Chapter 4

My aunt cast a quick glance at the greasy stains and seed shells, completely unbothered. "So it's a little messy! A quick sweep will fix it! It’s just an apartment, it's not made of gold. Does she really need to be this precious about it?"

Standing in the entryway, watching her self-righteous face, an eerie calm settled over me.

People like them operated on a twisted logic: what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is still mine.

If you say no, you’re cheap. If you set boundaries, you’re selfish.

They never think they’ve done anything wrong, because deep down, they believe they are naturally entitled to half of everything you own.

Officer Davis sighed and turned to me. "You're the sole owner on the deed, correct? How do you want to handle this?"

"My stance is clear," I stated. "They broke into my residence and vandalized my property. I want full legal charges filed."

Hearing this, my aunt completely blew a fuse. "Legal charges? Have you no shame at all? You ate our food and wore our clothes growing up! Now you turn around and bite the hand that fed you?"

Marcus’s face darkened completely. "Chloe, I suggest you think long and hard about this. Making a scene will only ruin your own reputation. You're an unmarried girl. If word gets out that you threw your own family in jail, what decent man would ever want to marry you?"

"My reputation?" I met his gaze. "Did you think about my reputation when you pried my lock open?"

Marcus choked on his words, his face shifting between shades of gray and purple.

Officer Davis surveyed the scene once more, then looked back at me and made a decision. "Alright, you three, you're coming down to the station to give your statements. We'll sort out the specifics there."

The moment she heard they were going to the police station, my aunt panicked. "Why should we? We didn't break any laws! We're not going anywhere!"

"Cooperating with an investigation is a legal requirement," Officer Davis replied, leaving no room for argument.

Marcus looked furious, glaring at me with eyes full of poison, as if saying: "Just you wait."

Under the harsh fluorescent lights of the precinct's mediation room, my aunt sat with her arms folded tightly across her chest, defiant. Marcus sat beside her with a scowl that could curdle milk, shooting venomous daggers at me every few seconds.

Officer Davis led me into an interview room to finish taking my statement.

After jotting down the details, he paused, hesitating before speaking. "I understand the situation, Chloe. Your relatives are clearly in the wrong here."

"However, they are family. For a young woman, airing this kind of dirty laundry in court might bring a lot of unwanted gossip. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a private settlement?"

Hearing that, I smiled bitterly.

Looking at the man in uniform, I realized that while he seemed to be looking out for me, he ultimately shared their mindset—that family should just swallow their grievances.

Suddenly, the door down the hall swung open, and muffled curses spilled into the hallway.

Even through the distance, every crude word was crystal clear.

"Officer Davis," I looked him straight in the eye, "I refuse to settle."