Chapter 2

What else could Mom possibly have been dissatisfied with after everything I'd done for her? Why did she have to pull petty stunts like this?

Now, I finally understood the cruel truth.

Deep down, she believed I simply didn't deserve nice things. Whether it was luxury goods, premium fruits, or even a bottle of imported mineral water, in her eyes, only Sheryl deserved them.

Actually, Mom had favored Sheryl ever since we were children. No matter what it was, Sheryl always came first. On the other hand, I only got whatever she didn't want or had left over.

After I grew up, I got into the best university and landed an excellent job. I worked desperately hard to be good to Mom.

I'd done it just so she'd look at me a little more. It was just so she'd love me a little more.

I thought that if I gave enough, I'd eventually get something in return. But what she'd said today turned the family bond I'd spent so many years carefully protecting into nothing more than a joke.

Right after Mom hung up, my aunt, Meryl Turner, tagged me in the family group chat.

She wrote, "Andrea, your mom's crying at home. Hurry over and comfort her!"

I really wanted to reply, "I'm not going."

But I had no choice. The Gorga River water was a moving plague. If Mom and Sheryl actually drank that water and got sick, could I really just stand by and watch them die?

I rubbed my temples. My head was pounding.

I arrived at Mom's house, but she started crying even louder the moment I walked through the door.

She wailed, "I saw a few bottles of mineral water at her place. They weren't even worth much! I was just curious and wanted to bring them home to try! But she accused me of stealing and even said she'd call the police and have me arrested!

"I raised her, fed her, and clothed her all these years. After she grew up, I worked myself to the bone taking care of her. This is the ungrateful daughter I ended up raising. I might as well just die!"

As she spoke, Mom grabbed a cleaver from the kitchen and pretended she was about to slash her own neck.

She continued her theatrics. "Heavens above, please just take me away! I raised such an ungrateful daughter. What's the point of living anymore?"

Once again, Mom pulled the same old trick.

Her house was packed with relatives. They frantically held her back to stop her from hurting herself while telling me to apologize. Sheryl screamed and demanded that I kneel immediately.

I didn't say a word and just sent everyone a file.

Normally, whenever Mom took something from my house, I turned a blind eye. But after working in a laboratory for so long, keeping records had become second nature to me. Every time something was added to or removed from my home, I logged it.

On the Excel spreadsheet, everything was recorded with absolute clarity.

I said, "Mineral water isn't expensive. But what about everything else? The things you've taken from my home over the years add up to quite a substantial amount. If you don't believe me, we can ask the police to investigate."

The moment Aunt Meryl finished reading it, she was stunned. "Miranda, didn't you say you only took two bottles of mineral water? Why are there hundreds of entries here? You… You made all of us misunderstand Andrea."

My uncle, Mason Turner, gasped after reading it. "How could you take things from Andrea without permission just to give them to Sheryl? That's really unethical. To think we came all the way just to stand up for you when you're in the wrong!"

Someone patted me on the shoulder and said, "I knew Andy has always been a good daughter. Last time you were sick, she paid all of your medical bills and even paid your overdue health insurance. How could she possibly make such a fuss over two bottles of water? Honestly, as a parent, you have to treat your children equally."

Seeing that no one was stopping her anymore, Mom stood there awkwardly. She wasn't sure whether to keep lifting the cleaver or to put it down.

After everyone left, she slapped me hard across the face. "How dare you, Andrea? You won't stop till you've humiliated me completely in front of everyone. Is that it?"

I looked at her as my cheek burned with pain.

Normally, I always gave in to Mom and rarely argued with her. But what happened today was like a sharp blade that completely sliced through the fake peace between us. It also severed the string called family.

My voice was so calm that even I found it unfamiliar. "Mom, you were the one who slandered me first. I only told the truth."

Mom's face twisted with rage as she bellowed, "The truth? I only took a few things from you, and you got upset on purpose just to embarrass me! You embarrassed me in front of everyone! How did I end up giving birth to such a selfish, despicable bitch?"

She cared about keeping up appearances more than anything else. Even when she came to my house to take my things, she'd always claim she was just there to help me clean.