Chapter 1

My mom made a million dollars on crypto.

I was planning to buy my first condo and was only fifteen thousand dollars short of the down payment.

I called my family to ask for a loan, but they rejected me without a second thought.

"You’re an adult, Chloe. Figure out your own problems."

"Why does a girl need to buy a house anyway? You’ll get one when you marry some rich guy in the future!"

Less than thirty minutes after I hung up, my half-brother, Tyler, posted a picture of a brand-new Porsche on his Instagram.

His caption was dripping with mockery: "Paid in full! All thanks to Mom and Dad's love. Some outsiders who want to leech off us can officially give up now."

Staring at the word "outsider," my heart went completely cold.

That night, my stepdad, Richard, tagged me in the family Snapchat group:

"Your brother getting a new car is a big deal. As his older sister, why haven't you sent him $200 on Venmo to buy some drinks to celebrate? Don't be so inconsiderate!"

I immediately left the group chat and sent a calm reply:

"Since I'm just an outsider, there's no reason for me to ever come back to this family."

Right after I hit "Leave Group" on Snapchat, my phone started vibrating like crazy on the desk.

I glanced at the screen.

The red notification bubbles on my social apps were skyrocketing at a visible speed.

My private messages were blowing up.

Aunt Claire: "Chloe, why did you leave the group? It’s not that big of a deal. Richard was just trying to teach you a lesson."

Aunt Brenda: "This girl... has college made her mind run wild? She doesn't even listen to her elders anymore!"

My cousin, Lily: "Chloe, you’re being way too petty. It’s just a car. Can’t you just marry a rich guy in the future and get one?"

Every single word accused me of being unreasonable and childish.

No one asked why I needed to borrow the money.

No one cared that I had been renting a cramped room, scraping by in this expensive city for seven years.

Their logic was simple:

Richard was the patriarch, and Tyler was the precious son.

As for me, even though I wasn't married yet, I was already an outsider in their eyes.

I flipped my phone face down on the desk.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Not even two minutes later, my phone rang with an irritating buzz.

Caller ID: Mom.

I took a deep breath and answered.

What came through the receiver wasn't warmth or concern, but a lowered, anxious voice.

"Chloe, what are you doing?"

"Hurry up and rejoin the group to apologize to Richard."

"Everyone is watching us make a fool of ourselves. Your uncle just called to ask me how I raised such a rebellious daughter."

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone.

"Mom, I left the group because I’m tired of Richard disgusting me."

"Tyler's Porsche cost over eighty thousand dollars, and you guys paid for the whole thing."

"I asked to borrow fifteen thousand. I promised to sign a promissory note and pay you back with interest, but you both refused."

"And now you want me to send him money on Venmo?"

"Am I an ATM to you guys?"

Silence hung on the other end of the line for two seconds.

Then, my mom, Sarah, spoke in her usual, submissive voice.

"Your brother needs to maintain his status. How is he going to find a good girlfriend without a nice car?"

"You're a girl. Why do you need to buy a house?"

"If you bring a house into a marriage, you're just saving money for your future husband's family. Are you stupid?"

"Besides, Richard said so."

"As long as you behave and don't make a scene, we'll give you a two-thousand-dollar wedding fund when you get married."

Two thousand dollars.

I couldn't help but laugh out of pure anger.

My throat felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton, aching and tight.

"Two thousand dollars?"

"Mom, so in your heart, my twenty-eight years of life are only worth a two-thousand-dollar wedding fund."

"While Tyler’s happiness is worth eighty thousand."

"You really know how to do the math."

"Oh, Chloe, why must you always speak with such attitude?"

My mom’s voice took on a complaining tone.

"We fed you, clothed you, and raised you. Do you think that was easy?"

"Now that you have a career, you start keeping score with your own family?"

"If you were even half as sweet-talking as Tyler, Richard wouldn't be this angry."

"Alright, just rejoin the group, send a fifty-dollar digital gift card, and let's put this behind us."

"Don't keep Richard waiting."

Without waiting for my reply, she hung up.

The line went dead with a cold beep.

I stared at the black screen, feeling like I was looking at the dark, suffocating reality of my past twenty-eight years.

Put this behind us?

Not this time.

Just then, my laptop chimed.

An internal company email popped up.

"Notice Regarding Departmental Structural Optimization."

That was corporate speak for layoffs.

I was a department manager, but I knew that if our performance didn't hit the target this quarter, my name would be on that list.

Then, a text from my landlord popped up.

"Hey Chloe, rent is going up by $200 next month. Prices in this area are skyrocketing. If you don't want to renew, I have a line of people waiting to move in."

Life was like a rabid dog, chasing me down without mercy.

Outside my window, the city lights of the metropolis sparkled.

But those homes belonged to other people.

Inside my cramped rented apartment, the half-eaten instant ramen on my desk had gone cold and soggy.

I picked up the bowl and dumped the whole thing into the trash.

When you don't have a home, you have to become your own safe harbor.

I wasn't going to borrow that fifteen thousand dollars.

And I didn't want this family anymore.