Summer Break: My Rental, Their Resort

Three days before the start of summer break, Mom sends a screenshot of nine train tickets to the family group chat. "We're not just going to hang around at home this year. The whole family's going to stay at your apartment for summer break." A few seconds later, she sends another message. "Aunt Elise and her family are coming too. There's going to be a lot of people, so clean up the master bedroom and let them stay there. Since you're still working during that time, you can stay in your company's break room for a few days." I stare at the messages in stunned silence. I'm renting a two-bedroom apartment by myself. I'm also paying for all the rent, utilities, property management fees, my parents' living expenses, and even my sister Tiffany Roth's livestreaming equipment. Five minutes later, I receive a notification from my bank. 2,680 dollars has been charged to my card to reserve a private room for a welcoming party. A note is attached to the transaction. "For the Roth family's welcoming party in New Grandia." Mom then sends me a voice message. "Everyone in the family knows you're enjoying a lavish lifestyle in the big city. Don't embarrass us in front of them." I reply, "Okay." I hope that they'll be able to maintain the same attitude once they arrive in New Grandia. Chapter 1 Mom was a little surprised by my quick response. She sent another voice message, softening her tone when she said, "Don't overthink it, Michelle. It's rare for your aunt and her family to visit the big city. We can't let them stay in a hotel, can we? "You have a big bedroom and a comfortable bed. You're still young, so it shouldn't be a problem for you to stay in your company for a couple of nights." I didn't reply to her voice message even after I listened to it. My family had always been like this. When they needed someone to yield, they would tell me that I was young. When they needed money, they would tell me that I was successful. When they needed someone to shoulder the responsibility, they would tell me that I was the elder sister. A few moments later, my sister, Tiffany Roth, sent a link to her short video into the group chat. She was clutching her brand-new selfie stick. She spun around the room and said, "This is the first vlog of my summer break series! Our family's going to stay in my sister Michelle's spacious apartment in the heart of the city!" Tiffany had been treating my apartment as one of her props long ago. She started filming her videos in it when she stayed with me in the past. She filmed my bed, my desk, and the projector that I bought with my hard-earned money and included them in her videos. One of the commenters asked, "Your sister's amazing. Is she covering your family's expenses during the entire summer?" "Of course," Tiffany replied immediately. "Michelle loves us the most." My fingers froze above the screen as I stared at the reply. Love. So that was what Tiffany considered it. I had barely taken any vacations after I graduated from college. The moment my year-end bonus was wired into my account, Dad would send me a photo of the old house's leaky roof. Mom would tell me that Tiffany couldn't use an old computer for her video-editing lessons seconds after I received a notification from the computer store that my payment had gone through. When Tiffany started her career as a vlogger, she slowly tacked on the expenses of her light stands, microphones, and viewership-boosting fees onto my credit card. Whenever I asked them when they would pay me back, Dad would tell me to stop keeping score because we were family. Later, they stopped giving me excuses altogether. My monthly salary was a little over 10,000 dollars. My rent was 5,000 dollars. I gave Mom and Dad 3,000 dollars every month and also spent more than 2,000 dollars to pay off Tiffany's installment fees. I usually ate my meals in the company's cafeteria. I refrained from buying clothes unless I absolutely needed to. When I caught a stomach bug, I stood in the pharmacy for ten minutes before finally buying the cheapest medication. However, I was forever "the elder sister who was enjoying a lavish lifestyle in the big city" in the family group chat. Dad sent a new message. "Don't forget to buy new blankets, Michelle. Your uncle's a light sleeper, so buy a good quality one. Also, increase the internet speed in your living room. Hunter likes to play games. Oh, and one more thing. Your aunt likes seafood, so you should host the welcoming party in an upscale restaurant." I looked at the notification from the bank regarding the recent transaction. An upscale restaurant was a must. After all, they had already made the decision for me, booking a private room with a river view. I called Mom. The phone rang twice before she answered the call. I could hear Aunt Elise's laughter in the background. "What is it, Michelle?" "Did you use my card to pay for the private room's deposit?" I asked. Mom paused for a moment before she replied, "Your father said that your card has a high credit limit, so we used it to pay the deposit for the time being. We're a family. We can discuss this later." "But that's my card," I said. "Why are you being so petty?" Mom retorted in a hushed voice. "Our relatives are right next to us." Aunt Elise's voice echoed from the receiver. "Is Michelle making a fuss about the payment, Isabelle? She's renting such a luxurious apartment in New Grandia. Don't tell me that she doesn't want to pay for a single meal?" Mom hastily laughed and said, "Of course not. She's very mature." I suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore. My family always