Chapter 2

As soon as I entered the house, Neil texted me.

Neil: [Ruby is inviting her classmates over for a party at 7 PM. Remember to clean up before they come.]

This was Neil's way of giving me an out. He always acted superior and showed his ‘forgiveness’ commandingly. He was pretending as if he had never blocked me, locked me out, or ignored me.

In the past, I would have started cleaning the house and decorating right away. Now, I just glanced at the message briefly and threw my phone aside.

I had just finished packing my luggage when I heard the door being pushed open outside.

"Don't worry. That old hag always listens to my brother. She must’ve already decorated..." My sister-in-law Ruby Young's boasting statements stopped abruptly.

I did not stop folding my clothes.

I could imagine Ruby's confusion and subsequent anger because not only was the house not carefully decorated, but it was not even at a basic level of cleanliness.

My phone rang.

The next second, Ruby burst into the bedroom and glared at me, her voice shrill. "Ellie Montana! What's the meaning of this? Didn't you know I was bringing friends over tonight?"

I placed my clothes on my lap and calmly looked up at Ruby.

I had supported her college tuition, living expenses, and allowance over the years through my salary. I never bought more than a few new clothes for myself throughout the year, yet I always granted her every wish—hundreds of dollars' worth of perfume, thousands of dollars' worth of designer shoes...

After she complained that I never read my text messages and was slow at transferring money, I even gave her a supplementary card.

I had been with Neil for seven years and poured my heart and soul into supporting Ruby for seven years. In the end, all I got in return was her calling me an ‘old hag’ in front of other people.

My heart felt like it had been turned into ice, weighing down heavily on my chest.

Suddenly, I found it all meaningless and scoffed. My tone was more indifferent than ever before. "I know. So what? This is Neil's and my house. What are you yelling at me for?"

Ruby had never been treated this way before. She was momentarily speechless with shock.

The classmates behind her sensed the awkward atmosphere and exchanged glances.

"Ruby, how about we come over another day?"

Ruby finally snapped out of her daze and glared at me fiercely. "Let's go! Let's go out for some burgers, my treat! It’s better than staying home and having to put up with some people's bad attitudes!"

The door slammed shut with a bang.

I took out my phone and froze Ruby’s supplementary card without hesitation.

Since I was not going to tolerate her any longer, there was no reason for her to spend my money.

That night, I showered early, locked my bedroom door, and went to sleep.

At midnight, someone pounded loudly on my bedroom door.

I woke up with a start, frowning as I opened the door.

Ruby stood in the doorway, glaring at me and yelling, "Ellie, what the hell did you do?! Why did you cancel my card? Do you know how embarrassed I was just now?"

Suppressing my rage at being woken up, I stared icily at her. "Get this through your head. That card is mine! Why should I let you spend my money? Don't you know how much I've supported you, your brother, and even your grandmother all these years? What right do you have to yell at me like this?"

Ruby was rendered speechless by my barrage of questions. Her face turned a deep scarlet. "Just wait and see! I'll ask my brother to divorce you!"

She threatened me, turned around, and ran back to the guest room, slamming the door shut.

The world fell silent again, but I was no longer sleepy.

I picked up my phone, and an unread text message caught my eye.

It was a payment reminder from the top-tier nursing home where Neil's grandmother lived. It informed me that the renewal payment was due in seven days.

Grandma had specifically requested this nursing home, which cost $2,000 a month. My monthly salary was only around $3,000, yet Neil's grandmother insisted, threatening death if I did not comply.

I had no choice but to give in.

With the remaining $1,000, I had to cover household expenses and Ruby's costs, leaving myself with very little.

Neil had always kept his salary for himself, never contributing a single penny to the family.

Thinking about it now, I was the only one in the family who had been struggling financially.

I promptly unlinked my card from the automatic payments and set it to stop receiving such notifications.

This family was a bunch of ingrates. I would let them make someone else their doormat. I was done!