I blinked at her, then dead panned.
“Maybe don’t be villains then.”
Lily snorted, and even her dad fought back a child.
My mom’s face turned red.
“We are your parents, Alex. We deserve some respect.”
“Oh, respect? You mean like the respect you showed me when you ditched me on my birthday? Or when you laughed at me on the phone? Or when you made it abundantly clear that Emma will always come first?”
I shook my head.
“Sorry. I must have missed the part where you actually earned my respect.”
My dad took a step forward, his voice low.
“You’re being dramatic.”
“No, I’m finally being honest,” I shot back.
The tension in the room was thick.
My parents weren’t used to this.
They were used to me backing down, apologizing, folding.
But not this time.
Then my mom’s gaze landed on Lily.
More specifically, the way she was sitting so comfortably beside me, holding my hand like she belonged in my life.
And that’s when I saw it.
The moment my mom realized that I had people now.
People who weren’t obligated to love me but did anyway.
People who saw my worth.
Something she never cared to do.
And she hated it.
“So this is what this is about,” she said, voice dripping with condescension. “You’re trying to replace us with them.”
Lily stiffened beside me, but I just shrugged.
“If the shoe fits.”
My dad scoffed.
“Enough of this nonsense. You’re taking that post down now.”
I grinned.
“No.”
His nostrils flared.
“Alex, don’t test me.”
“Or what?” I challenged. “What exactly are you going to do? Ground me? Take away my phone? Oh, wait, you can’t, because I don’t live under your roof anymore. You have zero control over me.”
That hit a nerve.
My dad’s face turned an ugly shade of red, and for a second I thought he was actually going to lose it.
My mom, on the other hand, had gone eerily quiet.