Linda and her family arrived on a Wednesday evening. James and I had barely settled in when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Linda, Martin, Kevin, and Sophie, looking more like they were ready to move in than just visit.
“Lisa, we need your help,” Linda said, voice trembling. “I have cancer.”
Those words hung heavy in the air. Cancer. I felt the blood drain from my face. James jumped up from the couch, rushing to Linda’s side.
“Linda, why didn’t you tell us sooner?” he asked, helping her in.
“Didn’t want to burden you,” she whispered. “But we lost the house to medical bills. We have nowhere else to go.”
Without a word, they all moved in. Our peaceful life shattered in that instant.
The next few days were chaos. Linda transformed our home into her kingdom. She issued orders like a queen, demanding this and that.
“Lisa, could you take care of the kids today? I’m too tired,” she’d say, while lounging on the couch.
“Lisa, the bathroom needs cleaning.”
“Lisa, could you make dinner?”
James, bless his heart, tried to help, but he worked long hours. The burden fell on me. The kids were running wild, the house was a mess, and Linda acted like she was the only one who mattered.
One evening, I found her in the kitchen, surrounded by piles of dirty dishes.
“Linda, you have to help out,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
“I’m sick, Lisa,” she snapped. “You don’t understand what I’m going through.”
I bit my tongue, not wanting to argue. But frustration simmered beneath the surface.
It was late one night when I overheard them. I was in the hallway, passing by the guest room when I heard my brother Martin’s voice through the door.
“Linda, this has gone on long enough. We need to tell them the truth.”
“Shut up, Martin,” Linda hissed. “They’re buying it. We need a place to stay.”
“But lying about cancer?”
“Do you want to be homeless?” Linda’s voice was sharp, venomous. “They can afford it. Lisa is too nice to say no.”
I stumbled back, my heart racing. She was lying. The illness, the financial ruin – all lies. Rage bubbled up inside me. I had to expose her.
The next morning, I couldn’t look at Linda the same way. Her deception gnawed at me. I tried to focus on my chores, but my mind kept replaying their conversation. How could she do this to us?
James noticed my distraction. “You okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just tired.”
I didn’t want to worry him until I had a plan. But it was hard to keep my emotions in check when Linda continued to boss me around, all while pretending to be a victim.
Linda had planned a big party for the weekend, to thank everyone for their support during her “illness.” I had my own plans.