Chapter 216

Anastasia and Tamia ended up at a different spot – the Thai noodle place Sharlene had taken Anastasia to before.

“I said I’m treating you to lunch, so don’t try to save me money,” Tamia protested.

“I’m not trying to save you money. The pho here is genuinely amazing, and I’m suddenly craving it,” Anastasia replied.

Since Anastasia put it that way, Tamia didn’t argue.

Their bowls arrived – rich, aromatic tom yum soup with fresh shrimp and herbs that made your mouth water just looking at it. The broth smelled incredible, and the taste was even better. One sip and you couldn’t stop.

Tamia polished off her entire bowl in no time. Even after finishing, she looked like she wanted more.

“God, that was good. I guess people like me are only meant for cheap eats,” Tamia sighed. “Honestly, I hate sushi anyway. Raw fish just isn’t my thing. At our last department dinner, we went to this buffet and I saw everyone lining up, so I figured I’d try it. Came back with three slices of fresh salmon.”

“I took one bite and it was like eating raw fat. Then I dipped it in wasabi and that stuff shot straight to my brain – nearly killed me. I couldn’t finish it, so I secretly wrapped the other two pieces in napkins and threw them out.”

“I don’t get what’s so great about Japanese food. But that’s just me.”

Anastasia patted Tamia’s hand. “You don’t have to force yourself to like things just to fit in.”

“Yeah.”

Tamia stared at her empty bowl. “But what about families you don’t like? Can you just… not have those?”

Anastasia had a feeling this was connected to Tamia’s family issues, and apparently she was right. She pulled Tamia into a hug, gently rubbing her back. “You can’t choose your parents, but now that we’re adults, we can choose how we want to live.”

“Like my piece-of-shit father – I tell him off every time I see him. I’ve made it crystal clear he’s not welcome in my life.”

Tamia looked at Anastasia and managed a smile. Sometimes she envied her friend. At least Sharpson was such obvious trash that Anastasia could completely cut him off. But Tamia’s parents were different. They’d done their parental duty – they hadn’t abandoned her for being a girl like some families in their village did, and they hadn’t abused her.

Not only that, they’d supported her through college financially. She’d studied hard, earned scholarships, stopped asking for money, and even started sending some home. She thought she was lucky, that her fate was different from other girls in the village. But then she overheard her parents talking privately, and realized she was just a cash cow to them.

They were vampires, planning to suck every last drop of value from her. She heard them say they were lucky Tamia was a girl – now they didn’t have to worry about her brother’s wedding expenses, building costs, renovations, or their own retirement fund.

“Today my mom called and tore into me,” Tamia said. “Said I had no right to comment on my brother’s posts or criticize him. Then she told me they used the money I sent home to build a new house – two and a half stories. First floor has the living room, dining room, and a bedroom for my parents. Second floor is for my brother and his future wife.”

Talking about it made Tamia’s chest feel tight. “I was actually excited at first and asked where my room was. I figured if there wasn’t space on the first or second floor, maybe that half story on top would be mine. But she said I don’t get a room because I’ll get married and move out eventually, so there’s no point.”

“Ana, do you think girls just… stop having homes once they grow up?”