When His Girlfriend Tried to Evict Me

My name is Danielle Crawford. My younger brother, Darrell Crawford, is bringing his girlfriend, Vivian Gallagher, home for Thanksgiving. When she changes her shoes in the entryway and notices my pink slippers, she suddenly looks up and says sweetly, "Danielle, you're Darry's sister-in-law, right? I heard you've been a widow for two years. Have you… been living here this whole time?" Her eyes dart back and forth between Darrell and me. I frown, and I'm about to explain when she beats me to it. "Let's get one thing straight. Once Darrell and I tie the knot, you'll have to move out. I'm not going to let you stay here and act like you're Darrell's responsibility!" Darrell's face turns bright red. Looking at me awkwardly, he mutters, "Elle, Vivi didn't mean it like that—" I slap him across the face and snap, "A fallen officer's family is being insulted right in front of you. Are you blind or deaf?" Chapter 1 I slapped my younger brother, Darrell Crawford, across the face, and the air instantly went still. His girlfriend, Vivian Gallagher, froze. For a moment, she was caught off guard. When she came back to her senses, she immediately yanked Darrell behind her and snapped, "Did you just slap him? How dare you! You're just a widowed sister-in-law freeloading off your in-laws! What right do you have to lay a finger on him?" Clutching his cheek, Darrell tugged at Vivian's sleeve. "Vivi, don't—" Vivian flung his hand away, her eyes bulging. "Am I wrong? Your older brother has been dead for two years, and she still refuses to leave. What exactly is she trying to do?" She whipped her head around to glare at me and shrieked, "I won't forget what you did today! Once Darrell and I tie the knot, you'd better pack your bags and leave!" The red hand imprint was clear as day on Darrell's cheek. He parted his lips. "Elle—" Without sparing him so much as a glance, I calmly met Vivian's gaze. "First of all, I have every right to discipline him. Secondly, come talk to me about whether you have the right when you're actually his wife. As of this moment, you're nothing but an outsider!" Vivian's jaw dropped. "Thirdly." I looked straight into her eyes. "This is my home. You're standing under my roof, calling me a freeloader, and you still expect to eat my food?" I picked up the pumpkin pie she'd brought from the coffee table and thrust it back into her arms. Then, I raised my hand and pointed at the door. "Dinner's canceled. Now, leave!" Clutching the box of pumpkin pie, Vivian's lips quivered. She whirled her head around to look at Darrell. Tears welled up in her eyes in no time. Her pitiable demeanor was worlds apart from the haughty self a moment ago. "Darrell, your sister-in-law's being so mean to me! Aren't you going to do something?" Darrell was rooted to the spot. The left side of his face flushed so red it looked like it might bleed. His eyes darted between Vivian and me. "Vivi, my sister—" "Are you going to stand up for me or not?" Darrell didn't dare to look at either of us. He hung his head like a student who was caught in the hallway by his teacher. It took him a long while to force out, "Elle… Vivi didn't mean it like that. Don't be mad at her. She's not usually like this. She's just not good with words sometimes, but her heart's in the right place! Please don't hold it against her." My gaze hardened. His words felt as though a heavy stone was pressing down on my heart. Vivian was arrogant, blatantly walking all over our late brother Dylan Crawford's "wife", yet he was still defending his girlfriend. Vivian seethed, "Who isn't good with words? What did I do wrong? Are you going to build a life with me or your sister-in-law?" Darrell visibly flinched. Vivian hurled the pumpkin pie onto the floor. The box split open, and the pie skidded across the hardwood. Then, she spun on her heel and stormed toward the door. "I know how this goes. I've read enough taboo and forbidden romance novels! Are you in love with her?" "I'm not, Vivi. I can explain…" Darrell hurried after her. The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off his voice. I remained frozen in place in the living room. Bits and pieces of pumpkin pie littered the floor, beside a table of cold dishes and three sets of cutlery. The sweet and sour ribs had been made with fresh ribs I bought from the butcher at 6:00 am that day. I had marinated them for two hours, deep-fried them twice, and glazed them to perfection. Now, a layer of white grease had congealed over the top. I carried