Chapter 1

My cheek was stinging with pain, and my ear was ringing.

The durian rolled out of my hand and fell to the floor.

I covered my face and stared at the woman who had given birth to me, Rosemary.

She had slapped me with all her strength. I could even taste blood at the corner of my mouth.

My voice trembled as I asked, “Mom, what did you do that for?”

I had moved out to avoid disturbing my sister-in-law, Lily, during her pregnancy.

After receiving a bonus today, I wanted to treat them to an expensive durian. Yet, I was struck before I could even enter the house.

Rosemary pointed a finger at me, and her spit sprayed across my face.

“Why did I do that? You have the nerve to ask?! Don’t you know that Lily’s pregnant and she can’t handle strong smells?

“I think you did this on purpose. You’re trying to hurt my grandson!”

I fought back my tears.

“Mom, the doctor said it’s fine if she just doesn’t eat it. I wasn’t going to open it in the living room. I was taking it to my own—”

A sharp scream cut me off. “Shut your mouth!”

Lily, who was lying on the couch, clutched her stomach with both hands. She rolled back and forth as she wailed, “Ow! It hurts so much! Mom, I can’t take it. My stomach is killing me!

“Summer definitely did this on purpose. We all agreed that whoever has a child first inherits everything. She’s afraid that it’ll all go to Jas! She’s trying to hurt me!”

Lily was putting on an intense performance. Her face was flushed, but her voice was strong and clear.

However, Rosemary believed every word.

She grabbed a glass ashtray that was filled with cigarette butts from the coffee table. Without hesitation, she hurled it straight at me.

“You witch! You’re such a cold-hearted monster! If I lose my first grandson, I’ll skin you alive!”

I instinctively dodged it, but the ashtray still grazed my shoulder. It smashed against the wall, and shards of glass were scattered everywhere.

My shoulder throbbed from the sharp pain, and half my body went numb.

Before I could even catch my breath, Jasper, who had been silent earlier, moved.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced my head up. With his other hand, he slammed a sheet of paper onto the coffee table.

It was a property transfer agreement.

[Type of Conveyance: Gift Deed

[Grantee: Jasper Ward]

“Summer, Dad always said this place would be mine once he was gone. You’ve been squatting in it for years. It’s time to hand it back.”

He spoke with a cigarette dangling from his lips. His face was filled with impatience and malice.

“If Lily loses this baby, it’s on you. I’ll sue you. You don’t want a lawsuit, do you?”

He then shoved a pen into my hand. He forced it so hard that the tip pierced my palm.

“Hurry up and sign it. Once you do, we’ll call it even.”

I stared at him. He was two years younger than me.

In the past, I had helped him pay for his wedding, which cost forty thousand dollars. I even paid for the car he was driving, including the insurance, gas, and everything else.

I treasured him deeply, yet he exploited me for every penny.

“I’m not signing.”

With gritted teeth, I threw the pen to the floor.

“That’s my house. I paid the deposit, and I’ve been paying the mortgage. What gives you the right to take it?”

Jasper’s expression darkened.

He slapped me again in the exact same spot.

“You think I’m being nice to you?

“You’re going to get married and leave this family anyway! I’m the only son in the Ward family! Who else is going to get the house if not me?”

When Rosemary heard that I refused to hand over the apartment, she flew into a rage. She rushed over and pinched me hard.

“You’re so ungrateful! Have you lost your mind?!

“I raised you and clothed you all these years! Is it too much to ask you to give your brother a house now?

“I’m the one who gave you life!”

She forcibly grabbed my hand and tried to make me sign.

“Sign it now! If you don’t sign, don’t even think about leaving this house today!”

Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain, but I clenched my jaw and refused to yield.

“Why should I?! It’s my house!”

My eyes burned with fury, and a knot of anger tightened in my chest.

“Jasper is thirty with no real job. He lives off the both of you every single day! I worked my fingers to the bone for this house, and he just expects to have it handed to him? Even if I gave it to him, could he even afford the mortgage?!”

That jab hit Jasper in his sore spot.

Humiliated and enraged, he raised his foot and kicked me square in the stomach.

“You witch! You dare look down on me?

“I’ll kill you!”

The kick sent me stumbling backward. My lower back slammed into the sharp corner of the TV console, and I felt a sharp pain.

My forehead also struck the cabinet door. Warm liquid soon began to trickle down.

It was my blood.

It flowed into my eyes and painted my vision a deep, blinding red.

When Lily saw what happened to me, she raised an eyebrow in annoyance. Then, she began waving her arms and shouting from the couch, “Ugh, blood! That’s disgusting!

“Mom, hurry up and get her out of here! Don’t let her frighten my baby!”

Hearing this, Rosemary became even more ruthless. She slapped and hit me from both sides.

“Sign the papers and get out! Now!”

I was forced into a corner with no retreat.

My body ached all over, but my heart hurt even more.

I looked at the durian on the floor, and fierce determination surged from within me.

I violently shoved Rosemary aside and grabbed the durian. Ignoring how its spines pierced my palm, I lifted it high over my head.

“Come on, then!” I roared. My voice was hoarse and hostile.

“Take one more step, and I’ll smash your head in! We can all go down together!”

Rosemary was frightened, and she shrank back timidly.

Jasper was stunned as well, and the house instantly fell silent.

Lily backed away in fear but accidentally tumbled off the couch.

This time, her face turned pale. She clutched her stomach and panicked.

“Quick! Get me to a hospital!”

Rosemary snapped back to her senses and spat viciously, “Fine, Summer. You and I will settle this later.”

She turned to help Lily up. “Jas, hurry up and call 911!

“We need to get Lily to the hospital! Saving my precious grandson is all that matters!”

Jasper fumbled for his phone to make the call.

While the three of them fell into chaos, they stopped sparing me another glance.

Still holding the durian high, I leaned against the wall and gasped for air.