Chapter 4 - The Brother's Demands
It took three days for reality to fully hit the Arden household.
The utilities had not been shut off yet, but Howard had received the notices that the auto-pay was canceled. Celeste had undoubtedly complained to everyone who would listen about my "abusive" behavior.
But it was Bryce who showed up at our doorstep first.
It was a Saturday afternoon. I was in the front yard, assembling a wooden bassinet for the nursery, enjoying the crisp spring air. A loud, customized sedan pulled into the driveway, tires crunching aggressively against the gravel.
Bryce stepped out. He was wearing designer sunglasses and a leather jacket he had bought with "an advance on a future commission" that never materialized.
He didn't bother greeting me. He marched straight up the lawn.
“What is your problem, man?” he demanded, throwing his hands up. “My auto-insurance payment bounced. My agent called me and said the policy is going to be canceled by Monday.”
I continued tightening a screw on the bassinet. “Then you should probably call your agent and give them a new credit card number, Bryce.”
“I don't have a new card! That was the arrangement! You cover the insurance, I maintain the vehicle for my business ventures.”
“The arrangement is over.” I set my screwdriver down and stood up. I was a few inches taller than Bryce, and unlike him, I didn't need to raise my voice to take up space.
“You can’t just do that!” Bryce yelled, his face turning red. “Mom is a wreck. Dad is stressed out of his mind. And now you’re screwing with my livelihood? Over what? Because Mom made a joke at dinner?”
“It wasn't a joke,” I said coldly. “It was an insult. And even if it was a joke, it doesn't matter. I am done paying for your lifestyle. You are twenty-six years old. Pay for your own insurance.”
Bryce sneered. “You think you’re so much better than us because you have money. You’re just trying to isolate Mira. You’re trying to control her!”
“I’m trying to protect her from parasites,” I shot back.
The front door opened.
Mira stepped onto the porch. She was wearing a loose maternity dress, her hands resting protectively over her belly.
Bryce immediately shifted his focus to her, his voice changing to a manipulative whine. “Mira, tell your husband to stop this. He’s destroying the family. Mom has been crying for two days. Dad’s blood pressure is up. Are you really going to let him treat us like this?”
I watched Mira. My heart pounded. This was the moment of truth. Years of conditioning told her to appease him, to apologize, to smooth things over.
Mira looked at her brother. She looked at his designer jacket, his expensive car, and then at me.
“Bryce,” she said, her voice shaking slightly but growing firmer with every word. “Nathan isn’t destroying the family. He’s just protecting ours. Go home. And please, don't come back unless you can respect us.”
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Bryce stared at her, genuinely shocked. The sister he had walked all over for a lifetime had just closed the door on him.
He cursed, kicked the tire of his car, and sped away. I walked up the steps and pulled Mira into my arms. She was trembling, but she didn't cry.
