Chapter 3The Passenger Seat Principle

We hadn't been at the dealership long when Tiffany showed up.

She looked furious, whispering aggressively at Liam in the corner.

Mom and Dad noticed immediately. Mom leaned over. "Liam, is everything okay?"

Liam gave a pained smile and shook his head.

Tiffany glared at him, clearly fed up. "Fine! If you won't say it, I will."

She turned to my parents. "Cindy, Dave, listen. You guys have money to burn on a car for Maya? Why not upgrade Liam’s car instead?"

"You know what your daughter did yesterday, right? She’s disrespectful. And you guys are enabling her. Someone has to pay for bad behavior."

Mom’s face darkened.

Tiffany, oblivious to the changing atmosphere, kept going.

"Besides, why buy a car for a girl? She’s just going to get married and leave the family eventually. It’s a bad investment."

"Maya is an adult. You should stop paying her tuition and giving her an allowance. She needs to get a job. Stop letting her leech off the family. It’s embarrassing."

Mom gritted her teeth and smiled an icy smile. "Miss Miller, I’m curious. In what capacity are you lecturing me? Our family finances are none of your business."

"I thought you were here to apologize to Maya. If this is your attitude, maybe you should leave."

"Apologize? Ha!" Tiffany laughed like Mom had told a joke.

"Cindy, don't you know who I am? I’m Liam’s girlfriend. Your future daughter-in-law."

"Let’s be real. Every dollar Maya spends now is a dollar taken away from Liam’s future inheritance. Which means it’s taken away from me. I have a right to protect my assets."

Mom frowned, genuinely baffled by this logic. "Excuse me? Since when is my money your money?"

Tiffany tilted her chin up. "Isn't it obvious? The assets go to the son. Liam is the son. Therefore, half of that belongs to me."

Mom let out a cold laugh and looked at Liam. "Liam, is this what you think too?"

Liam looked horrified. He tried to pull Tiffany back. "Tiff, stop. Please. Mom and Dad can do whatever they want with their money."

Tiffany shoved him away, chest heaving. "Liam, are you stupid? I’m fighting for us! The more they waste on her, the less we get!"

Liam tried to grab her hand again. "I have a job. I have hands. We can make our own money. We don't need theirs."

Tiffany screamed and bit his arm. Hard.

Liam flinched but took it. Mom watched, her expression shifting from anger to disgust.

They whispered for another ten minutes. I don't know what Liam promised her, but Tiffany finally stopped looking like she wanted to murder us and smiled.