used the word "mature" against me. I had no doubt that as long as I remained a part of the Roth family, they always would. Dad grabbed the phone from Mom and asked, "Have you cleaned up your apartment? Hunter wants to stay in the living room. We can't let him catch a cold in the middle of the night. Also, your uncle is a smoker. Be sure to clear a space on the balcony for him." "Where am I going to stay, Dad?" I asked. Dad fell silent for a second before he answered in a low voice, "You're working during summer break, yes? Your company has break rooms. Our relatives are traveling a long way to visit New Grandia. Are you really going to fight them over a bedroom?" I looked at one of the walls in my apartment. There was a faint mark on it. I was the one who left it there after spending the night sitting next to the heater when I was running a fever last winter. None of them had ever asked me about it. "I understand," I said. Dad was pleased by my response. "That's right. It's your aunt's and her family's first time in the big city. Don't let her think that the Roth family has no manners." Tiffany sent a message to me shortly after I hung up. "I'm doing a livestream on the first day of summer break, Michelle. Don't make a long face when you're on camera. Also, your gray coat is way too worn out. Don't wear it." "Don't worry. I won't appear on your livestream." "That'll be for the best," she replied instantly. Chapter 2 I stripped the bed of the bedsheets and washed them before I went to work the next day. I packed the bedsheets into my suitcase when I was done. I planned to terminate my lease. Coincidentally, the apartment's lease expired in the afternoon on the first day of summer break. My company had approved my request to move into the employee dorms a month ago. At first, I planned to take my time moving into the dormitories after the break ended, but after receiving Mom's voice messages, I changed my move-out date to that day. The realtor looked at the pile of cardboard boxes in the living room when he dropped by to inspect the house. "Are you moving out right now?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "I'm moving to a new place." He then looked at the selfie lights, phone stands, and unopened LED light panels in the living room. "Are you taking those with you?" I shook my head. "They belong to my sister." All the filming equipment belonged to Tiffany. She had left them behind the last time she dropped by to film in my apartment, claiming that she had too many things to take with her. She said that she would only leave them for a few days, but she didn't retrieve them even after six months had passed. I sent a message to Tiffany. "I need to move your filming equipment today. Send me your address." Tiffany replied with a question mark. "What are you talking about? I need to use them for my livestream on the first day there." "I'm not extending my lease," I replied. "I'm returning the keys to the landlord today." A few minutes passed without a response. Mom called me a few seconds later, and I answered. "You're terminating the lease?" she demanded, her voice low and urgent. "Why didn't you discuss this with us beforehand?" I placed the freshly washed mugs in a cardboard box. "I'm the one renting this apartment. Besides, I already informed my landlord of my decision a month ago." Mom inhaled sharply. "Where will we stay then?" "You can book a hotel room." "Do you know how expensive hotels are during summer break?" she demanded, raising her voice. "Besides, Elise and her family already know that we're supposed to stay with you. Your father will be utterly humiliated if we tell them that we need to book a hotel room now." I didn't respond. Mom swiftly changed her tone when she realized that I had no plans to continue the conversation. "I'm not blaming you, Michelle, but you can't make such sudden decisions. Elise and her family have already bought their tickets. Are you really going to let them drag their suitcases around the station? "Talk to your landlord. Tell him that you want to extend your stay for a few days. We'll figure out the payment later." "Who's going to pay?" I asked. Mom paused. Dad's voice resounded from next to her. "She already paid her rent this month. Surely her landlord will allow her to stay for a few more days." Mom covered the receiver with her hand, but I could still hear her. "Stop it. She's in a prickly mood." I wrapped up the last bowl and placed it in a cardboard box. "I'm moving out, Mom," I said. "If you insist on coming to New Grandia, I can send a few links of nearby hotels to you." Mom was about to say something else when Dad snatched the phone from her. "Are you doing this on purpose, Michelle?" he snapped. "The lease expired. I simply chose not to extend it." Dad scoffed. "Don't try to fool me with the lease. You just don't want your relatives to stay at your place. Well, let me make things clear for you. We've already bought the tickets and planned the welcoming party. It's too late for you to change your mind now." "You used my card to pay for the tickets and welcoming party," I said. "So what if I did?" Dad demanded stubbornly. "You're my daughter. If you're planning to humiliate us in front of Elise and her family, I'm going to drop by your company and let them know that they employed an ungrateful wretch." I moved the phone away from my ear. In the past, I would be terrified whenever Dad threatened me. I was scared that he would actually drop by my company. I was scared that the neighbors would find out, scared that my relatives would talk about me behind my back. Later, I realized that they