"It's my own bonus. Why should I use it to enroll Yara in a tutorial class?"

"Am I crazy or are you crazy?"

I said in a cold voice, with anger in my eyes.

But my mother was blinded by money and couldn't sense my emotions at all.

When she heard my question, her face darkened and a flash of anger appeared in her eyes.

"You've gone too far! Do you deserve the 20-thousand-dollar tutorial class? Even if a professor from Stanford tutors you, it can't change the fact that you are an idiot!"

"Your father and I worked hard to raise you, but you've become rebellious before even becoming an adult. Look at yourself in the mirror! Go dream!"

She was always so superior to me and dad, as if Dad and I weren't her family, but her shame.

In the past, I put up with it all so Dad wouldn't be reprimanded by her.

But in the end, it caused my father to be diagnosed with late-stage uremia and cost him his life.

I would never give in this time!

Looking at her angry face, I spoke sternly, "You raised me? You need to understand that you raised Yara and Dad raised me! Dad has never raised his voice at home all these years just because you said Yara was poor and grew up without a mother. Every time he expresses his opinion, you say he was heartless, unsympathetic, and not a human being!"

"You brainwashed him step by step, making him now even accustomed to prioritizing everything related to the Lopez family!"

Hearing me ruthlessly stating the facts over the years, embarrassment flashed across Mom's face.

Turning her head with even more anger, she looked at Dad with a gaze that looked like it was hardened with poison.

"Your daughter has been spoiled by you like this. Why do you keep silent?"

My dad looked at me with a puzzled and bewildered expression.

He couldn't understand how his once obedient daughter suddenly became so bad-tempered.

But Dad, if I was not like this, I couldn't protect you and myself.

Mom angrily rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush towards me, but was stopped by Dad.

She pointed at me so angrily that her fingers trembled.

"Bitch, I knew you were just like your dad! Now that you're almost an adult, you don't have any sympathy at all! Mr. Lopez takes care of his daughter alone and Yara is so sensible. He's young and his waist is bent from exhaustion. Your father is as strong as a young man but you want to give him a physical examination!"

"You won't know what human nature means if I don't teach you a lesson! You've always been at the bottom of the class. How many times have I been called to school by your teachers? You've made me lose face, and now you want to spend 20 thousand dollars on tutorial class. What did you do long ago?"

As she spoke, she occasionally glanced at my dad, the implication was particularly obvious.

She pretended to be unsteady on her feet, swaying her body and constantly patting herself to calm down.

The wrinkles on my dad's face tightened together in anxiety.

He turned his head and asked me to quickly go into the room.

But my mom, as if seizing the opportunity to have the upper hand, angrily said, "You tell me. Compare yourself and Mr. Lopez, do you think you need a physical examination? You're as strong as a bull!"

"Isn't it because you have a good body that I married you? Otherwise..."

I couldn't hear the words that followed, but I could guess what my mother wanted to say.

The neighbor said that a long time ago, my mother loved Mr. Lopez.

But my grandparents disagreed and they forced my mother to marry my father.

I didn't expect that after so many years, they would meet again.

I looked at the photos from childhood to adulthood in the bedroom for a long time.

In every photo, there was only my father's approving and loving gaze.

It was like my mom had disappeared from my childhood.

Even the only photo of Mom and Dad together only showed Mom's side face.

My tears fell on the plastic cover of the photo album, and my heart was filled with bitterness.

My father was once again driven out of the house by my mother.

When I heard his humble plea in the corridor, my revengeful gaze became even more determined.

But at this moment, my phone rang.

It was a message from my dad.

He always played the role of a peacemaker.

[Lucy, I know you're a good kid. How about letting Mr. Lopez go for this physical examination? My company organizes physical examinations regularly, and I am in good health!]

Dad's message made me want to cry.

His company indeed organized physical examinations, but he was too busy working and never had time to go.

He not only worked to support me and my mom, but my mom secretly gave his salary to the Lopez family.

Dad knew all of this, but for the sake of the family, he chose to endure it alone.

In the morning when the sun was just coming up, I secretly opened the door to let Dad come in.

To force my mom to reveal her true colors, I contacted the tutorial agency the next day and was ready to pay.

When my mom heard me making a phone call, she actually smashed the kitchen knife in her hand heavily.

If I hadn't been paying attention to her movements all the time, I was afraid I would have died here before I could donate a kidney to my dad.

I clenched my hand tightly, and she changed to another kitchen knife and walked out angrily, saying, "I warn you not to have any illusions! Give me the 20 thousand dollars for your registration and the 20 thousand dollars you spent on your dad! I have a use for it!"

Dad witnessed all this and was scared out of his wits.

"Polly, what are you doing?!"

Dad quickly got up from the sofa and rushed to me, asking my mom angrily after making sure I was okay.

I think it was the first time my dad had ever got angry at home, and my mum's face instantly went dark.

"Half of the money my daughter earns belongs to me. Don't I have the right to use it?"

I glared at her, "You have half of the profits, provided that you put in half of the effort. Didn't you always have high hopes for Yara? Didn't she give you money?"

My mother stared at me, wishing she could rush over and tear me apart, but she let my father speak for her.

But this time, even my father remained silent and chose to stand by my side.

She said angrily, "Fine, fine, fine! I am the outsider in this family. I'll just leave!"

She left swiftly, without taking anything with her.

But I knew she wouldn't give up this money.

After my father stood firm for a moment, he instantly became dejected and his tone was filled with regret.

He tried to call Mom several times to apologize, but I stopped him.

I knew very well that she didn't walk away at all. She lived in Mr. Lopez's house next door.

This time she used the name of her fight with my dad to work as a nanny next door.

Dad was in a daze for several days, but there was no news of Mom.

When I was in school, I saw Yara become more and more complacent. I heard from classmates that her family had already reserved a 20-thousand-dollar worth of tutorial class with a famous teacher, and she had to pay tomorrow.

When the time was right, I told Dad about Mom's whereabouts.

Dad rushed home immediately after work that afternoon, but he didn't expect to encounter a scene that made him collapse in the hallway!