My mother noticed my gaze and leaned in, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "Gabriel, think of the apartment as a loan. We wrote an IOU. They're about to get married—we couldn't very well let them sleep on the street, could we?"
I couldn't wrap my head around their logic.
"But that apartment..." My whisper came out harsh. "It was bought with twenty thousand dollars from Grandpa and Grandma, plus the twenty thousand I gave you. I'm dating someone too. Why didn't you consider *my* marriage?"
My father turned to me. His expression hardened into a mask of indifference. "You aren't married yet, are you? Besides, what we're doing is building good karma for you."
——
"Building karma for me?" A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Am I supposed to thank you for giving away my future?"
My mother tried to soothe me. "Gabriel, the apartment can be taken back. Don't worry about it."
"Taken back? How? With a flimsy piece of paper?"
My questions only fueled my father's irritation. He glared at me, eyes dark with warning. "There is a wedding happening right now. Do not cause a scene."