Chapter 2

I sighed. “I’m there to perform an exorcism. That manor isn’t even mine. I don’t have the right to bypass my client and let you move in.”

Ronald scoffed. “If you don’t want us to move in there, just say it. What’s the point in saying all these things?”

“Yeah. I don’t want you to move in,” I shot back, but it only made Ronald mad.

“Apollo, is this how you’re supposed to talk to your elders? I’m telling you right now, we’re staying in the manor. End of discussion.”

I found myself rendered completely speechless and was thinking that I should just let them in. If they all lost their minds, they might start behaving.

However, as a professional ghost hunter, I still decided to patiently persuade him against his decision. “I’m telling you the truth, Uncle. No one can live in that manor. Why don’t I transfer three thousand dollars to you, and you stay in a hotel with the others?”

Right after I finished talking, Ronald scoffed and hung up.

I thought that he had given up and sighed in relief. So, I called a cab and was just about to go back when my phone vibrated.

When I unlocked it, I found that Ronald had tagged everyone with the following announcement in the family group chat.

[Guys, I’m going to bring all of you along to the capital for Jessica’s graduation trip. We’ll go dutch for the traveling fees, but Apollo will be providing accommodations for free. It’s a manor that’s ten thousand square feet big. There are plenty of rooms there. If you want to join, come along. This is a rare opportunity. You can bring your relatives and in-laws along too. The more, the better.]

The group went wild.

Uncle Gary: You did well with the arrangements, Apollo.

Aunt Nina: Since you worked so hard for this, I’ll take you up to your offer. I’ll bring my in-laws and children along.

Granduncle: I have a horrible back and can’t sleep on soft beds. Make sure that the mattress is hard.

Uncle Tom: I heard that the capital’s roasted ducks are the best, but you’d have to get the authentic ones. Make the arrangements for it, Apollo.

My expression turned dark.

But Ronald had already said yes to all those demands on my behalf. [Don’t worry. Apollo is a good kid. Just voice whatever requests you have, and he’ll satisfy all of them. Isn’t that right, @Apollo?]

He even tagged me.

He was trying to guilt-trip me, was he not? Dream on!

[That’s not my house, and I never said yes to you staying there. Get a hotel. I’m not an errand boy either. Buy whatever you want to eat on your own.]

The group went silent for a while before Nina tagged Ronald in displeasure.

Aunt Nina: Didn’t you say that everything is already settled? What’s the meaning of this?

Ronald was furious and stopped trying to talk to me. He tagged my parents instead. [@Alicia, @Bob, didn’t you teach your kid manners? We’re a family. Why is he being so fussy?]

The moment I sent the message, I muted my phone and slept in the cab.

When it stopped in front of my run-down residential area, I woke up to pay for the trip back.

When I unlocked my phone, though, I was bombarded with a flood of messages and notifications.

Ninety-nine of them were missed calls from my mother, and one one-minute-long voice message from my father.

When I opened the door, my mother shouted at me, as if she was boiling with resentment, “I called you so many times. Why didn’t you answer? Also, we’re a family! Ronald already asked you for the manor. Why didn’t you just say yes? We’ve always told you to not be so petty since you were a kid!”