I brought home eighty dollars’ worth of durian. When my sister-in-law, Lily Ward, saw me, she clutched her stomach and screamed from the couch.

“Ugh, my stomach! Summer, you know I can’t stand that smell. Are you trying to suffocate my baby?”

Before I could even steady myself, my mother, Rosemary Ward, slapped me across the face.

It made me see how much my mother favored my younger brother, Jasper Ward.

When we were children, she always reminded me that he was younger and told me to give him a pass.

I thought things might change after he grew up and got married. Instead, her favoritism only got worse.

“Summer, you jinx! Hurry up and sign over your apartment to Jas to make up for this!”

Watching Jasper pull out a property transfer agreement, I covered my swollen cheek and smiled.

So, this whole act was just to get the apartment I had bought.

“Sure.”

They were delighted to see me agree readily.

However, they failed to consider one thing. I might have willingly given it away, but I wondered if any of them had the nerve to take it.

My cheek was stinging with pain, and my ear was ringing.

The durian rolled out of my hand and fell to the floor.

I covered my face and stared at the woman who had given birth to me, Rosemary.

She had slapped me with all her strength. I could even taste blood at the corner of my mouth.

My voice trembled as I asked, “Mom, what did you do that for?”

I had moved out to avoid disturbing my sister-in-law, Lily, during her pregnancy.

After receiving a bonus today, I wanted to treat them to an expensive durian. Yet, I was struck before I could even enter the house.

Rosemary pointed a finger at me, and her spit sprayed across my face.

“Why did I do that? You have the nerve to ask?! Don’t you know that Lily’s pregnant and she can’t handle strong smells?

“I think you did this on purpose. You’re trying to hurt my grandson!”

I fought back my tears.

“Mom, the doctor said it’s fine if she just doesn’t eat it. I wasn’t going to open it in the living room. I was taking it to my own—”

A sharp scream cut me off. “Shut your mouth!”

Lily, who was lying on the couch, clutched her stomach with both hands. She rolled back and forth as she wailed, “Ow! It hurts so much! Mom, I can’t take it. My stomach is killing me!

“Summer definitely did this on purpose. We all agreed that whoever has a child first inherits everything. She’s afraid that it’ll all go to Jas! She’s trying to hurt me!”

Lily was putting on an intense performance. Her face was flushed, but her voice was strong and clear.

However, Rosemary believed every word.

She grabbed a glass ashtray that was filled with cigarette butts from the coffee table. Without hesitation, she hurled it straight at me.

“You witch! You’re such a cold-hearted monster! If I lose my first grandson, I’ll skin you alive!”

I instinctively dodged it, but the ashtray still grazed my shoulder. It smashed against the wall, and shards of glass were scattered everywhere.

My shoulder throbbed from the sharp pain, and half my body went numb.

Before I could even catch my breath, Jasper, who had been silent earlier, moved.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced my head up. With his other hand, he slammed a sheet of paper onto the coffee table.

It was a property transfer agreement.

[Type of Conveyance: Gift Deed

[Grantee: Jasper Ward]

“Summer, Dad always said this place would be mine once he was gone. You’ve been squatting in it for years. It’s time to hand it back.”

He spoke with a cigarette dangling from his lips. His face was filled with impatience and malice.

“If Lily loses this baby, it’s on you. I’ll sue you. You don’t want a lawsuit, do you?”

He then shoved a pen into my hand. He forced it so hard that the tip pierced my palm.

“Hurry up and sign it. Once you do, we’ll call it even.”

I stared at him. He was two years younger than me.

In the past, I had helped him pay for his wedding, which cost forty thousand dollars. I even paid for the car he was driving, including the insurance, gas, and everything else.

I treasured him deeply, yet he exploited me for every penny.

“I’m not signing.”

With gritted teeth, I threw the pen to the floor.

“That’s my house. I paid the deposit, and I’ve been paying the mortgage. What gives you the right to take it?”

Jasper’s expression darkened.

He slapped me again in the exact same spot.

“You think I’m being nice to you?

“You’re going to get married and leave this family anyway! I’m the only son in the Ward family! Who else is going to get the house if not me?”

When Rosemary heard that I refused to hand over the apartment, she flew into a rage. She rushed over and pinched me hard.