the dishes back into the kitchen, one by one. It would be a waste to throw them away, but I had no appetite to eat them either. My phone vibrated in my pocket. My sister-in-law, Rosalie Montgomery, had sent me a voice message. When I hit play, my two little nephews, Ryan and Riley Crawford's, adorable voices came through the speaker. "Happy Thanksgiving, Aunt Danielle!" Chapter 2 Rosalie sent me another voice message right after. "Darry brought his girlfriend home today, didn't he, Elle? What's she like?" I told her the truth. "Not a good fit." Rosalie immediately called me. "How so? Is she not much to look at? Or does she have a bad temper?" "She has a foul mouth." Rosalie fell silent for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter. "Did she run her mouth at you? Well, she definitely picked the wrong target. My sister-in-law isn't someone who takes things lying down!" I let out a soft chuckle. "You know me best, Rosalie." After wrapping up the call, I shut the refrigerator door. Deep inside the freezer sat a bag of frozen ravioli. Rosalie had brought it over when she visited me last month. The year our parents passed away, I was ten, and Darrell was six. Dylan was 12 years older than me. After rushing home from the military base and taking care of the funeral arrangements, he stood in the living room, looked at Darrell and me, and said, "From now on, I'll take care of you." Later, he married Rosalie. The two of them were genuinely like parents to Darrell and me. When Dylan died in the line of duty, Riley had just turned a month old. Rosalie never remarried. When people tried to persuade her otherwise, she told them, "Dylan treated me like a queen when he was alive. Now that he's gone, I'm going to make sure his brother and sister are treated the same." Thus, if Vivian thought she could push Rosalie around now, she'd picked the wrong person to mess with. … Late that night, the front door lock clicked. Darrell found me on the couch in the living room. He tiptoed over, looking as if he was a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be reprimanded. "You're still up, Elle." I didn't say a word. He took a seat across from me. A heavy silence stretched between us for a long while before he broke it. "Elle, I know Vivi said some awful things today, but she's really not like that usually. She's just been influenced by the garbage she sees online. After I cleared the misunderstanding with her, she realized she was wrong. "For the sake of my future… could you please forgive her just this once?" he pleaded softly. All of a sudden, I remembered the time he was in middle school. When he noticed I was being cornered by a delinquent at school, he'd been scared out of his wits, yet he'd still charged over to protect me. I took a deep breath. "Darrell, I don't care who you date, but if she dares to disrespect our sister-in-law, she'll be sorry!" Darrell immediately straightened up. "Yes, of course. I promise to keep my girlfriend in line!" I rolled my eyes at him. … Early the next morning, the doorbell rang. Vivian was at my doorstep with three gift bags in her hands, smiling as if nothing had happened the day before. "I'm here to apologize, Danielle! I went a little overboard yesterday. I shouldn't have made a mountain out of a molehill." Her words were light and flippant. I arched my eyebrow and remained silent. She walked in, placed her gifts on the coffee table, and scanned the room. "Darrell and I are planning to tie the knot at the end of the year. The decoration and layout of this house are a little outdated, so I want to renovate it beforehand. It'll be more comfortable for us to live here in the future." Right after saying that, she began gesturing with her hands. "We can tear this wall down and connect it with the living room. Then, the living and dining area will be one big open space; it'll be so much brighter and airier. The crib can go here, and the play mat can go here. It'll be perfect!" I didn't say a word. After nosing through every corner of my house, she whipped out a document from her purse. It was a rental agreement. She placed it on the table. "I found this single room for you, Danielle. It's not far from here, and the rent's only 800 dollars a month. Since you're a widow, I'll help cover your rent for half a year. It's a pretty sweet deal, don't you think?" The rental agreement sat right beside the photo of Dylan and me. Vivian's fingers, painted with nude-colored nail polish, were resting on the paper as she smiled gracefully at me. I