used my fear against me, forcing me to bend to their will. "Feel free to do whatever you want," I said. Dad was stunned. I hung up. … My landlord, Arthur Wilson, dropped by at 3:00 pm to retrieve the keys. He checked the water and electricity meters, then signed the termination form when he determined that everything was in working order. I placed the bunch of keys on his palm. The apartment was starkly empty when the door clicked shut. I stood in the stairwell, clutching the termination form. I didn't feel any reluctance. On the contrary, I felt relieved. … That night, Tiffany sent a selfie of herself at the high-speed rail station into the group chat. "We're setting off to spend our summer break at Michelle's home!" Mom, Dad, Aunt Elise and her family, and Tiffany were smiling widely in the photo. Tiffany even tagged me in the chat. "Don't forget to pick us up at the station, Michelle. Don't make Aunt Elise and her family wait too long." I sent a map of the subway in response. "Transfer to the No. 10 line after taking the No. 2 line. Walk eight minutes to leave the station." The group chat fell silent for half a minute. "Where are you?" Dad finally asked. "On duty," I replied. Chapter 3 Dad immediately called me, but I didn't pick up. I continued ignoring him when he tried to call me again. Finally, Mom sent me a voice message. "Your father's in a foul mood on the train, Michelle. Answer his call. Don't humiliate us in front of your aunt." I glanced at the time. Their train would arrive at the station in about 90 minutes. I switched my phone to silent mode and continued putting my things away in the dormitory. My company didn't give me a big unit. There was a bed, a desk, and a small closet. The garden beyond the window was decorated with strings of red lights. The closet was still half-empty after I hung up my clothes. When I lived in my old apartment, Mom's, Dad's, and Tiffany's clothes had taken up three different closets. As a result, I had no choice but to squeeze my clothes into a plastic container on the balcony. Tiffany had still complained about the arrangement, saying, "Your clothes look so shabby, Michelle. Don't put them with mine. I don't want their stench to rub off on my clothes." I had just made the last payment for her livestreaming equipment that day. As Tiffany hugged her new light stand to her chest, she grinned at me as if it was perfectly reasonable for me to fund her livestreaming career. My phone lit up. The bank had sent me another notification about a recent transaction. Someone had used my card to pay for a bouquet of flowers that cost 68 dollars at the high-speed rail station's flower shop. A few seconds later, Tiffany sent a photo to the group chat. "Dad said that we have to celebrate Aunt Elise's first time in the big city." A small card was tucked among the flowers. "Welcoming the Roths to New Grandia for their summer break." I stared at the message on the card. They were in for a rude awakening when they realized that I had actually moved out of my apartment. I received another transaction notification not even ten minutes later. Someone had used my card again to pay 200 dollars for a cab ride. I called my bank's customer service line. "I lost my card. Please freeze all of its supplementary cards and suspend all online payments." "Are you sure?" the customer service assistant asked. "Yes," I replied. My phone was silent for a few seconds after I hung up. However, it didn't take long before it was bombarded by a barrage of messages. "Why can't we use the card anymore?" Dad demanded. "Did you do something, Michelle? We're already in New Grandia. How dare you freeze the card now?" "Stop causing a fuss, Michelle," Mom chimed in. "Aunt Elise and her family are right next to us." "Throw your tantrum somewhere else, Michelle," Tiffany wrote. "Don't ruin my livestream." I also received a message from Aunt Elise. "Your parents told me that you're covering our accommodations and expenses, Michelle. We can't pay the cab fee. Can you do something?" "I never agreed to cover the accommodations and expenses, Aunt Elise," I replied. A long time passed before she replied. "Your mother is telling me a different story." I placed my phone on the desk. … Dad used Aunt Elise's phone to call me at around 7:00 pm. I answered the call. It was obvious that he was doing his best to keep his anger in check when the call connected. "Fix the card right now. The driver is waiting outside. Elise and her family are still in the cab. How do you expect us to deal with this fiasco?" "Whoever ordered the cab should pay the fee, Dad," I said. "Stop messing around!" he roared before falling silent. He probably remembered that Aunt Elise and her family were still around, so his voice was lowered when he spoke again. "Transfer 500 dollars to me for now. We'll talk about this later." "Are you going to pay me back?" I asked. Dad reached the end of his patience. "We're a family. Why are you being so petty?" "Then, you should figure out a solution as a family," I said. Dad was breathing heavily from how furious he was. Mom grabbed the phone from him and asked, "Are you really going to humiliate me in front of your aunt, Michelle?" "Did you tell Aunt Elise that I was going to cover your accommodations and expenses, Mom?" I retorted. When she didn't answer, I continued, "Did you tell her that I've already terminated the lease?" She still didn't answer. "Michelle terminated the lease? What's the meaning of this, Isabelle?" Aunt Elise asked from the side. Mom panicked. "She didn't. You misheard her." I hung up. … Tiffany started livestreaming ten minutes later with