“You’re so ungrateful! Have you lost your mind?!

“I raised you and clothed you all these years! Is it too much to ask you to give your brother a house now?

“I’m the one who gave you life!”

She forcibly grabbed my hand and tried to make me sign.

“Sign it now! If you don’t sign, don’t even think about leaving this house today!”

Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain, but I clenched my jaw and refused to yield.

“Why should I?! It’s my house!”

My eyes burned with fury, and a knot of anger tightened in my chest.

“Jasper is thirty with no real job. He lives off the both of you every single day! I worked my fingers to the bone for this house, and he just expects to have it handed to him? Even if I gave it to him, could he even afford the mortgage?!”

That jab hit Jasper in his sore spot.

Humiliated and enraged, he raised his foot and kicked me square in the stomach.

“You witch! You dare look down on me?

“I’ll kill you!”

The kick sent me stumbling backward. My lower back slammed into the sharp corner of the TV console, and I felt a sharp pain.

My forehead also struck the cabinet door. Warm liquid soon began to trickle down.

It was my blood.

It flowed into my eyes and painted my vision a deep, blinding red.

When Lily saw what happened to me, she raised an eyebrow in annoyance. Then, she began waving her arms and shouting from the couch, “Ugh, blood! That’s disgusting!

“Mom, hurry up and get her out of here! Don’t let her frighten my baby!”

Hearing this, Rosemary became even more ruthless. She slapped and hit me from both sides.

“Sign the papers and get out! Now!”

I was forced into a corner with no retreat.

My body ached all over, but my heart hurt even more.

I looked at the durian on the floor, and fierce determination surged from within me.

I violently shoved Rosemary aside and grabbed the durian. Ignoring how its spines pierced my palm, I lifted it high over my head.

“Come on, then!” I roared. My voice was hoarse and hostile.

“Take one more step, and I’ll smash your head in! We can all go down together!”

Rosemary was frightened, and she shrank back timidly.

Jasper was stunned as well, and the house instantly fell silent.

Lily backed away in fear but accidentally tumbled off the couch.

This time, her face turned pale. She clutched her stomach and panicked.

“Quick! Get me to a hospital!”

Rosemary snapped back to her senses and spat viciously, “Fine, Summer. You and I will settle this later.”

She turned to help Lily up. “Jas, hurry up and call 911!

“We need to get Lily to the hospital! Saving my precious grandson is all that matters!”

Jasper fumbled for his phone to make the call.

While the three of them fell into chaos, they stopped sparing me another glance.

Still holding the durian high, I leaned against the wall and gasped for air.

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was overwhelming.

I sat on the bench outside the emergency room with a piece of gauze taped to my forehead.

The doctor said the wound was not deep, but it might leave a scar.

I did not care.

I stood up and shuffled toward the payment counter.

As I passed the doctor’s office, I heard familiar voices through the slightly open door.

“Thanks, Luc. I owe you a meal.”

It was Lily’s voice, and it was tinged with satisfaction.

“The fake ultrasound looked so real. That idiot sister-in-law of mine must’ve been scared stiff.”

Then, a man replied, “It was nothing. But this is really risky, Lily. If anyone finds out—”

“Who’s going to find out? She’s my own sister and a total doormat.” Jasper snorted.

“All Mom has to do is turn on the waterworks and make a scene, and she’ll fold. It works every time.”

Next came Rosemary’s voice.

“This miscarriage story is the perfect chance to get that apartment from her.

“Once we sell it, we’ll split the profit fifty-fifty.”

As I stood outside the door, I felt my hands and feet turn cold.

So, it was all a scheme.

My entire family had meticulously laid a trap just for me.

I fished out my phone with trembling hands and recorded the last few sentences of their conversation.

Then, I put my phone away and quickly left.

As soon as I reached the nurses’ station, Rosemary rushed out. She grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to the center of the hospital’s lobby.

The hospital was crowded at this hour, so people who were coming and going all stopped to watch.

Rosemary dropped to her knees with a loud thud.

She held a sonogram showing signs of a threatened miscarriage in one hand. With the other, she slapped her thigh and began to wail, “What kind of person does this? Everyone, judge for yourselves!

“She caused her own sister-in-law to lose her baby, and now, she won’t even pay for the hospital bills!