lowered my head and took a look at the address on the rental agreement. The unit was on the outskirts of the city, three districts away. It was an 800-dollar single room. Chapter 3 I jeered. "Ms. Gallagher, it seems you've misunderstood a few things." The smile on her face froze for a moment. "First of all, I am the sole owner of this house. My name's on the property deed, not Darrell's, and certainly not yours. So, if you want to make it your marital home, you should've asked me first." I rose from my seat and towered over her. "Secondly, every single tile in this house was handpicked by my brother and me. That scratch on the wall marks Darrell's height measurement from middle school, and the wall you just said you wanted to tear down was covered with wallpaper that my mom personally put up before she died." I stared at her. "So, you came in here, took one lap around the house, and decided you were going to gut my home?" Vivian couldn't maintain her composure any longer. Just then, Darrell emerged from the bathroom and froze. "What's going on here?" She immediately grasped his arm and choked out, "Your sister's too much, Darry! I was trying to do her a favor by hunting for apartments for her. But instead of being grateful, she's kicking me out!" He frowned. "Why are you apartment hunting for my sister?" Vivian was stumped. Her embarrassment morphed into anger in no time. "Why are you yelling at me? I'm doing this for you!" She turned to leave, swinging her arm carelessly as she did. Her hand caught the edge of the shoe cabinet, knocking the framed photo of Dylan and me off its surface. It hit the floor a second later, the glass shattering on impact. Vivian froze, but she didn't apologize. "I didn't do it on purpose. It's your fault for leaving it right there!" The blood drained from Darrell's face. When he met my ice-cold gaze, he instantly lost his nerve. He yanked Vivian's arm and dragged her outside. Vivian stumbled out, yelling over her shoulder, "Why are you dragging me out? It's just a stupid picture frame! What's the big deal?" The door clicked shut. I crouched down. A shard of glass pricked my finger, but I paid it no mind. I had taken this photo with Dylan when I graduated from college. It was also our last photo together. And just like that, it shattered. … That night, Darrell sent me a message. "Vivi knows she was in the wrong, Elle. She has reserved a private room at The Crimson Pavilion tomorrow evening. She wants to apologize to you and Rosalie in person. I've already called Rosalie, and she's agreed to be there." I ignored him. Two minutes later, Rosalie texted me as well. "Darry told me what happened, Elle. The young lady didn't know any better. Since she wants to apologize to us in person, I think we should go. After all, we practically raised Darry. If we don't go, it'll strain our relationship." Looking at the fold cutting across Dylan's face in the photo, I replied. "Alright." … Rosalie and I arrived at The Crimson Pavilion at 7:00 pm. Vivian rose from her seat to greet us. She wore light makeup and a simple, elegant dress, making her look gentle and demure. Once we took our seats, she picked up her wine glass and rose to her feet. "I'd like to propose a toast to you both, Rosalie and Danielle." Her eyes misted over as she bent slightly forward. "I previously got the wrong idea. I spoke out of turn without knowing the full story and ended up hurting both of you. I especially shouldn't have said those awful things about you the other day, Rosalie. "After I went home, the more I thought about it, the more I regretted it! Rosalie, you're raising two children on your own, and you're holding this family together. I shouldn't have said those things." Rosalie reached out to pat the back of her hand, comforting her. "Alright, alright. Now that we've talked it out, it's all in the past. We're all family here. There's no need to stand on ceremony." Lifting a glass of wine, Vivian apologized to me. "I completely misunderstood you, Danielle. I'm sorry." I didn't accept it. So, she was left awkwardly holding it out, her eyes darting toward Darrell. "Vivi has already apologized, Elle. Please forgive her," Darrell chimed in from the side. I took the wine glass and, without taking a single sip, set it on the table. Vivian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then, she turned to the waiter and told them to bring out the dishes. As soon as the dishes were served, the doors to the private dining room swung open. The very next second, a middle-aged man