“I never offered to pay,” I said. “She asked me for rent money last week. I said no.”
A man named Chris looked uncomfortable.
“She said you were withholding money to teach her a lesson.”
“It’s my money,” I replied. “I’m not withholding something that belongs to her.”
Vanessa scoffed. “See? Everything has to be about money with you.”
“Because you keep asking me for it.”
I took a breath.
“I’ve helped with rent, groceries, utilities, and repairs. I did it because she’s my sister and I wanted her to be okay. But I can’t afford to fund her life indefinitely.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled. “You love telling people how much you’ve done for me.”
“I’ve never told your friends any of this before tonight.”
Rachel turned to Vanessa.
“Why did you plan a dinner this expensive if you couldn’t pay your rent?”
Vanessa looked at her sharply. “That’s none of your business.”
