My Family Called Me a Freeloader, So I Took Every Client Away Chapter 03

My Family Called Me a Freeloader, So I Took Every Client Away Chapter 03

Silence fell for a moment. Then Megan and Brooke spoke up.

“Furniture margins are thin,” Megan said. “Your ten percent takes almost all our profit. Maybe we should end the arrangement too.”

When her furniture had sat unsold, she’d come to my door crying and begged me to move the inventory.

I’d spent days in the blazing heat finding buyers and negotiating purchase agreements until my back ached too much to straighten.

In the end, I sold the whole lot for her.

She’d cried so hard she could barely speak. “If this furniture doesn’t sell, I can’t make the bank payment. I might as well jump off a bridge!”

Then Brooke said she wanted to cancel too. She no longer needed me either.

I smiled. “When you needed me, I was your little sister. Now I’m a freeloader?”

Megan avoided my eyes. “We’re small businesses, Evie. Don’t blame me.”

Tyler spoke again. “If we’re saying it out loud, let’s settle the money too.”

“We won’t take what’s yours, and you won’t take what’s ours.”

When I didn’t respond, he grew even more smug. “Did you really think you could live off the four of them forever? Have you no shame?”

“Tyler, stop.” Megan tugged his sleeve. “Evie can’t do much on her own. She’s lived on our commissions all these years. If she can’t pay, let it go.”

“Why should we? If she can’t pay, she can sign an IOU. Put down the monthly payments, how many years it’ll take, and the late fees.”

“We’re family. We don’t have to make it this ugly,” Brooke said, holding him back. “We can write off the last ten years.”

Tyler scoffed. “You might as well have thrown that money down the drain. You paid her and got no thanks. She still thinks she saved you and should’ve charged more!”

“Send me your bank details,” I said to my sisters. “I’ll have accounting transfer the money.”

Megan and Brooke exchanged a look, then sent me their account numbers.

I picked up the bottles and turned toward the door. The electronic lock clicked shut.

Tyler smiled. “Aunt Evie, tell accounting to work late. We want the money now.”

“It can wait until tomorrow,” Megan said with a strained smile.

I didn’t answer. I sent accounting a message, and before long the money hit their accounts.

Megan and Brooke smiled in a way they couldn’t quite hide. They looked relieved.

“Our accounts are settled,” I told them. “So is our relationship.”

Megan looked uncomfortable. “Maybe I should send half back. You’ve lived on our commissions for years. How will you get by without them?”

“So you also think I took your money for nothing?” I asked.

She sighed. “I know you’re proud, but I have plenty of clients now. You can’t keep bringing up what you did years ago.”

Brooke added, “Honestly, you need us more than we need you. It’s up to you whether you still call us family.”

“After today, come by for the holidays if you want. If you don’t, we won’t beg you to.”

I looked at their faces. Each of them acted as though I’d been getting away with something.

I said nothing else and walked out.

Then I called my manager and canceled every arrangement involving Claire and the others.

He sounded delighted. “You finally came around! Summit Group offered seventeen percent, and you insisted on sending the work to your family.”

“They only gave you ten percent. Even our lowest-paying partner gives us twelve.”

I hung up. Through the window I could see them drinking and singing together. I wondered how long the celebration would last.