Awkward, Super Awkward

In an effort to defuse the tension and divert her brother's attention, Lucy suggested, "Brother, let's discuss all of this after you've had some rest. It seems like Sister-in-law and Mia are also exhausted." With a subtle gesture, she indicated for Henry to assist with the luggage. "Henry, could you please help by taking the luggage and putting it in my room?" 

Turning towards her sister-in-law and niece, Lucy added, "You two should go and rest in my room, and Brother, you can relax in Evelyn's room." Her brother, insisting that he wasn't too tired, declined the offer. "No need, I'm fine. I'll just sit on the sofa for a while and catch up on some news. Eva and Mia should rest now." 

Lucy simply nodded in agreement, understanding her brother's preference. Henry, taking the lead, began to carry the luggage towards Lucy's room, with the mother and daughter following closely behind. 

As Henry walked, the sound of Lucy's brother settling down on the sofa and flipping through channels until he landed on a news channel reached his ears. Carrying the luggage, Henry pondered silently, "So Lucy's sister-in-law's name is Eva, and her niece is Mia. But what about Lucy's brother? What's his name?" Reflecting on the earlier encounter, he mused, "He seemed to take an immediate disliking to me. I wonder if he's always this grumpy and annoying, or if his mood was just soured by the incident on the road." 

Once they reached the room, Henry placed the luggage down. He looked back and saw that both Eva and Mia looked quite tired, understandable given that both were pregnant. He said, "Here you go. If you need anything else, just let me know." 

Eva smiled appreciatively, "Thank you, Henry. That's very kind of you." 

Mia, looking exhausted but polite, also thanked him before they both settled into the room to rest. Henry quietly left and headed back to the living room, planning to go directly to his own room to avoid any further interaction with Lucy's brother. 

As he entered the living room, he was about to head upstairs when Evelyn called out to him from behind. "Where are you going? I think there wasn't any formal introduction between you and my brother. Come here and introduce yourself; otherwise, how will my brother know how good you are?" 

Henry hesitated but knew it would be rude to ignore Evelyn's request, so he turned back. 

He had planned to make a brief introduction and then retreat to his room, but things didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped. Now, five minutes later, he found himself sitting beside Lucy's brother, all thanks to Evelyn's insistence. His original plan to not only take a break but also avoid Lucy's grumpy brother was foiled. 

After introducing himself, he intended to slip away quietly. However, Evelyn had other ideas. She stopped him, insisting that it was inappropriate to leave without properly attending to their guest. This led to the current situation where Henry was seated next to the very man he wanted to avoid. Lucy's brother, who had been eyeing him suspiciously. Henry sat there, feeling the weight of the uncomfortable silence, trying to make the best of an awkward situation. 

Despite the awkwardness, the introduction gave Henry some useful information about Lucy's brother. Matthew Parker was his name, and he worked at BMG Global in the sales department. Matthew held the position of Group A head of the sales department, which indicated he had a significant role and likely earned a substantial salary. This revelation confused Henry, as Matthew had previously mentioned allowing Lucy to rent out rooms due to job difficulties. Given Matthew's impressive job title, Henry found it hard to believe that he couldn't financially support his sister. 

Henry's curiosity was piqued, but he decided against asking any probing questions. He still felt uncomfortable around Matthew, who seemed to scrutinize him with every glance. The tension in the room was palpable, and Henry tried his best to maintain a polite demeanor, despite his unease. 

Evelyn also sat beside them on another sofa, pretending to watch the news. Henry knew Evelyn wasn't particularly interested in the news; her presence was purely to ease his discomfort. She frequently asked questions to both Matthew and Henry, trying to create an environment where Henry could feel more at ease and possibly engage in conversation with her brother. Despite Evelyn's efforts, both men seemed disinterested in talking to each other, leading to long stretches of awkward silence. The only breaks in this silence were when they answered Evelyn's occasional questions. 

Evelyn soon realized that her attempts to get the two men to converse were futile. Resigned, she settled into watching the news silently beside them. The atmosphere grew even more awkward, with the only sound in the room coming from the television as the news anchor droned on. The silence between the trio was palpable, and the room felt heavy with unspoken words and tension. 

Henry listened to the news quietly, but his mind was preoccupied with the new information he had gleaned from Evelyn's questions and comments. The mystery behind Matthew's job difficulties became clear. Matthew's wife, Eva Hughes, was also a working woman employed in the same company but in a different department. While Matthew was in sales, Eva worked in marketing. Their daughter, Mia, had joined the same company a year ago in the marketing department after graduating. 

Henry learned about the financial difficulties Matthew's family faced. The company they worked for had changed ownership last year due to a financial crisis. The previous owner had failed to pay employees for several months, and the new owner continued delaying the due salaries. After the new owner appointed a new CEO, the company began a massive layoff. Both Matthew and Eva lost their jobs during this layoff, and worse, their unpaid salaries were postponed indefinitely. 

Their financial troubles were compounded by a debt they had incurred from a bank loan for their house. To cover the bank interest, they had used their savings, assuming they would eventually receive their back pay. However, with the layoffs and unpaid salaries, they found themselves in a dire situation. This explained why Matthew had initially allowed Lucy to rent out rooms in the house despite his current good position in the company.