My mother sat down and opened her purse as if she might pull out documents.
“The rental increase is quite straightforward,” she said.
I laughed, bitter. “It’s not straightforward when it’s retaliation.”
“It’s not retaliation,” she said, eyes narrowing. “It’s business.”
“Business,” I repeated. “Funny how business decisions happen the exact week I complain about Vanessa destroying my home.”
My mother’s jaw tightened. “Watch your tone.”
“My tone?” I leaned forward, hands pressed to the table. “You doubled my rent because I didn’t want to be forced into living with Vanessa. You moved her in without asking. You threatened me to make me comply. That isn’t business. That’s manipulation.”
My father cleared his throat. “Lauren, try to see it from our perspective. Vanessa is struggling.”
“She lost her job because she was late and unprofessional,” I said, and my voice shook with the effort of saying what everyone in our family avoided. “She got evicted for not paying rent. These are consequences.”
