All Chapters of She Called Me a Thief in My Own Store: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Seeing that I didn't respond, my daughter, Christine Parker, grew even angrier and shoved me."What are you standing there for? Pay up. Don't tell me you really think you can eat and drink for free. At your age, you should know better."My son-in-law's mother, Marge Mayfield, pretended to smooth things over, but every word was actually just accusing me of being greedy and in the wrong."Alright, Christine. Calm down. It's just a piece of bread. It's not worth getting this upset over. Your father's getting older. He couldn't help it. Don't hold it against him."Christine let out a cold snort. "Don't hold it against him? This isn't about a piece of bread. This is theft! I brought him here from the countryside so he could enjoy retirement, and instead, he's here sneaking around and stealing expensive food. You really can't trust the people in your own house!"The word "theft" hit me like a knife to my chest. I couldn't stay silent anymore.My voice trembled as I spoke. "Christine, b

Chapter 2

But in the end, I wasn't even worth a five-dollar piece of bread in Christine's eyes. Eating it meant I was a thief, apparently.So, I stopped arguing and stopped explaining.I set the bread down on the counter and said, "If you all think me eating a piece of bread counts as stealing, then I'm done looking after this store. From now on, you all can run it yourselves."I thought that would be the end of it. But I never expected that my backing down would only encourage them to push even further.…For the first time in a long while, I enjoyed a few days of peace. Every morning, I'd head to the park, do yoga, and play chess with the other retirees. I finally started to relax a little.But that peace only lasted three days.One evening, after my walk, I opened the front door and immediately sensed something was off.Christine sat in the middle of the couch, while Daniel and Marge sat on either side of her. It looked like an interrogation was about to take place.A sheet of paper

Chapter 3

With a cold expression, I said, "Whoever wants the job can take it. I'm not going."Then, I turned around, went into my room, and slammed the door behind me.I had barely sat down when my phone lit up. It was a message from one of the retirees I'd been playing chess with in the park."I heard your daughter found you a warehouse job. Don't take it. They only hire people under 50 years old. Your daughter lied about your age when she applied for you. And she only negotiated half the normal pay. She specifically told them to deposit the pay into her account."I stared at the message, reading it again and again. At that point, my heart was already numb. I couldn't even work up any anger.My own daughter had schemed against me just to try to squeeze three thousand dollars out of me.The next morning, I got up and found the same breakfast waiting on the table—half a stale bread roll that was hard as a rock, and a few dried-up pickles.When Christine saw me come out, she immediately pul

Chapter 4

"I never said I wanted to be with that woman! I barely even know her!" I bellowed in defense.Christine shoved the new clothes into my arms. "That doesn't matter. You'll get to know each other once you're living together. At your age, who needs a wedding? Daniel and I will take your things over today. You two can spend the rest of your lives together."I took a step back. "Don't even think about it. I won't do that."The smile vanished from her face. "You won't? That fat old lady promised me a gold necklace. Do you have any idea what gold costs these days? At your age, you should be grateful someone even wants you. Why are you being so picky?"My whole body trembled with anger. "So, just for a necklace, you're willing to sell out your own father?""Sell you out? It's a great opportunity!" Daniel frowned at the side.Marge emerged from her room as well, wearing a fake expression of concern. "Allan, stop being stubborn. Joan is a great woman. She's got a house. She has her own busi

Chapter 5

"Joan says she loves you, and she's willing to give you a ceremony. She also gave you a 200-thousand-dollar wedding gift which I've already accepted on your behalf. Remember to show up on time."With that, Christine hung up the phone, leaving me no chance to argue.I stood there, watching my phone screen slowly turn dark. Joshua was beside me, bent over as he tidied up my room. As I looked at his back, whatever father-daughter affection I had left for Christine disappeared completely.I called out to him. "Joshua, do you know… how to find a lawyer?"…The next day, the biggest banquet hall in the city was decorated festively. Joan Schultz sat backstage in a wedding dress. The dress was so tight around her body that she looked like a moldy ball of dough tied up with a string.Struggling just to breathe, she kept tugging at the neckline of her dress while asking Christine beside her, "Christine, is your dad really coming?" Christine quickly put on a reassuring smile. "Of cour

