I clutched my head, my voice trembling. “My head really hurts!”Chloe rushed out of the kitchen. Seeing me like this, she yelled at Kyle,”Kyle! How could you push him?!”I felt a slight sense of relief. This time, she was finally on my side.But the next second, she turned to me, her eyes filled with impatience. “Can’t you just give them a break? Do you have to make such a scene?”Me? Make a scene?
I was just protecting my own apartment. Is that “making a scene”?While we were talking, the locksmith had already finished changing the lock.Brenda took the new key, tossing it in her hand triumphantly.”See? This apartment is my son’s now.””Either you don’t leave the house from today on and just stay here and reflect.”
“Or you get out now, and only come back when you’ve seen reason!”Kyle stood beside her, his grin even more arrogant. “Bro-in-law, if you hadn’t made such a fuss, we wouldn’t have wasted money on this.”I leaned against the wall, feeling the throbbing pain in my head.
I looked at the three people in front of me and suddenly smiled.I said each word slowly, “Fine, I’ll go.”Brenda’s eyes flickered. She hadn’t expected me to agree so readily.Chloe’s face changed. “Alex, don’t be impulsive…””Impulsive?” I cut her off. “I’m just trying to get my own apartment back. You call that impulsive?”
“Well, let me tell you, the real impulse is yet to come.”With that, I turned and went back to the bedroom to pack my things.Brenda yelled from the doorway, “Don’t bother with the act! If you’ve got the guts, don’t come back!”Kyle echoed, “Good riddance. I’ll bring Tiffany to see the apartment tomorrow.”Only Chloe stood there, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.I didn’t take much, just my phone and a bag.
Walking to the door, I glanced back at her.”Chloe, remember today.””Remember how you stood by and watched your mother and brother kick me out of my own home, all for an apartment.”She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.I finally understood.
In this family, there was never any place for me.Just as I was about to leave, Chloe suddenly grabbed my arm, a look of fake concern on her face.”Alex, why don’t you go stay at a hotel for a few days? I’ll try to talk to Mom…”Before I could shake her hand off, Brenda snatched my bag, roughly unzipped it, and dumped everything inside onto the floor.She picked up my bank card, saying viciously, “Think you can just walk away? All of this was given to you by the Davis family!”
“You’re not taking a single cent with you!”Kyle kicked at my scattered belongings, stomping on my fallen phone.Crunch. The screen shattered.”Bro-in-law trying to call for help, huh?”I turned to look at Chloe.She said nothing, turning her head away, afraid to meet my eyes.In that moment, the last bit of warmth in my heart completely vanished.
The three of them shoved me out the door and slammed it shut.I stood in the hallway, dressed in thin loungewear.From inside, I heard their celebratory noises. Kyle laughed loudly, “Finally, some peace and quiet!”Brenda also yelled from inside, “Let’s see if he dares to fight us now!”Only Chloe’s voice sounded a bit hesitant: “Isn’t this a little too…”
“Too what?!” Brenda cut her off. “He deserves a lesson!”I leaned against the wall, my head still throbbing.The elevator door opened, and I walked in, my steps unsteady.Downstairs, the night wind was biting. I shivered, pulling my neck into my collar.Suddenly, I remembered that my sister had said she was coming here for a business trip two days ago. I hurried towards the convenience store near the apartment complex entrance.
The owner, a man in his fifties, looked at my disheveled state, a flicker of sympathy in his eyes.I asked in a hoarse voice, “Excuse me, could I borrow your phone to make a call?”He nodded, pushing the phone towards me.I shakily dialed the most familiar number.The moment the call connected, all the accumulated grievance overwhelmed me. My voice was choked with emotion.”Sis…”
