Yes to letting him use our savings for his business.

Yes to letting them rearrange my grandmother’s furniture because it was “outdated.”

I walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

It was mostly empty, save for a half-empty carton of milk and some of Solene’s expensive cheese.

I grabbed the cheese and threw it into the trash can.

I found an old tin of loose black tea in the pantry.

It was the same brand my grandmother used to buy.

I filled the copper kettle with cold tap water and set it on the stove.

I turned the burner on, watching the blue flames lick the bottom of the kettle.

While the water heated, I walked back to the living room.

The wire shelves Solene had put up looked hideous.

I grabbed the metal frame and pulled.

The shelf collapsed with a loud clatter of metal against the wood floor.

I dragged the pieces out to the front porch, throwing them onto the pile with Rylan’s garbage bags.

I did the same with the second shelf.

Then, I went to the hallway closet.