PART 2
My brother Jared had spent his entire adult life failing upward, leaving a trail of bankrupt businesses and unpaid loans in his wake. Johnny had always seen through their behavior, frequently warning me that my parents only viewed my love as a resource to exploit. Three days after I buried my entire world, my parents and Jared suddenly appeared on my front porch smelling of vacation sunscreen. They completely ignored my profound grief and immediately demanded forty thousand dollars to save Jared and his failing restaurant from a sudden tax issue.
They claimed I owed them this money because of everything they had sacrificed for me over the years. Rather than crumbling under their intense pressure, a strange and terrifying calm washed over me as I looked at my mourning dress and my daughter’s glittery backpack. I picked up a heavy navy blue folder from the entryway table and invited them inside my home. For the very first time in my thirty two years of life, my greedy family had come knocking on the wrong door.