with a potbelly sauntered in. By the look of him, he was well into his 40s. Vivian's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly stood up to greet him. "Mr. Fisher, you're here! Please, have a seat!" Chapter 4 As soon as Vivian's words fell, Darrell froze. "Mr. Fisher? Which Mr. Fisher?" Vivian chirped, "He's George Fisher! Haven't you always wanted to work on a project with their company? I went out of my way to set up this meeting for you, and while I was at it…" She turned her head to look at Rosalie, the corners of her lips lifting. "I played matchmaker for Rosalie!" Rosalie's hand froze in midair. I set my knife and fork down. The moment George stepped into the room, his gaze swept across the table before landing squarely on Rosalie's face. "Who's this?" he asked Vivian, though his gaze never left Rosalie. Vivian immediately responded, "This is Rosalie Montgomery, Darrell's sister-in-law. She's such a sweetheart, but she's had a difficult life. Her husband passed away young. Why don't you two get acquainted?" Right after saying that, she added, "Mr. Fisher, you wouldn't mind, would you?" George plopped himself down unceremoniously. His gaze raked over Rosalie's face to her hands and right back up. He picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and jerked his chin at Rosalie. "You've been a widow for two years? You don't have any children, right? I don't mind marrying someone who's been married before, but you'll need to get a health checkup first. If nothing's wrong with you, we can give this a shot." The blood drained from Rosalie's face. I tightened my grip on my glass, but I held my tongue. I turned to look at Darrell. He met my gaze for a split second and hurriedly looked away. His Adam's apple bobbed as he sat there, yet he didn't make a sound. I almost snickered out of sheer anger. Great. This was just great. Vivian hadn't invited us out to dinner to apologize. This was a trap from the very beginning. Vivian was all smiles as she refilled George's wine glass. "As expected of you, Mr. Fisher; you're so open-minded! You don't even mind that Rosalie's been married before. If this isn't fate, what is?" She turned to Rosalie, batting her eyelashes. "Lady luck must be smiling on you tonight, Rosalie. I think you should take Mr. Fisher up on his offer. After all, you'll have someone to lean on in the future!" The wine glass in Rosalie's hand clinked sharply against the table. Her lips were pale, and her arm was trembling slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but I placed my hand on her shoulder. I eyed Vivian coldly and spat out, "No, thanks. You're not qualified to play matchmaker for my sister-in-law!" Vivian's smile instantly vanished. "What's that supposed to mean, Danielle? I went out of my way to introduce someone to Rosalie. Why are you trying to ruin it? "Do you have any idea what a catch Mr. Fisher is? Rosalie's a widow with two deadweights. She should be thanking her lucky stars for landing someone like him!" Darrell stood in front of me with a troubled expression. "Don't be mad, Elle. I know Vivi's words are harsh, but she has a point. It must be difficult for Rosalie to raise two children by herself. "Mr. Fisher has a lot going for him, and he's interested in Rosalie, too. Isn't this a good thing? You don't—" Before he could finish, I slapped him across the face. The room fell dead silent. George wiped the smile off his face and glared at me, a malicious glint in his eyes. "Don't push your luck, young lady. The fact that I'm even interested in your sister-in-law is the luckiest thing that will ever happen to her." He straightened up and sneered. "Let me make this clear. I'm marrying your sister-in-law, so you can give us your blessing, or you can go to hell. It won't change a thing." Vivian covered her mouth and giggled beside us. Slowly, I rose from my seat, picked up the pot of spicy seafood stew from the table, and flipped the entire thing over. The bowls and plates on the table crashed to the floor with a deafening clatter. Red broth splattered everywhere. George's crisp white shirt was instantly stained red. Vivian let out a shriek and jumped to her feet, only to find her dress speckled with greasy stains. A suffocating silence settled over the room for three seconds. Standing amid the mess, I pulled out my phone and made a phone call. "Hello, this is Danielle Crawford," I said calmly. "Suspend all building material collaborations between our company and George Fisher's company. Yes, effective immediately."