“Yep,” I said, calm and even.
He squinted, trying to read my expression.
“Look, I get it. You’re mad. You wanted to make a point. Fine, point made. But people are upset. They’re looking to me to fix this. Camille doesn’t have the funds on hand. Mom’s car just got declined. This thing is about to blow up into a full meltdown.”
I nodded slowly, and he looked stunned.
“And I’m asking you to fix it.”
I didn’t say anything right away.
I just looked out at the chaos behind him. Aunt Camille yelling into her phone. Lily pacing and snapping at a staff member. The kids sitting confused near the now-empty dessert table, asking when the cupcakes were coming.
Then I looked back at Liam.
“You want me to fix it after what everyone said?”
He exhaled through his nose, visibly trying not to get snappy. “Come on, Noah. You know how this family is. People talk. You can’t take every little thing so personally.”
I stared at him deadpan.
“You called my apartment a dump. My mom said I have nothing to be proud of. Camille openly mocked me. You all treated me like a parasite, and you want me to fund your party so you can keep laughing at me between courses?”
He shifted uncomfortably.
“Okay, that was out of line, but let’s be real. You’ve always kind of made it easy.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You disappear for years. No updates, no job title anyone can understand. You show up looking like you just got off a bus.”
“I drove a rental,” I said sharply.
He waved that off. “Fine. But you acted like a guest, not someone footing the bill. It’s like you wanted to be treated like a martyr.”
That’s when I stepped out of the car.
I stood face to face with him, not raising my voice, just letting my words cut clear.
“I didn’t disappear. I was building something. Something you all mocked because it didn’t fit your narrow definition of success. I’ve been busting my ass for years trying to get a business off the ground while covering Mom’s debt and paying for things no one else even knew about.”
He looked taken aback. “What debt?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s covered now. But I’m done covering for everyone financially and emotionally.”
Liam looked away, finally out of comebacks.