Chapter 4

In the past, although my salary was not very high, I consistently transferred money home each month.

I covered Daphne’s incidental expenses which amounted to a significant, steady financial drain.

That income had vanished abruptly.

Compounded by the fact that purchasing that luxury apartment for Daphne had nearly depleted our family’s savings, their financial situation became immediately precarious.

No matter how they tried to contact me, I completely ignored them.

I knew this seemed cruel. But compared to over two decades of their dual exploitation, both emotional and financial, this level of “cruelty” was merely necessary self-preservation.

I needed to make them understand, clearly and unequivocally, that the old me, the one who meekly submitted and gave endlessly, was gone.

The current me had only one regret, which was not having fought back sooner.

I still had some time before my departure abroad. I also knew they would never easily let go of their “cash cow.”

Sure enough, after failing to reach me, they took matters a step further and showed up directly at my company.

The moment I stepped into the office building, I felt strange looks directed at me from all sides. Whispers buzzed around my ears like flies.

The receptionist glanced at me with sympathy. Her expression suggested she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

Once she confirmed no one else was nearby, she quietly stopped me.

“Lina, your family stopped by earlier. It got pretty ugly. Mr. Jenkins wants to see you in his office as soon as you arrive.”

My heart sank.

So they had finally come, and they had chosen the approach most capable of toppling me. They were targeting my workplace, potentially destroying my future right where I had built it.

I took a deep breath and walked toward Mr. Jenkins’ office.

...

Unexpectedly, Mr. Jenkins was not alone in his office.

Both my parents and Daphne were there.

My mother’s eyes were swollen and red from crying.

My father’s face was grim.

Daphne looked at me with an expression of wounded innocence and reproach.

Mr. Jenkins’ expression was stern.

“Lina, your family is worried about you. I hope you can resolve your personal matters and not let them affect your work.”

My mother immediately stood up and grabbed my hand.

“Lina, come home with me. Whatever’s going on, we’ll talk about it there.”

“Home?” I repeated the word softly. I found it utterly ironic.

“Which home? The one where Daphne’s always the center of attention?”

My father snapped, “Do you have to embarrass us here?”

“Who’s the one being embarrassing?” I retorted.

“The daughter who’s trying to build a career, or the family showing up to make a scene at her office?”

Daphne jumped in, her voice dripping with righteous indignation.

“Lina, how can you talk about Mom and Dad like that? They sacrificed so much raising us—”

“Yeah. They sure did,” I cut her off.

“That’s why you got all the good parts.”

Mr. Jenkins cleared his throat and said, “Lina, this overseas project is a big deal for the company. I can’t have personal matters affecting our reputation.”

I turned to Mr. Jenkins and said resolutely, “Don’t worry, I won’t let personal matters get in the way of work. I’m leaving in a week, and I’m just wrapping up the handover now.”

“Overseas project? Where are you going?” My mother, who was slow to catch on, finally thought to ask.

“I’m going to Northern Civitas for two years,” I answered briefly.

“Two years? How could you make a decision like that without even talking to us?” My father raised his voice.

“Talk to you? Like you talked to me before buying the house?”

The room went dead silent.

I looked at my family and felt a strange sense of calm wash over me.

All the grievances and anger that had once kept me awake at night had settled into quiet resolve.

“Mr. Jenkins, please give me ten minutes to handle this,” I requested.

Mr. Jenkins nodded, stood up, and left the office. He gently closed the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, my mother could not hold back her question any longer.

“Lina, what exactly do you want? Will you only be satisfied when this family falls apart?”

“It fell apart a long time ago,” I said softly.

“It fell apart the moment you played favorites. It fell apart the moment you acted as if I owed you everything I gave.”