As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw the living room packed with relatives.

Victor stood in the middle of it all, talking animatedly, practically spraying spit as he bragged.

“Aunt Linda, you have no idea how hard it is to get into the Rivers Group! People line up just hoping for a chance!

“But the moment I walked in, the interviewer spotted my talent. He said people like me are one in a million!

Linda beamed so widely the wrinkles on her face deepened.

“Oh, I’ve always said Victor was a clever child!”

My mother sat nearby, dressed in a brand-new silk dress, smiling so hard she could barely close her mouth.

“Of course he is. Look who he takes after. Our Victor is destined for big things.

“His starting salary might only be about five hundred a month right now, but Mr. Rivers thinks highly of him. He plans to keep Victor close and groom him for management.”

I stood in the entryway, feeling nothing but bitter irony.

Victor’s so-called great job…

That position existed because my boyfriend, Ethan Rivers, had quietly spoken to HR to arrange a spot for him, just to save me the embarrassment of my brother being unemployed.

The role itself was little more than an extra logistics assistant. Anyone with working arms and legs could do it.

Yet in Victor’s telling, it had somehow become proof of his exceptional talent and the boss’ special favor.

Keeping my face cold, I changed my shoes and walked inside.

The lively room fell silent for a few seconds the moment I appeared.

My mother glanced at me, the smile on her face fading slightly. She pointed toward a small stool in the corner.

“You’re here? Sit over there. Perfect timing. We’re about to eat.”

It was an extra seat, far from the main table, the kind of place one’d leave for a servant.

I walked straight up to her and held out my hand.

“Mom, I’m not here for dinner. I’m here to take my money.

“For the past few years, I’ve sent you three thousand every month. That’s about a hundred thousand in total.

“You said you were saving it for my wedding. I need it now. Transfer it back to me.”

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Victor frowned and walked over, his face full of irritation.

“Sis, what are you doing? We’re family. What do you mean your money? Once it comes into this house, it belongs to the family.”

I looked at him coldly.

“Victor, you used my hard-earned money to buy a luxury house, and you still expect me to smile at you?

“There’s half of my money in that house. Either you pay me back, or you add my name to the deed.”

My mother slammed her fork onto the table and stood up.

“Suzy! Have you lost your mind?

“In front of all these relatives, do you have no shame at all? Do you think renovating that house costs nothing? Do you think furniture is free?”

I was trembling with anger.

“That’s my money! Why should it pay for his renovations?”

My mother replied without the slightest hesitation. “Because he’s your brother. Because he carries on the family name.

“You’re the older sister. Helping your brother is only natural.

“And besides, even if that money were given back to you, you wouldn’t be able to keep it. Who knows when some useless man might trick you out of it?”

Linda munched on a potato chip and spoke in a mocking tone.

“Suzy, that’s where you’re wrong. A woman eventually marries into another family. If your brother does well, you’ll have more standing with your in-laws.”

Another aunt chimed in.

“That’s right. I heard you’ve been dating someone for years and still haven’t brought him home. He must be some poor nobody you’re too embarrassed to introduce.

“If that money ends up in an outsider’s hands, that would really be a waste.”

Victor straightened his tie smugly and looked at me with open contempt.

“Sis, I’m just saying… that boyfriend of yours probably doesn’t even have a proper job, right?

“He’s nothing like me. I work for the Rivers Group. That name alone carries weight.

“As for your money, just think of it as an investment in me. Once I make it big, it’s not like I’d let you go hungry.”

To protect these so-called family members, I had always hidden Ethan’s true identity. I only told them he was a regular entrepreneur starting his own business.

And because of that, in their eyes I had become easy prey, while Ethan had turned into some worthless nobody.

“Victor, do you really think you got into the Rivers Group because of your own ability?”

I stared straight into his eyes, speaking slowly, word by word.

Victor froze for a moment, then his face twisted with embarrassment and anger.

“Suzy, stop being jealous! Is it really that hard for you to admit someone else is better than you?

“Someone like you who only knows how to live off a fixed salary—what do you know about working for a major company?”

My mother rushed over and shoved me.

“Get out! If you’re not here to eat, then get out! Stop embarrassing us!”

That shove completely shattered the last bit of attachment I still had to this family.

I staggered back two steps from the shove.

Once I steadied myself, I felt strangely calm.

“Fine. I won’t stay for dinner.”

I took out my phone, turned on the recording function, and held it up in front of them.

“Since you’ve already taken things this far, let me make something clear as well.

“First, that hundred thousand was money I left with Mom for safekeeping. I have the transfer records, and I also have voice messages where Mom admitted she was holding it for me.

“That money counts as unjust enrichment. I will file a lawsuit to recover it.

“Second, Dad’s accident compensation and the redevelopment payment from the old house both count as inheritance and shared family assets.

“As a first-priority heir, I’m entitled to my share. I will be taking that money back as well.”

The room erupted in shock.

The relatives stared at me like I was some kind of monster.

My mother’s face changed instantly. She screamed and lunged at me, trying to grab my phone. “Suzy! You dare sue me? I’m your mother, you ungrateful brat!

“I raised you all those years, and now you want to sue your own mother over money?”

I turned sideways and dodged her swipe, speaking coldly.

“You remember you’re my mother now? When you handed me that two dollars, did you remember I was your daughter? When you spent two million on a house for Victor, did you remember me then?

“You raised me when I was young, and I’ll take care of you when you’re old. That’s fair. But that doesn’t mean I have to support a useless brother, and it certainly doesn’t mean I’ll let you drain me dry.”

