Chapter 3

I saw the girl throw something into the trash can, so I immediately went over to rummage through it.

When I took the gift box out from the bin, another hand reached in to grab it.

I instinctively pulled back, but the other person still caught hold of it.

He tried to snatch it from me.

I glared back at him and said, "You let go! I saw it first! It is mine!"

It was getting dark and there weren't many people around.

I'd heard before that some people deliberately lurked around on holidays like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They would rummage through trash cans to pick up things to sell for money.

If it were ordinary trash, I would have let it slide, but this was a necklace worth tens of millions!

I bit the person's arm before he could even speak.

When he cried out in pain and loosened his grip, I immediately bolted in the opposite direction. I jumped on my electric scooter, and sped off as fast as I could.

"Trying to snatch it from me? Not a chance.

"Hmph! My son, I'm amazing, right?"

[You are the greatest.]

For some reason, my son seemed distracted.

However, I couldn't help but notice the people carrying bouquets of flowers.

I'd heard people picked up smartphones and gold. Why not give it a go?

I put on a mask and threatened my son to tell me which trash cans had valuables.

I picked up three of the latest-model smartphones, several rings—diamond, gold, and platinum ones. I was so annoyed to find a fake ring inside too. I immediately tossed it back into the trash can.

"Hmph, what a scumbag. I can't believe someone would use a fake diamond ring to propose."

I picked up other random valuables as well.

Looking at these treasures, I hugged them to sleep every night.

My dreams were all about being filthy rich.

When the police came knocking on my door the next day, I finally understood why my son wouldn't let me pick up those thrown-away valuables.

I gave a statement at the police station.

I had to turn in the valuables that I collected from the trash.

I even had to write one thousand words of self-reflection and promised I would turn in any valuables that I picked up to the police.

Of course, I turned in everything except for the necklace.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

I kicked the stone hard. Smack! My foot was so painful that I squatted down. My heart ached.

"Why do I have to return the valuables I pick up from the trash can? Why? Waahhh…"

It surprised me that my son didn't mock me. He comforted me instead.

[Mom, we should not take from the poor.]

[If presents can be thrown away, what does that signify?]

I replied, "What does that mean?"

[It means the woman doesn't like the man, but the man forced it on her anyway. When he finds out his gift has been thrown away, he will want it back. If the surveillance camera captures whoever picked it up, they're out of luck.]

[My dad's different. He is filthy rich. He does not need to worry about money.]

[His gifts are worth millions or tens of millions. If they are being thrown away, he couldn't care less.]

I was unhappy.

He continued to console me. [What you lost is less than fifty thousand. But the necklace you picked up? That's worth tens of millions.]

I wiped away my tears and became confident again.

That was tens of millions!

As soon as I got home, I searched for the original price of the necklace.

When I saw the price tag, thirteen million, I was startled.

I jumped around while hugging the necklace case.

My son was shouting inside my belly, [Ahh, Mom, be careful! Watch it! I'm still inside of you.]

I quickly calmed down.

All the unpleasantness at the police station this morning vanished into thin air.

I put on a mask and headed to a luxury resale shop.