an eye-catching title. "Moving into my sister's apartment. First time experience in a house in the heart of the city." She was livestreaming from the cab. Her makeup was exquisite, and she was smiling sweetly at the camera. "I'll take you on a tour of my sister's house later. She usually stays by herself. It's such a waste, so we're staying with her to liven up the atmosphere!" A few comments scrolled by. "Your sister spoils you so much." "She doesn't mind?" Tiffany smiled at the camera and said, "Of course not. She has always let me get my way since we were kids." I exited the livestream and sent the link to Aunt Elise. Chapter 4 It was almost 9:00 pm by the time Aunt Elise and the others arrived at my old apartment building. I didn't drop by to meet them. Arthur called me, saying, "A group of people is claiming to be your family, Ms. Roth. They're insisting on entering your old apartment." "I've already terminated the lease and returned the keys," I said. Arthur sighed. "I understand. But your father keeps insisting that it's your apartment. He's also accusing me of kicking you out of your home." I could hear Dad's voice on the other end of the line. "Tell Michelle to answer my calls! She's just a young woman. She doesn't know anything. Our family is supposed to stay in this apartment. She doesn't have the luxury of terminating her lease whenever she wants!" "The lease expired earlier this afternoon, sir," Arthur said in a hardened tone. "I've already returned the deposit to Ms. Roth. I need to find a new tenant for the apartment now. You and your family are not allowed to enter the premises." "What's going on, Isabelle?" Aunt Elise asked. "Didn't you tell me that Michelle's living in a big house? Didn't you say that she asked us to stay with her?" "She's throwing a tantrum at the moment," Mom hastily explained. "She'll come around soon." "Can you let us into the apartment for now, Mr. Landlord?" Tiffany chimed in. "Michelle's just arguing with us at the moment. She'll show up soon." Arthur didn't budge. "No. She's no longer my tenant. I can't let you into the apartment." Dad lost his temper. "You landlords just love to pick on us outsiders!" I heard the sounds of something crashing against a door. "I'm going to call the police if you kick the door again," Arthur said immediately. Dad cursed aloud. "Go ahead and call the police, Mr. Wilson," I said. Everyone on the other end of the line fell silent. Dad snatched Arthur's phone from him and shouted, "How dare you ask someone to call the police on your own father, Michelle?" "I've already returned the keys to Mr. Wilson," I explained. "You'll have to compensate him if you damage the door." Dad seemed to be deaf to my words. "Come here right now. Settle our accommodations for us." I glanced at the computer on my desk. The report on the screen was half-finished. "I'm working," I said. Dad started choking upon hearing my words. They had used the same excuse against me when they wanted to force me to stay at the company. It was incredibly upsetting to them that I was using it against them now. Mom sounded like she was on the verge of tears when she said, "Don't be like this, Michelle. Aunt Elise and her family are still dragging their suitcases around. Hunter's also getting sleepy." "You can book a hotel room," I said. "It's too expensive to book one during summer break," she said in a tight voice. "Go home then." "I'm sure you know how expensive the tickets are right now." I didn't respond. They were perfectly aware of how expensive everything was, which was why they would always put their exorbitant purchases on my tab. … The police arrived 30 minutes later. Arthur didn't call me again. Aunt Elise sent me a video. In the video, Dad's face had turned red as he stood in the stairwell. The officer asked him if he had a lease or permission from the owner to enter the apartment. "My daughter was renting the apartment," he said. "Did she give you permission to enter the premises?" Dad pressed his lips together and remained silent. Aunt Elise stood to the side, looking upset as she clutched her coat. Tiffany had stopped livestreaming, but a recording of the livestream had already begun to spread online. "My first experience in my sister's luxurious apartment" had turned into "My family can't enter the apartment because my sister terminated the lease". It didn't take long before the commenters began to argue among themselves. The top comment asked, "Did her sister actually agree to let them stay with her?" Tiffany didn't respond to that particular comment. … Around 10:30 pm, I received a call from the restaurant where the welcoming party was supposed to be held. "Your family has already arrived, Ms. Roth," the manager said politely. "The remaining payment for booking the private room is 1,830 dollars. Are you going to pay with the same card? Or will you be paying with another card?" "I'm not there at the restaurant," I replied. "I also never said that I was going to pay the remaining amount." The manager was briefly stunned before he said, "But the deposit was paid with your card." "I'll pay the deposit. You can ask for the remaining payment from the people who are actually in the private room." The manager left to do just that. I heard Dad shouting in the background. "Tell her to answer my calls! She's my daughter. She's obligated to pay for this meal!" "Can you speak to your family, Ms. Roth?" the manager asked awkwardly. "No," I said. "If they refuse to pay, you can deal with them according to your restaurant's rules." I heard Dad criticizing me in a hushed voice before I hung up. "That ungrateful wretch!"