“Summer, how could you be so heartless?”

People around us started pointing and whispering, “She appears decent. How could she be so cruel?”

“Never judge a book by its cover. How could she harm her own sister-in-law?”

Seeing the crowd gather, Rosemary’s performance became more dramatic. She crawled over and hugged my legs, which smeared snot and tears all over my pants.

“Sunny, I’m begging you. Please just pay the bills.

“That’s your own nephew!

“If you don’t pay, I’ll kill myself right here!”

She made a slow, exaggerated move to ram into the wall. She was clearly waiting for someone to stop her.

Right then, a deep voice came from outside the crowd. “Summer?”

I froze before turning to see my direct superior, Harry Landon.

He was wearing a black trench coat and holding a registration slip in his hand. He looked at me with a frown.

I had feelings for him, and no one wanted to be seen by their crush at their lowest.

My face turned bright red, and I hung my head low. I did not want him to see me.

Realizing that someone knew me, Rosemary shifted her target. Judging by his clothes, he seemed like a wealthy person.

“You’re Sunny’s supervisor, aren’t you? You have to help us out here!

“This wretched girl caused her sister-in-law’s miscarriage, and she refuses to pay for the treatment!”

Harry raised an eyebrow skeptically. He ignored Rosemary and looked at me instead.

“What happened?”

I bit my lip. Just as I was about to speak, Rosemary cut me off.

“Sir!” She grew frantic.

“This ungrateful girl earns thousands of dollars a month, but she won’t even cover the medical bills after causing her brother’s wife to lose the baby! She’s ruthless!”

Her tone was harsh, and as she spoke, she pinched my arm. Harry’s expression instantly turned cold, and his frown deepened.

“I’m not asking for much. Just fourteen thousand dollars will do!”

Fourteen thousand dollars?!

I stared at Rosemary’s greedy expression and found the whole thing laughable.

Just moments ago, it was seven hundred dollars. It had suddenly become fourteen thousand dollars.

So, she loved playing the guilt card, huh? Did she really enjoy scheming against me and playing the victim that much?

Well, I could do that too.

I turned my tear-streaked face to show the wound on my forehead. Then, I took out my phone and transferred seven hundred dollars to Rosemary.

“Mom, I really don’t have more than this.”

My eyes were teary, and my voice was choked.

“This was supposed to be for my mortgage next month. You can hit me all you want, but I can’t give you another cent.”

Rosemary’s phone chimed with a notification.

She had received seven hundred dollars in her bank account.

Dissatisfied with the amount, she slapped the phone out of my hand. The screen shattered, but I simply looked at her with pitiful eyes.

“Seven hundred dollars? Are you trying to tip a panhandler?

“If you don’t have money, sell your body!

“What’s a face like yours for if not to catch a man’s eye?

“Wasn’t there some tycoon who wanted to be your sugar daddy before? Go look for him!”

The entire room erupted in gasps.

In my mind, I thought that no other mother in this world would probably force her daughter into prostitution right in front of a crowd.

I bent down and picked up my phone. It was totally shattered.

“Okay.”

Harry took a large step forward but stopped abruptly.

Right then, I dropped all pretense of weakness, and my expression became frighteningly calm.

“Since you’re so set on me selling myself, I’ll make sure I sell high.”

I turned to leave after I was done talking.

However, I could hear Rosemary yelling at me from behind, “You wretched girl!

“I don’t give a damn if you have to sell your body or a kidney. Get the money by today. No excuses!”

When I walked out of the hospital, the wind was bitterly cold.

I did not go to work or a friend’s house. Instead, I returned to that house.

While they were all at the hospital, no one was home.

I stepped over the mess in the living room and went straight to my bedroom.

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze.

My bed was gone. In its place stood a massive gaming chair and a set of expensive computer equipment.

The walls were plastered with gaming posters, while the floor was piled with Jasper’s dirty clothes and smelly socks.

Several empty beer bottles sat on a pile of my books in the corner. My treasured figurines were also being used as Jasper’s ashtrays.

My room had been converted into Jasper’s gaming room!

I rushed to the wardrobe and yanked it open. It was empty.

All my clothes, bags, and skincare products were gone.

Finally, I saw several black trash bags beside the bin on the balcony.

