– So you’ve finally turned up? Would’ve been better if you’d helped out with some money, – Aunt Martha said dryly.
Emily frowned at the persistent ringing that woke her up.
She glanced at her phone in surprise – it was her cousin Sarah calling, someone she hadn’t spoken to in over two years.
– Are you sleeping? Lucky you. I can’t even close my eyes. I’ve cried all my tears out…
– It’s the middle of the night, of course I’m asleep, – Emily checked the clock that read half past one in the morning.
– If you’re sleeping so peacefully, you must not know anything yet? – Sarah continued, speaking in riddles.
– Sarah, get to the point, – Emily yawned into the phone. – I have to get up early.
– You’ll have time to sleep. There’s been a tragedy in the family! – her cousin said reproachfully, as if Emily was somehow to blame.
– What happened? – Emily asked fearfully, fearing something terrible had happened to her mother.
– Uncle Tim passed away today, – Sarah sobbed. – It was unexpected. Aunt Martha was caught off guard. There’s no money. We need to chip in for help. My brother and I are heading to the village tomorrow. Are you coming with us?
– No, I can’t make it. I’ll only be there for the funeral service.
– Then transfer me the money, and we’ll give it to Aunt Martha tomorrow, – Sarah once again reminded Emily of the financial help. – Five hundred pounds.
Emily immediately transferred the necessary amount to her cousin through the phone and went back to sleep.
She wasn’t deeply affected by the sad news, as she had not kept in touch with her father’s side of the family for a long time.
After her father’s death, they cut off contact with Emily’s family, declaring they were no longer relatives.
Emily thought it would be unkind to ignore the situation and decided to help out.
After sending the money, no one contacted her. Sarah immediately forgot about her.
Emily tried several times to get ahold of her to find out the date of the service, but her cousin didn’t answer the calls.
With difficulty, she found out through mutual acquaintances and went to pay her respects.
Aunt Martha greeted her with a disapproving look, seeming more upset by her presence than her husband’s demise.
– So you’ve come. Who invited you anyway? You’d have been better off helping with some money, – she said with contempt.
– I sent you five hundred pounds, – Emily retorted.
– Funny, I didn’t get anything, – Aunt Martha scoffed skeptically.
– I handed it over through Sarah…
– Oh, you’re lying, – the woman folded her arms over her belly. – They only gave me a thousand, five hundred from each. You weren’t on the list.
– I don’t understand, – Emily began looking around for her cousin.
But Sarah, conveniently, seemed to have disappeared. Finding her near the fence outside, Emily confronted her.
– Sarah, didn’t you give Aunt Martha the money from me? Then where is it? – Emily demanded an explanation.
– I handed it over, – Sarah replied reluctantly.
– She said the money was only from you and Tom…
– She’s confused, – Sarah replied indifferently.
– You gave her a thousand?
– Yes.
– That’s for two people, not three!
– Well, someone had to cover the petrol costs, – Sarah rolled her eyes and grimaced.
– Five hundred pounds? It’s only a two-hundred-kilometer trip. Why should I cover your travel expenses? – Emily kept pressing with questions.
– I don’t understand, do you want me to give you your money back or what? – Sarah asked sarcastically.
– Yes, I do!
– Not now, later, – Sarah turned up her nose and walked away defiantly.
After all this, Emily suddenly lost the desire to stay in the inhospitable house, as both her aunt’s reaction and her cousin’s actions made her regret her decision to help.
Secretly, she called a taxi and left. A week later, her mother called her in tears.
– Emily, is it true you first gave money for Tim’s funeral and then took it back? – her mother asked, almost crying.
– I gave the money and took nothing back.
– Aunt Martha is telling everyone in the village that you took the money back. She’s upset you weren’t welcomed with open arms, – her mother said sadly. – I’m embarrassed to walk around the village, everyone’s giving me dirty looks.
– Mom, that’s not how it happened! – Emily was indignant at the rumors spread by her family.
She immediately recounted the real events that took place at Aunt Martha’s house to her mother.
– Sarah never returned the money to me, – Emily concluded her tale.
– So, she pocketed the money from Aunt Martha and blamed it on you?! Shameless! Let it choke them! – her mother exclaimed in anger.
Learning this, Emily initially wanted to call Sarah, but then decided to spare her nerves and simply cut off contact with her.
However, a couple of months later, her cousin unexpectedly reached out again.
– We’ve decided to put up a monument for Uncle Tim. You owe seven hundred pounds, – Sarah announced in a businesslike manner.
– No, I won’t give a single penny more!
– What a way to treat family, – Sarah lamented into the phone. – I’m surprised, truly surprised.
– I’m surprised too, surprised that I was conned like a fool and then slandered.
– What are you even talking about?
– Did you take my money from Aunt Martha?
– No!
– You’re lying!
– Okay, I did. So what? – Sarah replied defiantly. – You rarely spend on family anyway.
– Maybe because I’m only remembered in tragic circumstances?
– So why have family then? Are you giving money or not?
– No. The money you took from Aunt Martha, you didn’t give back to me and made it seem like it was all me. After all that, you think I’ll have anything to do with you? Also, after Dad’s death, you all said that my mother and I are no longer family, and if that’s the case, I’m not obligated to help you! – Emily poured her heart out and, not wanting to listen to her cousin any longer, blocked her number.
