“Make sure you don’t use your microwave or run the dryer today. We can’t risk tripping the main breaker. David’s parents are arriving at 8, and everything has to be perfect.”
I remained seated at my table, closing my laptop screen halfway.
“You’re hosting quite a large event, Sarah.”
“It’s just 50 people,” she brushed off, scrolling through her phone.
“Listen about tonight. David’s dad just got a huge promotion and it’s going to be a lot of networking. We just need high energy. You know how you get quiet and intense? Sometimes it brings people down.”
“I bring people down,” I repeated, my voice steady, betraying none of the absolute clarity forming in my mind.
“Don’t make this a thing,” she sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. “Just enjoy a quiet night in. Watch the ball drop on TV. Oh, and I need to keep your card on file for the catering company. The initial deposit went through, but they run the final balance for the open bar and staff hours right at midnight when they close out. It’s just easier this way.”
She didn’t ask.
She informed me.
She assumed my financial support was a permanent fixture, as reliable and silent as the foundation of the house she was standing in.
“I see,” I replied softly. “Enjoy your party, Sarah.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best,” she tossed over her shoulder, already walking out the door before it even shut.
She didn’t look back once.
She had secured her funding and cleared out the nuisance.
I locked the door behind her, walked back to my laptop, and opened the screen fully.
The house grew louder as the afternoon wore on.
Bass thumped faintly through my walls as they sound tested the DJ equipment they had set up in my old living room.
I ignored the noise, focusing entirely on the glowing screen of my computer.
I logged into my primary bank account and pulled up the credit card statement for the card Sarah held.
The numbers scrolling down the screen were staggering.
Over the past 3 weeks alone, she had charged nearly $5,000.
There were charges for a custom balloon arch, imported champagne, a luxury party rental company, and the initial deposit for tonight’s catering service.
My chest tightened, but I pushed the emotion down.
This wasn’t about feeling betrayed anymore.