Chapter 9

hanks to that little lie, I enjoyed two days of peace and quiet.

The day before the hurricane hit, I received another invitation to the class reunion.

This time, I declined. After explaining to the class president, I headed downstairs to the local market and bought plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I also treated myself to some duck neck snacks and ice cream, planning to stay home for the entire week.

Just as I was unpacking my groceries, my dad called me.

In my 24 years of life, I could count on one hand the number of times we’d spoken. This was the first time he had ever called me himself.

I answered.

“Wendy, I heard there’s a hurricane coming. Make sure you take care of yourself.”

For a moment, he actually sounded like a caring father.

But then came the second half of his sentence.

“We’re running low on supplies at home. Can you order some online and have them delivered?”

So they couldn’t use me as free labor, and now they wanted my money instead?

I didn’t bother hiding my disdain.

“Emily knows how to do all of this. Ask her.”

There was a pause, followed by the sound of something shattering on the other end of the line.

“You’ve got some nerve talking to me like that! If this is how you’re going to act, then you can forget about being part of this family!”

Did he think that would scare me?

Too bad for him, I’d already heard those words before.

I chuckled lightly.

“This family never included me to begin with.”

“And honestly? I couldn’t care less.”