Chapter 5 - The Arrogant Arrival
The tension in the private dining room was thick enough to choke on. For twenty-five minutes, no one spoke. My mother nervously shredded her paper napkin, while my father stared at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with me.
Exactly twenty-eight minutes later, the door to the restaurant swung open.
Jason strutted in. He was wearing a brand-new leather jacket and expensive sneakers. He didn't look like a struggling father; he looked like a man living on a luxury vacation.
He walked right up to our table, spinning my silver car keys around his index finger with an arrogant smirk.
“Here I am,” Jason announced loudly, causing other restaurant patrons to turn and stare. “Are you happy now, Aunt Clara? You ruined my night out just to throw a tantrum over a piece of metal.”
He didn't look at me. He didn't apologize to me. I was completely invisible to him.
“Put the keys on the table, Jason,” Clara demanded.
Jason scoffed, tossing the keys near my plate. “Whatever. Emily, you need to clean out the backseat. I spilled some coffee back there, and it smells. Also, the gas tank is on empty. You’re welcome.”
My blood boiled. He had stolen my car, trashed it, drained the gas, and was now acting like he had done me a favor.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry she made you drive all the way down here,” my mother cooed, actually standing up to hug Jason. She shot me a venomous glare. “See what your selfishness has done, Emily? You’ve humiliated your brother.”
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“Sit down, both of you,” Clara ordered, pulling a thick manila folder from her bag and slamming it onto the table. “The car was just the beginning.”
👉 What devastating evidence is inside that manila folder?
