved she had finally broken me.
None of them knew I had received a credit alert at lunch.
Someone had applied for a $48,000 personal loan in my name.
And the application had come from my home Wi-Fi…
I didn’t accuse anyone that night.
That confused them more than shouting would have.
I ate leftover pasta straight from the container, washed my fork, and went upstairs while Lorraine announced that I was “unstable.”
Through the bedroom door, I heard Trevor laughing.
