Puppets of the Pop-ups

go. I had to try to make her see reason, even if th

her phone, a smug look on her face. The pop-ups above

omething. Stay ale

pposite her. "We need to talk abo

yed. "What about it

lly calculate it then. If you want to treat this l

first eighteen, you were a minor, and we were legally obligated to suppo

: *"Warning! She's trying to manip

, is probably around a thousand dollars a month, conservatively," I continued, writing

yes widene

ich we still cover. The groceries you eat. The wear and tear on the house. If we're going to b

diculous! You're my parents! Yo

's being a calculating b

d her. "You can't have it both ways. You can't demand payment from us like

led, jumping up. "You're being petty and ho

renzy now, a chaotic sw

g your character

e one who'

f there! Sh

g. "I'm trying to show you how unreasonable this is.

ou," she whispered, and the words, though quiet, fe

ain, convincing her that my attempt at logic was an attack. I could see

und me. He'd he

e asked, his face

attempt to re

thinning hair. "Sarah, maybe you shouldn't h

he's demanding thousands of dollars for 'positive househol

"But maybe if we just... give her a little something? To smoot

ive thousand dollars! And it made things worse! Don't you see? Givi

just want peace i

nd it by letting her walk all over us. Those pop-ups, they're telling her she'

change. He'd always choose the path of least resistance, even if

e, they were tearing our whole family apar