Brenda: Arthur, do you hear me? Speak up and tell her to get out!
Arthur: Sit down, Brenda.
Brenda: What did you just say to me?
Arthur: I said sit down and close your mouth.
Brenda scoffed, crossing her arms tightly over her red sleeveless top as she glared at her husband.
Brenda: You are actually letting her talk to me like this in front of our guests?
Susan: Maybe we should head home, Brenda. It looks like you have some family matters to handle.
Brenda: No, Susan, stay right there! I want everyone to see how ungrateful this girl really is!
Maya took a deep breath, smoothing down the front of her white blouse as she looked at the neighbors sitting at the table.
Maya: She called me ungrateful, but for five years, I've had two thousand dollars auto-deducted from my bank account every single month.
Brenda: That's rent! You live in our guest room! You pay rent like any adult tenant would!
Maya: Rent? Two thousand dollars a month for a small bedroom in the back of the house?
Brenda: That is the market rate for this neighborhood! You should be thanking us for letting you stay here!
Maya: The full monthly mortgage payment on this entire property is exactly nineteen hundred and fifty dollars, Brenda.
Brenda hesitated for half a second, her eyes blinking rapidly as she looked over at Arthur.
Brenda: That's completely irrelevant! The house is in our name!
Maya: Is it? Show them the bank statements then.
Brenda: I don't have to show anyone our private financial records!
Maya: Because my name is on the bank transfer confirmation every single month. I pay the lender directly.
Susan: Wait... Brenda, I thought you told us last month that you paid off the house with your inheritance money?
Brenda's face flushed deeper red as she spun around to face Susan.
Brenda: Susan, mind your own business! This is a private matter between me and my husband!
Maya: She lied to you, Susan. She lied to everyone. She's been taking my money and telling Arthur that she was covering the mortgage with her consulting job.
Brenda: That is a complete lie! I have a real consulting job!
Maya: You haven't worked in three years, Brenda. I saw the tax forms on the kitchen counter last week.
Brenda: You went through my personal papers?!
Maya: I didn't have to go through anything. The bank sent a notice of past-due fees because you forgot to transfer my payment on time two months ago.
Brenda: That was an administrative error by the bank!
Maya: No, it wasn't. You took my check, deposited it into your personal account, and used it to buy a designer handbag before paying the lender late.
Susan gasped softly, looking down at the red leather purse sitting on Brenda's patio chair.
Susan: Is that the bag you showed me last Tuesday?
Brenda: Susan, don't listen to her! She's making up stories because she hates me!
Maya: I have the bank statements printed in my room right now. Every single wire transfer from my salary to the mortgage account is logged with time stamps.
Brenda: You spoiled little brat! You think you can come into my backyard and ruin my reputation?!
Brenda stepped closer to Maya again, her hands shaking with rage as she raised her voice to a scream.
Brenda: Get your things and get out of my house before I call the police for trespassing!
Maya: Call them. I'd love to show the officers who actually owns the financial paper trail on this house.
Brenda: You don't own anything here! You are nothing in this family!
Arthur stood up taller, stepping away from the patio table as his heavy footsteps echoed across the concrete tiles.