Chapter 1

The dining table had gone silent.

"Son, come with me."

Mom led me to the backyard and pushed open the storage shed. In the corner, more than a dozen cases of identical premium liquor bottles sat stacked neatly. Some of the boxes were already damp and moldy, while others were covered in spiderwebs.

These were the New Year gifts I had asked my wife, Zoe Steele, to arrange over the past three years.

"Wh-What is all this?" My voice came out hoarse. My throat was tight.

Mom sighed. "The first year you sent them back, your father was thrilled. He called your uncles over to celebrate with a drink.

"But the moment he poured the liquor, everyone's face fell. Your father refused to believe it. He insisted his taste was off and opened another bottle. The result was the same."

She was crying again. "After that, every New Year and holiday, you kept sending liquor back. Your father was terrified of hurting you, of embarrassing you in front of everyone, so he never said a word.

"He hid all these bottles here and told everyone he was saving them for special occasions. People in the village have been talking behind our backs, saying you made it big in the city and learned to deceive your own parents."

My hands were shaking. The bottle I held dug painfully into my palm.

However, Zoe had told me this liquor came from special factory connections. She said she had pulled strings to get it. How could it be fake?

If this liquor was fake, then where had the hundred thousand dollars I gave her each year for New Year gifts actually gone?

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to smash something. I pulled out my phone and dialed Zoe's number.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently turned off."

She told me she was working today. Why would her phone be off?

I suddenly remembered that for the past few years, she had suggested we each return to see our own families for the New Year. She claimed she wanted to spend more time with her parents. In three years of marriage, we had never once spent New Year's Eve together.

When I returned to the dining table and saw my parents' cautious, guilt-filled eyes, something twisted in my chest.

I forced a smile. "Dad, Mom, this is my fault. We were trying to save money. We found an unreliable merchant and got scammed with fake goods.

"Don't worry, I'll get a refund and make sure to send you the real thing."

After finally settling my parents down for the night, I called Zoe again. This time it connected.

From the other end came the sound of cards shuffling and a man's rough laughter.

"I won! Pay up!"

Then came Zoe's impatient voice. "What do you want, Edgar? I'm busy. I have a pile of reports to fill out. This is driving me crazy."

My knuckles turned white around the phone. I took a deep breath. "Nothing much. I just wanted to ask where you bought the liquor you got for my parents."