《Mom Paid Their Bills, I Ended the Handouts》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 10 章

On the fifth day after heating was supposed to kick in, the apartment was still freezing. Even bundled up in fleece pajamas, my daughter Ciara Thompson's face was flushed from the cold. I draped a down jacket over her and then called my mother."Mom, did you pay the heating bill I gave you? Why is it still so cold here? There's no heat at all. Ciara's got a runny nose. She's going to catch a cold!"On the other end of the video call, my mom, wearing only a thin sweater, sounded impatient. "Do you think I'd forget something that important? Of course I've paid it! Honestly, I think it's the heating company that's slacking off. They took nearly two thousand dollars and barely gave us any heat."I remembered seeing a notice in the property group chat. The heating bill had gone up this year to 1,870 dollars.Beside me, Ciara curled into a ball from the cold. I felt both heartbroken and angry."Exactly! What's wrong with them this year? Last year, it was so warm that we could just wear

"Hey, Vanessa! You really didn't have to bring the clothes up yourself." As Selena spoke, she hugged the jackets to her chest and stood in the doorway, clearly blocking me from entering.I glanced inside. Mom was cooking in the kitchen, wearing a thin sweater. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the heat. Alex was barefoot in the living room, playing with building blocks. Under the warm yellow lights, it was a cozy, harmonious scene.Selena subtly shifted, blocking my view. "Sorry, Vanessa. We're in the middle of tidying up, and the place is quite messy, so I can't invite you in today."Howard was about to say something, but she quickly stopped him, telling him to take the jackets inside.I lowered my head and smiled bitterly. Whether I went in or not, I already had my answer.As soon as I got home, my phone rang. When I answered, the staff member on the other end tore away the last layer of pretense with his polite reply. "Hello, is this Ms. Walter? This is regarding

Then, I immediately used the money I got back from Selena to pay my heating bill.That night, Selena posted a screenshot of a 1,870-dollar expense on her social media, captioned, "Alas… Sometimes, even siblings need to keep accounts clear. People may act nice to your face, but the moment money is involved, they turn on you faster than flipping a page."She didn't name me, but it was obvious to anyone who she meant.Less than two minutes later, Mom liked the post and commented, "As they say, sons are an investment, and daughters are a loss. Once a daughter is married, she's as good as gone. She forgets about the family that raised her."That comment made it unmistakably clear that the post was about me. Relatives chimed in below, all echoing the same sentiment.Staring at the screen of hypocritical words and veiled accusations, I felt numb. I blocked Selena, Howard, and their entire family on all social media platforms.After that, William and I spent a rare period of peaceful day

"Just treat it as paying me back for the years I helped raise your child, alright? At least let me have enough to buy a ticket home."Mom's emotional performance instantly drew everyone's attention. Coworkers who had no idea what was going on stopped to watch, whispering among themselves. Their pointing fingers felt like needles stabbing into me.I even heard someone mutter, "She looks so put-together. How could she treat her own mother like this?""Exactly. Even hiring a nanny costs money. This is just…""It's too much. Driving an old woman to this…"I trembled with anger, unable to defend myself. Mom was trying to pin me as the unfilial daughter, using public pressure to force me to give in.Facing the judgmental stares around me, I spoke coldly, "You worked so hard? Mom, ask yourself this. You were the one who insisted on helping me take care of Ciara. And after that, I bought you and Dad an apartment upstairs from mine. Now, you're asking me to pay you?"Mom's expression sti

At first, Mom and Howard tried to hold on. But in less than a month, the pressure crushed what little pride they had left.Howard was the first to call me. His low, submissive tone was something I had never heard before. "Vanessa… I was wrong. Mom and I were both wrong. I was an asshole. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."You see… The mortgage… If I miss it this month, the bank's really going to take the house. Alex is still so young. He can't be left without a home… Just help me this one last time, okay?"I held the phone, my tone calm and flat. "Howard, your house, your son, and your life… Those are your responsibilities. I'm not a bank, and I'm not your ATM. I can't help you."After hanging up, I blocked that number, too.Two days later, Selena called from a new number. Gone was her usual fake and calculative tone as her voice trembled through tears. "Vanessa, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry! I was wrong before. I was petty, stirring things up between you, Mom, and Howard.