Chapter 5 - The Spreadsheet
David tried to end the confrontation before his family heard too much.
“We’ll discuss this later.”
“No,” Victoria said. “I want to know why Chloe is humiliating everyone.”
I turned the laptop toward them.
The spreadsheet showed one full year of household spending.
Mortgage.
Taxes.
Insurance.
Utilities.
Repairs.
Groceries.
Family meals.
Transfers to David’s relatives.
Each payment was linked to a statement or receipt.
My total contribution was more than six times David’s.
Victoria stared at the screen.
“That can’t be right.”
David spoke too quickly.
“We divided things differently.”
“How?” I asked.
He could not answer.
Ryan looked at the family-support section.
“Why is my rent on there?”
“Because I paid it.”
“David said he helped us.”
“He sent me your landlord’s information. The transfer came from my account.”
Sarah placed the empty container on the counter.
“The school supplies too?”
“Yes.”
Victoria’s face reddened.
“What about my prescriptions?”
“Mine.”
She turned toward David.
“You told me you paid for those.”
David looked at me as if I had betrayed him by presenting records.
“You didn’t have to embarrass me.”
“You announced that you supported me.”
“That was between us.”
“You repeated it to them.”
Victoria tried to recover her authority.
“Whatever the numbers say, a wife should not keep score.”
“A family should not require one person to pay for everyone while insulting her for it.”
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Then I opened a second file.
That was the one David had not expected.
