"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
I stared at this girl—the daughter I'd held in the palm of my hand and raised for seventeen years. I couldn't believe those words had come out of her mouth.
But she stepped closer, her voice dropping so low only I could hear.
"Dad, trust me. Just this once."
"Don't ask questions. Just keep playing the red envelope game."
She'd never asked me for anything like this before.
My heart hammered with uncertainty.
Did she know something I didn't?
I closed my eyes. "Fine. I'll do it."
Arnold's voice shook with barely contained excitement.
"Brother-in-law, you really are the best brother-in-law a man could ask for!"
"As soon as the holiday's over, we'll go house shopping. No backing out!"
My daughter cut him off.
"Uncle Arnold, the game isn't over yet. It's my dad's turn to send a red envelope."
Catching the look in her eyes, I pulled out my phone and sent a red envelope into the group chat.
Seconds ticked by.
The group chat was eerily silent.
After a long pause, the only notification that popped up was my daughter claiming the envelope.
I let out a bitter laugh. "What's this? When it's my turn to send one, suddenly nobody wants to play?"