When Victor saw that my mother hadn’t managed to grab my phone, he rushed forward as if ready to hit me.

“Damn it, you’ve got some nerve! Causing trouble in my new house? You want me to slap you?”

I didn’t step back. Instead, I took a step forward and stared straight at him.

“Go ahead. Touch me and see what happens. I’ll call the police right now. You just started working at the Rivers Group. Let’s see if they still want you after you get a police record.”

The moment his job was mentioned, Victor backed down.

His raised hand froze in midair as he glared at me through clenched teeth.

“Fine, Suzy. You’re ruthless. For a little money, you’re willing to throw family away.”

“Family?” I let out a cold laugh. “That’s your version of family, not mine. In this house, I’m nothing but an ATM. An outsider.”

My gaze swept across the relatives who had been pointing fingers at me just moments earlier.

“Today, in front of everyone here, I’m formally notifying you. Within three days, transfer the hundred thousand I left with you, along with my share of Dad’s compensation and the redevelopment payment. Every dollar of it.

“Otherwise, the court summons will be mailed straight to Victor’s company.

“And starting today, I’m removing my name from the family registration. From now on, other than the minimum support required by law, I won’t give you another cent.”

After saying that, I didn’t bother looking at their stunned faces. I turned and walked out.

Behind me, my mother’s heart-wrenching cries rang out.

“What kind of curse is this! How did I raise such a monster! Cutting ties with your own mother over two dollars!”

The relatives’ accusations and Victor’s angry shouting blended into a chaotic noise behind me.

I strode out the door and stepped into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, I leaned against the wall of the cabin, and the tears finally fell.

Only now did I truly accept the truth.

My mother had never loved me.

After leaving the building, I took out my phone and called Ethan.

His warm, steady voice came through the line. “Suzy? What’s wrong? Your voice doesn’t sound right.”

Hearing him, the tension I’d been holding finally broke.

“Ethan…” I choked out. “I don’t have a home anymore.”

There was a brief silence before his voice came back, firm and certain.

“Where are you? I’ll come get you. As long as I’m there, you’ll always have a home.”

Three days passed. I didn’t receive a single dollar.

What I did receive were countless insulting messages from my mother, Victor, and those meddling relatives.

I packaged all the evidence and sent it to my lawyer, preparing to file the lawsuit.

Monday arrived, the day of an important partnership meeting with the Rivers Group.

Just before the meeting started, a sudden commotion broke out downstairs.

I walked over to the window and looked down, frowning.

My mother was sitting on the ground, her hair disheveled, crying loudly with tears and snot running down her face. In her hands she held up a sign:

“Suzy York, Executive at Nova Cloud Group. An unfilial daughter who abandoned her sick mother and drove her own brother to despair.”

Victor stood beside her, holding his phone and livestreaming, his voice choked with fake emotion.

“Everyone watching, please tell me if this is fair! My sister works as a director at a big company, earning hundreds of thousands a year, but she refuses to pay a single dollar for our mother’s medical bills!

“My mom saved every penny to help her buy a house, and even when she got sick, she didn’t dare go to the hospital to save money for her!

“And now my sister wants to destroy us. She’s suing us and trying to wipe us out!

“Is this what people call an independent woman? Is this the kind of partner the Rivers Group works with?”

The number of viewers in the livestream shot up rapidly, and the comments were filled with insults directed at me.

Everyone in the conference room turned to look at me.

Some with contempt, some with sympathy, and some simply eager to watch the drama unfold.

My whole body trembled with anger as I strode quickly down to the lobby.

The moment my mother saw me come out, she rushed forward and clutched my legs.

“Suzy! I’m begging you! Please don’t sue us!

“Your brother just got his job. You can’t ruin him! Take the money if you want. It’s the money meant to save my life. Take it all! I won’t get treatment anymore. I’ll just die, okay?”

Her move of playing the victim instantly ignited the crowd’s anger.

“How could you be so heartless?”

“Your mother gave birth to you and raised you, and this is how you repay her? What an ungrateful daughter!”

Victor shoved the phone right up to my face and shouted.

“Suzy! Do you see this? Mom is kneeling and begging you! Do you have any heart at all?”

I took the security guard’s megaphone from nearby.

“Are you done performing yet?

“You say I abandoned you? Last week when you were in the hospital, I was the one paying the medical bills and taking care of everything for you. Where was Victor? He was out house hunting.

“You say I took your life-saving money? That hundred thousand was my salary I left with you! You used my money to buy Victor a house, and now you turn around and accuse me of stealing it?

“And Victor, didn’t you say you were a valued employee at the Rivers Group? Is causing a scene in the company lobby your idea of professionalism?”

Victor’s expression changed, but with the support of the livestream viewers who didn’t know the truth, he stiffened his neck and shouted, “Stop slandering me!

“I got that job through my own ability! You’re the one throwing your money around to bully your own family!”

I let out a cold laugh. “Through your own ability? Fine. Then let’s see if you still have the ability to keep that job after today.”

My mother straightened up, trembling with rage, and raised her hand at me. “You dare ruin your brother’s future!

“Today I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your father, you unfilial daughter!”

The slap came swinging down with force.

I instinctively closed my eyes and tried to dodge.

But a hand caught my mother’s wrist firmly in midair.

The entire lobby fell silent.

I opened my eyes and saw Ethan standing in front of me.

“Mr… Mr. Rivers?” Victor froze on the spot.