From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent ( Anthea )
Chapter 389

Tanya just couldn't bring herself to face her mother and apologize. She was as stubborn as a mule. Hank, unable to do anything about it, shook his head in resignation and left Tanya's room. Karan was lounging on the living room sofa when Hank emerged, and she couldn't help but ask, "What did that little rebel say?"

"Mom, Tanya's still young. Let's not be too hard on her," Hank replied. "After all, she did this thinking it was for our benefit. Look, she bought gifts for the whole family but didn't get anything for herself."

Karan's expression soured. "She should know her limits! Does she even consider her status? Can a student afford all those things? Spending like this while living with us-what will happen when she goes off to college in Capital City? She'll bleed us dry!"

Hank sighed but didn't argue further, simply saying, "We can have Jane return those things tomorrow. Let's not get upset over it. You should get some rest. I'm heading off to bed too."

Back in his room, Jane was making the bed.

"You're back!" she said.

"Yeah," Hank nodded.

As she continued with the bed, Jane said, "Do you think your sister got possessed or something today? She's never been this generous with us before; she even dipped into her savings. I checked online, and unless there's a quality issue, they won't accept returns. Looks like we're stuck with them!"

Jane had been part of the family for two years now. It was the first time she saw Tanya buying gifts for everyone. Something felt odd about it, but she couldn't pinpoint what exactly. Was their luck turning?

"We can't return them?" Hank was surprised.

"Exactly," Jane continued. "Go check if you don't believe me."

Hank frowned. "No, we have to return them somehow! Mom's going to be upset for days otherwise. How about this: Jane, you go to the store tomorrow alone; don't drag Mom into this. If they refuse, we'll just cover the cost ourselves."

"Cover the cost ourselves?" Jane's voice rose instantly. "Are you out of your mind, Hank? Twenty-eight hundred bucks! Why should we foot the bill for your sister's mistake?"

Saving up for a house, Jane wouldn't even splurge on a haircut. Asking her to cough up twenty-eight hundred dollars was like asking for her life.

"Jane! That's my sister we're talking about!"

Jane was incredulous. "So what? Why should we pay for her mistakes?"

Hank felt frustrated, feeling Jane didn't understand him. Tanya was his sister, after all. "What do you mean 'pay for her mistakes'? We might be paying the twenty-eight hundred, but it's not like we don't keep the stuff." "End of discussion!" Not twenty-eight hundred, Jane wouldn't want to part with even two hundred eighty.

Hank tried to soothe Jane. "Come on, it's just twenty-eight hundred. We can afford it. And didn't you want to buy your mom a nice dress? She and my mom are about the same size. That dress would make her look at least ten years younger!"

Jane scoffed. "My mom's a simple woman. She can't be wearing such an expensive silk dress! It's over seven hundred dollars. She'd have a fit if she knew!"

"Consider it a gift for your mom!" Hank pressed on. "We've been married for nearly eight years, and you haven't bought her anything pricey."

"With that seven hundred, I'd rather get her gold! At least gold appreciates. What's she going to do with a fancy dress? Tanya's nineteen, not nine. She should've thought about the consequences. I'm not cleaning up her mess. If you don't want to argue with me, drop it. I won't agree to this!"

To avoid a row with Jane, Hank had no choice but to drop the subject.

Tanya spent the entire night tossing and turning, waking up early the next morning. Her first order of business was to apologize to Karan.

"Mom, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have snapped at you last night. That was wrong of me! And I shouldn't have wasted money on useless things, but since it's already bought and we can't return it, if you want to yell at me, go ahead."