"You're making it look like I owe you money! Now you're even asking me to lend you some more?" Lila was completely dumbfounded. "You've taken all my money. I have nothing left. Go to someone else!"
She was telling the truth. She didn't have a penny to her name.
"I don't believe you!" Jeff shot back.
He raised his head and shouted at Eva, who was in her room, "Mom, Lila claims to have no money! She just wants us to be killed by the debt collectors!"
Hearing this, Eva and Glenn rushed out of the room at once.
"You told her?" Eva hissed through gritted teeth. Then, she put on a flattering smile and turned to Lila. "Could you just lend Jeff some money? We're all family anyway, right? You can't possibly just watch your brother suffer."
These people were driving Lila nuts. She shouted hysterically, "But I really have no money!"
Eva paused for a few seconds and then said, "Ask the Whites for some money then. We have to deal with the debt collectors."
"Why should I help him? He's the one in debt, not me!" Lila sneered. Eva was obviously partial to her son.
Eva frowned unhappily. She clicked her tongue and said, "What're you talking about? We're a family. We share everything, including our troubles."
They shared troubles? It was obvious that Lila alone had shouldered all the troubles.
"I can't go to the Whites. I've cut ties with them." Lila felt too ashamed to go to her former family. "If Jeff can't pay off his debt, the debt collectors will never leave us alone! Our lives are in your hands now, Lila! You have to fix this!" Eva was done playing nice with Lila.
"You... You—!" Lila was speechless. These people were crazy!
*******
In the end, Lila had no choice but to come crawling back to the White family.
After explaining her plight to Johanna and Beal, they gave her three million for the sake of their history.
Lila returned home and begrudgingly handed the check to Jeff. "This is the last time I'm helping you!"
Jeff took the check and thanked her with a smile.
But things didn't end there.
Not long after Jeff left with the money, he returned home without a penny left. He knelt down in front of Lila and burst into tears.
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