Emma’s grandmother smiled and told her they had “run out” of Disney tickets, but she had no idea what I was about to cancel from my phone. / Chapter 5 / 111

Chapter 5 - The Cracking Facade

The silence that followed was absolute. For five full seconds, all I heard was Jessica’s shallow breathing over the cellular connection.

"You?" she finally whispered, her voice cracking with sheer disbelief. "You booked the cruise?"

"Every cent of it," I said. "The presidential suite. The business-class flights to Barcelona. The private tours of Rome and Pompeii. All forty-two thousand dollars of it."

"Forty-two... *thousand*?" Jessica gasped, choking on the number. Then, her tone flipped instantly from shock to incandescent fury. "Are you insane?! Why the hell would you cancel it?! Mom and Dad have been telling everyone at the church, their neighbors, their old coworkers—everyone thinks they're going on the trip of a lifetime in three months! Mom already bought five new formal dresses!"

"They can return the dresses," I said coldly.

"Why would you do that to them?!" she screamed. "What is wrong with you?! You're a monster, David! You gave them their dream and then ripped it away because of your sick, petty jealousy!"

"Jealousy?" I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "Let me ask you something, Jessica. When you handed out those Disney tickets yesterday, where was Emma’s?"

Jessica scoffed, dismissive as always. "Are you serious? You canceled Mom and Dad’s retirement cruise over a couple of amusement park tickets?! It was a misunderstanding! Mom told you, they just ran out of budget!"

"They had enough budget to buy tickets for Sophie, for Liam, and for *two of Liam’s friends from school*," I said, my voice hardening like steel. "They bought VIP passes for kids who don't even share our last name, while my daughter sat on the rug two feet away and asked me why her grandparents didn't want her."

"It’s not the same thing!" Jessica argued, her voice rising in pitch. "Liam’s friends’ parents are driving the second van! It was a package deal! Emma is only eight, she wouldn't even remember half the rides anyway! Why do you always have to make everything about you and your kid?!"

"Because she *is* my kid," I snapped. "And unlike Mom and Dad, I don't treat my family like a tiered subscription service where only the favorites get basic decency."

"You ruined their retirement!" Jessica shrieked. "You humiliated them! Dad is on the verge of a heart attack!"

"Dad will survive," I said. "And as for the money, don't worry about it. It’s already being put to much better use."

"You better call Royal Caribbean right now and reinstate that booking," Jessica ordered, her voice trembling with entitlement. "I swear to God, David, if you don't fix this by noon, I will make sure Mom and Dad never speak to you again!"

"Don't threaten me with a peaceful life, Jessica," I said.

I hung up the phone.

I immediately blocked her number. Then, anticipating the inevitable onslaught, I went into my phone settings and blocked Mom and Dad as well.

Emma looked up from her pancakes, her big brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Was that Aunt Jessica?"

"It was," I said, putting the phone facedown on the counter and walking over to kiss the top of her head. "She was just calling to confirm that we're going to have the best trip to Japan in the history of the world."