Chapter 1

On Christmas, my husband's sister, Evelyn Johnson, and her family asked if they could hitch a ride with me back to their hometown. Without hesitation, I agreed.

On the day of the trip, there were five of them, and my car couldn't fit everyone. Evelyn shamelessly said, "I'll buy you a bus ticket for the ride back, and my husband can drive the car. Otherwise, we can't fit everyone in.

"We're family. You can't make us split up just because you're an outsider."

I refused, but they simply tried to take my car anyway.

So, I called the police. "I need to report a car theft."

This year, my husband, Keith Harding, had his holiday early, so he went home ahead of me. I was stuck working overtime and wouldn't be heading back until Christmas. Evelyn's family was also heading home for the holiday and decided to hitch a ride with me.

Since they were family, I agreed right away and double-checked with Evelyn, confirming that there would only be four people in total.

But when the day came, Evelyn showed up with a colleague tagging along.

I looked at the number of people and hesitated. "Evelyn, my car can only fit four people. Five won't work."

Evelyn didn't seem concerned. "Oh, it'll be fine. Your car looks big enough, and we'll squeeze in. We'll just hold the two kids," she said.

But it wasn't about squeezing in. It was about safety and rules. I explained, "Evelyn, my car isn't allowed to carry that many people. We could get fined for overloading it."

Evelyn's face soured, and she snapped, "What's your problem, Cynthia Morgan? Are you worried about saving a few bucks?"

I quickly denied, "Evelyn, you're misunderstanding. I'm just saying it'll be uncomfortable for all of us with an overloaded car, especially on Christmas."

But Evelyn wasn't listening. The group just pushed open the car doors and started piling in.

Her kids, who were both in elementary school, had grown so fast. Her son was even a bit chubby, and there was no way he could fit.

Reluctantly, I tried to find another solution. "Evelyn, there really isn't enough space.

"How about I order another car for you guys? That way, we won't be cramped."

Evelyn's colleague suddenly objected, "Taxis are so expensive during the holidays! I can't afford that."

I was a bit speechless. "I'll pay for the ride, so let's not make a fuss."

Just as I was about to book a taxi, Evelyn grabbed my phone out of my hands and refused. "No, I need to talk to my colleague on the way. Let's keep things as they are."

I was getting irritated. Why were they making this so difficult? But I kept my cool and suggested, "How about your husband take another car?"

Evelyn shot that down immediately. "No, he has to stay with me. And my kids need to stay with us too. I can't let them go separately."

I couldn't take it anymore. "Ugh, what do you want from me? Are we going home or not? Are we going to have Christmas dinner or not?"

Evelyn thought for a moment, then handed my phone back and pulled me aside. "Hey, why don't you just order a taxi for yourself? We'll take your car. My husband can drive it."

I was livid, my voice sharp with anger. "Are you serious, Evelyn? You're saying my own car isn't good enough for me to drive, and I have to pay for my own ride home?"

Evelyn didn't see the issue. Instead, she pulled out 50 dollars from her bag and handed it to me. "So this whole thing is about money? Here, take fifty bucks, buy a bus ticket, and we'll use your car."

I was so mad, I almost laughed. How shameless could they be?

Since they were acting like this, I wasn't going to let them get away with it. I tore off the mask and said, "Fine, you want to do this? Get out of my car. Take a bus home. You're not riding with me anymore."