Chapter 2

For the past three years, she’d had full access to my bank account. She called it “handling our finances together,” but I had to report every major expense I spent to her first.

And now she was turning around and accusing me of hiding money.

[ Ding! Received 200 Malice Points from Lily Foster. Cashback of $20,000 has been credited. ]

I looked at the cashback notification on my phone and felt a hint of irony.

“Whether I’ve been hiding money or not, you’d know better than anyone.”

“Drop the attitude! Aaron, I’m telling you, if you want to be with me, you have to be honest! You’d better explain where that money came from!”

“A friend lent it to me.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue.

“Which friend? Since when do you have friends with that kind of money?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

I hung up.

[ Ding! Received 400 Malice Points from Lily Foster. Cashback of $40,000 has been credited. ]

Nice.

Just like that, my bank balance had already passed $60,000.

My mom’s surgery went well.

To make sure she received better care, I used the cashback money to upgrade her to a private VIP room.

At first, she didn’t want to, but I talked her into it with a few words.

“Mom, money comes and goes. Your health is what matters.”

After settling everything, I stepped out of the room and ran straight into Lily.

She was clearly here to confront me, with her clingy little brother Marcus trailing behind her.

“Aaron!”

The moment she saw me, she strode over. Then her eyes landed on the VIP room sign behind me, widening instantly.

“You… you put your mom in a VIP room?”

Her voice was full of disbelief.

“Do you know how much that costs per day? Have you lost your mind?”

[ Ding! Received 160 Malice Points from Lily Foster. Cashback of $16,000 has been credited. ]

“See? I told you something was off with him,” Marcus chimed in.

Marcus fanned the flames from the side. “Funny how you’re always stingy with my sister, but suddenly generous enough for a VIP room. That money’s definitely shady.”

[ Ding! Received 100 Malice Points from Marcus Foster. Cashback of $10,000 has been credited. ]

I looked at the two of them and couldn’t help thinking they were like walking ATMs.

“I’m spending my own money. What’s the problem?”

“Your money?”

Lily let out a sharp laugh. “Your money is my money. We’re about to get married—everything you have is marital property. If you keep spending like this, how are we supposed to live?”

The same old argument.

“We’re not married yet,” I reminded her.

“And besides, haven’t we always kept our finances separate? I spend my money. What does that have to do with you?”

I threw her own words back at her, exactly as she had said them before.

Lily’s expression instantly darkened.

“You… you’re comparing yourself to me? When I spend money on a car, it’s an investment. It helps my brother keep up appearances so he can close deals. And you? You’re wasting money on something this pointless!”

[ Ding! Received 300 Malice Points from Lily Foster. Cashback of $30,000 has been credited. ]

Spending money on my own mother was a waste.

Buying her brother a Ferrari was an investment.

She was the only one who could say that kind of irrational logic out loud.

I couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. I turned and started to walk away.