Paulene sat in the middle of the mess like a queen who had just claimed a throne. She looked at me and spoke with feigned sweetness.

"Who am I to deserve an apology from the princess of the family? You stole my jewelry and slapped me in the face. I'd love to see what kind of man you'll end up with someday."

The more she talked, the angrier she got. She grabbed the remote and hurled it at me.

My mother rushed forward and blocked it.

"You're still protecting her?" Paulene's eyes went wide. "She's spoiled because of you. I told you from the start that she took the jewelry. You kept saying no way. And now look!"

My mother was already shaking. She glanced at me, then forced a weak smile at Paulene.

I glared at Paulene.

"You told her I stole it?"

Then, I turned to my mother.

"What did I say last night? Mom, am I really your daughter? Growing up, every time Brian messed up, I took the blame. Does it ever end? And why would I steal Paulene's jewelry? Did she even pay for it herself? That was clearly…"

"Enough!" My mother's eyes turned red. "Why do you always drag up the past? Every time we argue, you bring it back. Brian is your brother. What's the big deal, covering for him once in a while? Blood is blood!"

I had heard that my entire life.

Blood is blood.

But somehow, it only applied when I was getting the short end of the stick. No one ever bothered to stand up for me.

Paulene stood up slowly and walked toward me.

"If you stole it, just admit it. Why twist things? Trying to throw dirt on Brian? I saw the jewelry the day you came home for your birthday. After you left, it was gone. Brian was out of town on business that whole time. He wasn't even here."

That stopped me cold.

So it wasn't Brian?

Then who?

I looked at my mother. Sweat dotted her forehead. She wouldn't meet my eyes.

"If it wasn't Brian, then who took it?" I asked.

She lowered her head and wiped at her tears.

I grabbed her arm. "Say it. Who?"

"Who else could it be?" Paulene shoved me. "Still pretending to be the victim? Fine. I'll call the police and let them lock you up. Let's see how brave you are then."

At the word police, my mother's face went even paler.

"No police!" she screamed. She looked at me, her eyes heavy with wrinkles and desperation. "Nala, please. I'll grovel if I have to. Just admit it. Do you really want this family destroyed?"

She dropped to the ground, holding my pant legs as she groveled.

I grabbed her sleeve, my hands shaking with anger. "I didn't steal anything. Why should I confess? Mom, is it that hard to tell the truth?"

She cried harder and harder until she suddenly fainted.

Everything turned chaotic.

Paulene panicked and called 911.

While the nurses were carrying my mother out on a stretcher, Paulene took advantage of the confusion and slapped me again.

"Brian's on his way back," she hissed. "Let's see how you explain this to him! You stole my jewelry and stressed your own mother into passing out. You'll get what's coming!"

The doctor finished examining my mother and found nothing wrong with her.

Paulene didn't want to stay at the hospital and left early, leaving just the two of us sitting there in silence.

I sighed. "You're my mom. Can you just tell me the truth for once?"

She pouted and started crying again. "So you're disappointed I'm fine? You'd only be satisfied if something actually happened to me? Nala, I'm begging you. Just admit it, okay? What's the worst that could happen?"

What was the worst?

I already knew. I would never be able to hold my head up around Paulene again.

I could practically see the way she would look at me from now on, like I was trash she accidentally stepped on.

But the money for my brother Brian's engagement gift and the money Paulene used for her jewelry had both come from me.

So how did I end up being the thief?

I stayed silent.

My mother wiped her tears and stood up. "Fine. If you won't admit it, I will. I won't let this family fall apart. If Brian and Paulene throw me out, so be it. I'll sleep on the street."

I was exhausted. "You always say that when we argue. Like I'd ever abandon you. Go ahead and admit it if you want. If they kick you out, you can stay with me."

She clearly hadn't expected me to stop backing down.

She froze, then suddenly grabbed her bag from my hands and walked off.

I handled her discharge paperwork while worrying the whole time whether she would be okay getting home alone.

By the time I finally dragged myself home, exhausted and out of breath, Brian had already arrived.

The moment I stepped inside, his fist greeted me.

It was just like when we were kids.

His punch slammed into my face. Blood burst from my nose instantly.

Paulene covered her mouth behind him, barely hiding a smile.

My mother stood there with her head lowered, as if she couldn't bear to watch.

When Brian raised his fist again, I held up my phone.

"Hit me one more time, and I'm calling the police."

He cursed under his breath.

"Police again? Is that all you know how to do? Of all people you could steal from, you chose Paulene? How did our family end up with someone like you? Go ahead and call," he sneered. "Even if I kill you today, Mom and Dad would sign a forgiveness statement for me. Wanna bet?"

I turned to my mother. "Did you hear that? Brian just said he would kill me. Would you really protect him?"

She couldn't avoid it anymore. She stood up and halfheartedly tried to hold Brian back while saying to me, "Don't take him seriously. He's just upset."

Then, she smiled at him gently.

"Don't be angry anymore. However much the jewelry costs, I'll pay Paulene back."

Brian shook her hand off. "It's not about the money. She slapped Paulene at work. What about that?"

Paulene stepped forward, too. "And didn't you say all your savings were for your future grandson? If you pay for her now, isn't that spending my son's money in advance?"

I stared at them, stunned by the audacity.

"You do realize Mom doesn't actually have any money, right? All the money she has comes from me." I turned to my mother. "Why do you get to save my money for your grandson?"

Brian laughed coldly.

"You? Have money? When I was getting married and didn't have enough for the engagement gift, I asked you for help. You refused to lend me a single dollar. If Mom hadn't stepped in, I wouldn't even have been able to marry Paulene. Having a sister like you is the worst!"

I understood every word he said.

But together, none of it made sense.

I had given him 60 thousand dollars for the engagement gift and even taken out online loans to cover the 10 thousand Paulene demanded for her jewelry.

How did it suddenly become my mother's contribution?

I looked at her. She was flushed red, clearly panicking. When she saw me about to speak, she grabbed my hand tightly.

"C-Come with me. I need to talk to you."

I pulled my hand away. "If you have something to say, say it here. What does Brian mean? Explain it."

The next second, her hand struck my face.

"I told you not to talk about this here!" she shouted. "Why won't you listen? Do you have to give me a heart attack before you're happy?"

I froze.

My mother had always been timid and soft spoken, the kind of person who cried if her voice got too loud. She had never hit anyone before.

But this time, she slapped me with everything she had. It hurt more than Brian's punch.

I barely heard what she said afterward. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bedroom.

The moment we got inside, she dropped to her knees in front of me.