All Chapters of My Lifesaving Money, My Last Straw: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

By the time I got back to that so-called home, it was already dark outside.The sound of the key sliding into the lock made my palms go cold.When I pushed the door open, my husband, Carl Blackburn, was on the couch drinking. The TV was blaring loudly enough to shake the room."Where the hell have you been?" he asked without even turning around.Without answering, I headed straight for the bedroom."Stop right there!" The thud of the beer bottle hitting the coffee table made me flinch.He staggered to his feet. "Where's the 68 grand? Hand it over."My chest tightened. So he knew."It's gone." I heard my numb voice. "My dad gave it to my brother to buy a house."Carl paused and finally looked at me with a derisive laugh. "I don't care who you give it to. I just want the money. You hid it to divorce me, didn't you?"As he stepped closer, the smell of alcohol and smoke hit my face. "Go ahead. Divorce me if you want. But every cent of the money is mine."I clenched my empty pock

Chapter 2

The other end of the line went silent."Last week, I told Dad that if I don't divorce Carl, I might die out there. Guess what he said?"Aunt Lydia tried to calm me down. "He was just angry, Julia.""He said, 'If you're going to die, die in Carl's house'." I forced a smile, but it pulled at the wound, making me gasp in pain.Aunt Lydia sighed. "Your dad's just worried that Leonel can't find—""I get it," I interrupted her. "So I need them to understand something too. From now on, my life has nothing to do with them anymore."That night, Carl kicked me out of the house again just because "the food was too salty".I curled up on the cold stairs in the hallway, listening to him rant inside, tearing the place apart, and accusing me of hiding more money.I knew that if I didn't leave now, the next time he beat me unconscious, I might not wake up.The next morning, I went to the pawn shop in the southern part of the city.I reached into my inner pocket and pulled out a small cloth p

Chapter 3

"You're really going to move into a place like that?" Mom frowned, eyeing the run-down building."Yes," I replied."Getting divorced is embarrassing enough, and now you're moving out? It'll just give people more to talk about."Her sharp voice made the movers glance over at us.I zipped up the woven bag without looking back. "Embarrassing? Why didn't you think it was embarrassing when you took my 68 grand?"Mom grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. "That money was for Leonel's house. We raised you all these years, and you're disowning us over a little bit of money?""Mom, that was the money I saved up after five years of getting beaten."I yanked my arm free. "When you took the money, did you ever think about how I'd survive after?""You still have your salary, don't you? And your husband—""He's not my husband," I cut her off. "And I've already told you, since you took that 68 grand, don't come to me asking for help with your retirement."Mom shook with rage. "How

Chapter 4

"Mom's in the hospital."After saying that, Leonel paused, as if waiting to see my reaction. "She has high blood pressure. The doctor says it's pretty serious."The wallpaper came out crooked. I set down the cutter."Oh," I simply replied."Aren't you going to visit her?" Leonel's voice went up a notch. "We're short three grand on the medical bills. I'm really tight on cash…"I stared at the ruined wallpaper and suddenly smiled. "Leonel, how much is your mortgage for the new house?""5,600 dollars. Why are you asking that?" He sounded impatient."I'm renting this place for 800 bucks a month."I slowly peeled the crooked wallpaper off the wall. "Mom has health insurance. After reimbursement, her out-of-pocket costs won't be over one grand. You can't even scrape together one grand?"There was silence on the other end.I heard the sound of a lighter flicking."Julia, I know you're mad." Leonel changed his tone. "But it wasn't easy for Mom and Dad to raise us. Now that Mom's lyi

Chapter 5

That night, a heavy rainstorm hit. I rode a bike home in the downpour.My pants were soaked through, sticking cold to my legs.Suddenly, I noticed a shadow in the hallway. I tightened my grip on the keys, ready to turn and run if needed.Seeing that it was Leonel, I let out a breath of relief.With his clothes half-wet, he stood at the door, holding a fruit basket in his hand.I didn't open the door. "What do you want?""Mom's surgery is done," he said as he pushed the basket forward. "She's recovering well."I didn't take it. "So?"Leonel awkwardly pulled his hand back. "The doctor said there's more treatment needed. Dad asked me to come find you and see if you could help."I fished out my keys and opened the door. He followed me in.The tiny 100-square-foot room felt even more cramped.On the counter beside the induction cooker was this month's bill—800 bucks for rent and 40 bucks for utilities. The most glaring was the note that said "Owe Carl 96 grand"."Julia, you live

