Chapter 6 - Keep Your Voice Down
“Yes.”
The word came out calmly.
Madison stared at me.
Then she laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because she thought I had to be joking.
“What?”
“I’m selling the house.”
Her face went blank.
The inspector looked toward Naomi.
Naomi quietly said, “We can continue upstairs.”
They disappeared.
Madison stepped closer.
“You can’t sell this house.”
“I already did.”
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
“What do you mean, you already did?”
“I accepted an offer.”
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
Her hand went protectively over her stomach.
“But I’m having a baby.”
“I know.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”
“I assume you’ll decide that with your family.”
Her eyes hardened.
“My family lives here.”
“No. Eric lives here.”
“Mom lives here.”
“Temporarily.”
“I live here.”
“Temporarily.”
She pulled out her phone.
I stepped toward her.
“Before you call Eric, think carefully.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m telling him tonight.”
“You expect me to keep this secret?”
“For six hours? Yes.”
She stared at me.
Then she laughed again.
“You are unbelievable.”
“No. I’ve been extremely predictable. I told all of you repeatedly that this arrangement wasn’t acceptable.”
“You’re selling a whole house because Mom annoyed you?”
“This isn’t about your mother annoying me.”
“Then what is it about?”
“Being treated like I don’t exist unless someone needs something.”
Her expression flickered.
For a second, I saw embarrassment.
Then it disappeared.
“You’re going to put a pregnant woman on the street.”
“No.”
“You literally are.”
“I didn’t invite you to surrender your lease.”
Her face went red.
“Eric said we could stay!”
“Eric offered you property he doesn’t own.”
That stopped her.
“What?”
I looked at her.
“You heard me.”
Madison stared toward the living room.
“This is Eric’s house.”
“No.”
“You bought it together.”
“No.”
“Mom said—”
“I bought it six years before I married your brother.”
Silence.
Madison looked genuinely confused.
“Eric pays the mortgage.”
“There is no mortgage.”
“He told us—”
“I don’t know what Eric told you.”
That frightened me more than anything else.
“What exactly did he tell you?”
Madison hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“Madison.”
She looked away.
“Just forget it.”
“No.”
She headed toward the door.
I blocked her path without touching her.
“What did Eric tell you?”
Her eyes met mine.
“That he carried this house financially.”
I felt something inside me go cold.
“What else?”
She swallowed.
“That you couldn’t afford this life without him.”
I stepped aside.
Madison opened the door.
Before leaving, she turned.
“I’m still calling him.”
“I know.”
She walked out.
I waited.
Three minutes.
Five.
Seven.
My phone rang.
Eric.
I answered.
May you like
He didn’t say hello.
“What the hell did you do?”