They contained all my clothes. Some had been cut to shreds, while others had been splattered with paint.

A picture frame with a portrait of my late father lay on top.

The glass was shattered, and the frame was broken. My father’s kind, smiling face had been scratched up.

Worst of all, it was covered in thick globs of spit.

I knelt on the floor and wiped away all the filth with my trembling hands. I then clutched the funeral portrait to my chest as I sobbed uncontrollably.

How could Jasper do this?

This was his father too.

Even on his deathbed, Dad was still thinking of them. His final words were for me to take good care of him and Mom.

They were truly heartless!

Shards of glass pierced my fingers and made me bleed, but I did not feel any pain.

Instead, I felt a bone-deep chill.

“Dad...”

I dried my tears and carefully wiped the portrait clean before placing it in my bag.

Sorry, Dad. I could not keep the promise I made to you.

People like them did not deserve my continued forbearance. I planned on driving them out!

I stood up and pulled out three pinhole cameras from a hidden compartment in my bag.

Stepping onto a stool, I installed the first camera in a gap in the living room’s TV box and aimed it directly at the couch.

I installed the second one under the computer desk in what had become Jasper’s game room.

As for the third, I entered Rosemary’s bedroom and mounted the camera atop the wardrobe. It was pointed straight at the bed.

After installing all of them, I took out my phone and connected to the app. The video feed was clear, and the audio was distinct.

Once this was done, I prepared to leave.

Just then, my phone vibrated with a voice message from Jasper. “Lily wants to have some brisket tonight. Get the fattiest ones you can find. Cook some chicken soup made from a hen. She needs to eat well.”

He sounded so entitled.

They were certain that I would yield as I always had and return to be their servant.

Not this time.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and forced a smile, although it looked off-putting.

Then, I typed a brief reply, [Okay.]

After sending the message, I slipped the phone into my pocket.

‘You showed no mercy, so don’t expect any from me.

‘I’ll cook one last grand “feast” for all of you.’

...

When I came home with groceries at 7 p.m., Rosemary was waiting for me at the door.

She smiled at me and said, “Sunny, you’re home! Come in, sweetie. Let me get your slippers.”

She eagerly took the groceries from my hands as if she had not just slapped me and tried to force me into prostitution that very afternoon.

Her sudden kindness could only mean that she wanted something.

Jasper was sitting on the couch playing video games.

Meanwhile, Lily was lounging on the chaise. She was eating grapes and spitting the seeds all over the floor.

“Summer, you’re taking forever. I’m starving!”

I changed my shoes without a word and walked into the kitchen.

I remained calm as I waited for their next scheme.

Rosemary followed me.

“Sunny, let me help you with that.”

As she washed the vegetables, she kept glancing at me.

“Look... About earlier, don’t think too much of it. I was just stressed out and not myself.

“Just sign the apartment over to Jas, and everything will be fine between us again.”

Since the hard approach did not work, she was trying the soft one.

I stopped cutting the meat and softly replied, “I’ll think about it.”

“Really?

“That’s more like it! We’re family. What’s yours is ours.”

She then bustled around the kitchen and hummed a little tune to herself.

Unlike her, I was not cheerful. Instead, I felt a growing sense of dread as I observed her out of the corner of my eye.

Sure enough, while ladling some chicken soup, she secretly pulled out a small packet of white powder from her pocket. Then, she poured its contents into a bowl.

It was my bowl.

I pretended not to notice and continued cooking, but my heart sank.

She carried the bowl out and said with a smile, “Hurry up with the cooking. We’re waiting for you to eat together.”

Were they trying to poison me?

No. They were probably not that foolish.

My surveillance app vibrated in my pocket, and I unlocked my phone.

Rosemary and Jasper were on the living room couch, and they were speaking in low voices. “Mom, did you get the stuff?”

“Got it. It’s from the vet clinic, and it’s strong.”

“Is that cripple, Wallace, really paying forty-two thousand dollars?”

“He’s an engineer. He’s loaded! Once we drug her and get her to sleep with him, she’ll have no choice but to marry him.

“We’ll take some photos to keep as leverage. That’ll make sure she behaves.”

So, that was it.

They had found a crippled contractor in his fifties who was willing to pay forty-two thousand dollars to buy me as a bride.