Chapter 4

4: 4

The nine thousand a month in rent came out of my pocket too.

Yet out in the world, Sebastian went around telling everyone he was the one supporting the whole family, that I, as his mother, was just along for the good life.

I used to think family shouldn't keep such careful accounts.

Now they'd taught me, with their own hands, exactly how to do the math.

At two in the morning, Job was crying again.

Katherine stood outside my door and called out.

"Mom, Job's awake!"

"Get up and check on him!"

When I didn't answer, she pushed the door open and walked in.

She saw the suitcase on the floor and froze.

"What are you packing for?"

"I'm moving out."

Katherine's eyes went wide.

"You're running away from home just because we fined you a hundred thousand?"

"Mom, you're in your sixties. Can you not act this childish?"

Sebastian came hurrying over with a shirt thrown over his shoulders, frowning too.

"Mom, enough already."

"Katherine's exhausted as it is. Don't cause trouble right now."

I zipped the suitcase shut.

"Rule fifty-one is very clear."

"Anyone who refuses to follow the rules is not permitted to keep caring for the baby."

Katherine let out a cold laugh.

"So you're using the rules against us?"

"We fined you to make you correct your behavior, not so you could walk out on us."

"You leave now, and the one who suffers most is Job."

As she spoke, she shoved the child toward my arms.

I stepped back and didn't take him.

Katherine's tone softened at once.

"Mom, Job depends on you so much. Can you really bear to just abandon him?"

"As long as you follow the rules properly from now on, we're still one family."

She tried to push the child into my arms again.

I turned aside to dodge him.

"The penalty notice says it plain as day. I'm a danger to the child's health."

"Someone that dangerous had better stay far away from him."

Sebastian's voice shot up.

"Mom, you just have to keep making these snide little remarks, don't you?"

"We support you, we let you live here, and you help watch the child. Isn't that just how it's supposed to be?"

I pulled the rental lease out of the document folder and slapped it on the table.

"This place, all three years of rent, I paid every cent."

"You support me?"

Sebastian's voice cut out instantly.

Katherine gave the lease a glance and forced herself to keep going.

"You're Sebastian's own mother. So what if you covered a little rent for your son?"

"Don't tell me you actually want the money back?"

"The old accounts, I'll settle those later."

I looked at her and said it one word at a time.

"This lease expires in half a month."

"From now on, whoever lives here pays for it."

Katherine panicked at once.

"Then what about household expenses?"

I took a list out of my pocket, one I'd written out ahead of time, and in front of all of them, I stuck it up right next to the Household Childcare Rules.

The next second, the whole family gasped as one.

"That Henson woman, have you lost your mind?!"