Chapter 6

At Fortune Dining, the private room was piled high with gift boxes, and the TV was airing Thanksgiving specials.Leonel was sitting next to a woman, and Mom and Dad were enthusiastically piling food on her plate.Dad was dressed in a new shirt, which was unusual for him, and Mom's laugh was louder than the TV.I sat near the door, my plate completely clean."Julia's really doing well now."My uncle, Aden Palmer, took a sip of wine. "I heard you're working at the community center? That's a solid job!"Mom quickly jumped in. "Yeah, her boss really likes her. She's so busy that she can't even come home!"Smiling, Dad put a piece of fish on my plate. "Eat up! You're just too hardworking!"The fish gills weren't cleaned properly, and it tasted bitter.I put my cutlery down. "It's just community work. 3,800 dollars a month."The table fell silent instantly.Leonel's girlfriend, Carolyn Dillon, accidentally clinked her knife against the glass.Mom kicked me under the table, still

Chapter 7

My manager frowned as he arranged for someone to clean up. "Julia, is this by one of the relocated tenants under your responsibility?"As I stared at the glaring red paint, I recalled the missed call from Mom last night."It's a family matter," I replied.I took the cleaning supplies from him. "Sorry for the trouble."While I was cleaning the paint, a community center member hobbled over with a cane and shoved a boiled egg into my pocket. "Julia, I just boiled it this morning."During lunch break, my aunt, Lisa Herring, called the office directly. "Did you block your uncle Aden's number? He's looking to have a word with your dad!"I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Aunt Lisa, I'm really busy right now.""Busy? Busy doing what? Your parents are about to be driven to their graves because of you!"Her voice was so sharp that everyone in the office could hear. "Leonel's been throwing tantrums at home, saying Carolyn wants to break up with him!"My coworkers lowered their heads,

Chapter 8

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the line before Mom exploded with anger. "This is not the time for sarcastic comments! If Leonel didn't need money for his wedding, we wouldn't be struggling to pay for the hospital bills!""So it's still about the money."I watched the potato slip into the drain. "I don't have any, and I'm too busy."My phone rang late into the night, like a death knell that wouldn't stop.Uncle Aden, Aunt Lisa, and even distant relatives were calling to persuade me."Julia, you need to repay your parents…""Your dad always loved you the most…"I hit the power button, and the world finally quieted down.When I went to work the next day, I found Uncle Aden and Aunt Lisa waiting outside the community center."Your mom fainted at the hospital!" Uncle Aden pulled at my arm with red-rimmed eyes. "We're just five grand short for the surgery!"I yanked my arm away. "Uncle Aden, when your son bought a house, you didn't hesitate to shell out 100

Chapter 9

I stared at the desk lamp for a while before lighting the note on fire.As the flames flickered, I recalled Dad's words from years ago. "When Leonel gets married, I'll help you get a divorce."There was no need for that anymore. I'd save myself.…Early on a freezing morning, the blaring of car horns jolted me awake.I pushed open the window to see a wedding motorcade choking the street below. The bride leaned out, her veil catching a gust of wind.I got up and dropped the ravioli I had made the night before into boiling water.The steam fogged up the window, blurring both the decorations and the noise from below.As I set the ravioli on the table, my phone lit up. It was a text from the bank. "Your account ending in 3812 has a balance of 73.6 dollars."…Later, I moved alone to a small coastal city in the south.The air here was always damp. It was hard to tell if it was sea fog or rain.I got a nine-to-five data entry job. The pay wasn't much but enough to rent a small ro

Chapter 10

The days passed by quickly, like pages torn from a calendar.I never went back home.A coworker kept trying to play matchmaker, saying, "Every woman needs someone to rely on."I'd smile and point at the file on my laptop. "I rely on this just fine."One day, during a heavy downpour, I found a baby girl outside the office building.In the swaddling cloth, there was a note. "Seeking a kind-hearted person to take her in. Born on August 3rd."While I was giving my statement at the police station, the officer mentioned that the orphanage had no available beds.Looking out at the rain, I suddenly said, "I'll adopt her."The adoption process was harder than I expected.The staff at the orphanage kept looking at my affidavit of single status and pay slips. "You can barely support yourself…"I pulled out my savings book. "I can send her to school."On the day I named my daughter, I spent the entire night in front of a dictionary.In the end, I chose "Eliana Herring".…The first t

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