Chapter 6

The courier's words had barely fallen when an uproar erupted throughout the banquet hall. Christine, caught in the middle of it all, collapsed to the floor with an ashen face.She picked up her phone again and frantically called me. But the call still wouldn't go through.Just then, Daniel stepped up to the courier. "Give me your phone! Now!"Startled, the courier instinctively handed over his phone. Daniel grabbed it and quickly passed it to Christine.On my end, seeing that the call was coming from the courier, I answered. But instead of the courier's voice, what I was met with was a barrage of curses. The voices of all three family members clamored over one another. "Dad! What the hell are you doing? I've already paid back the 200 thousand dollars and returned the gold necklace too. Why won't you leave us alone? Are you trying to drive me to my grave?""Dad, have a heart. If you push things too far, you're going to lose your family.""Allan Parker, you old bastard! You think

Chapter 7

Christine had been willing to trade her own father away to a complete stranger for a gold necklace and a 200-thousand-dollar wedding gift. All the years I'd spent giving everything I had, all the hopes I'd held onto—they had all been a joke.For countless nights, I'd tossed and turned, unable to understand how my own daughter could be so cruel. I'd even wondered if I'd done something wrong, if I hadn't been a good enough father, or if I'd simply grown old and become a burden to her.It wasn't until she threw me out of her home and forced me into marrying Joan for the sake of money that I finally came to my senses.She had never seen me as her father. I was just her personal ATM, her free labor, a tool she could manipulate and discard whenever she pleased.Once I'd finally understood that, I felt not the slightest bit of sadness. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.As I gazed at the sunlight spilling across the garden, I realized for the first time that leaving that

Chapter 8

Daniel tried to protect Christine, but several burly men restrained him, leaving him completely helpless.In the end, they had no choice but to sign an IOU before the others finally cooled down.…Life back in my hometown was peaceful and comfortable. Every morning, I'd get up early and take a walk by the brook at the edge of the town, chatting and playing chess with my old friends. At noon, I'd head home, where Joshua would cook me a piping hot, homemade meal. In the evening, I'd sit in the garden, feel the cool breeze, and gaze up at the stars.There was no endless work, no cold words or harsh accusations, and no carefully calculated schemes. This was what true retirement was meant to be.Afraid I'd get bored, Joshua patiently taught me how to use a smartphone. Little by little, I learned how to watch videos, order groceries online, and video chat with my old friends.Every now and then, I'd see fathers and daughters in the town spending time together, and a faint ache wo

Chapter 9

"You traded me away for a gold necklace and a 200-thousand-dollar wedding gift. You kicked me out of my own home and treated your own father as an object of transaction."I gave you everything I had and raised you for decades, and this is how you repay me? Christine, ask yourself honestly, do you deserve to call yourself my daughter? Do you deserve to ask me to save you?" I sneered.Every word I spoke struck Christine's heart like a heavy hammer. Her face flushed red, then turned deathly pale. She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. She could only stare blankly at me. Seeing that I wouldn't budge, Marge suddenly changed her tune. She scrambled to her feet and pointed at me, barking furiously, "Allan Parker, you old bastard! Don't push your luck! Christine is your own daughter! "If you don't withdraw the lawsuit and she goes to prison, you'll be all alone for the rest of your life. When you die, there won't even be anyone to bury you!"Daniel chimed in, his tone thr

Chapter 10

When Christine heard this, she completely broke down. She collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably and repeating, "I was wrong, Dad. I really was wrong. Please forgive me…"But it was too late. The police officers took the three of them away in a police car. As the vehicle drove out of the town, it kicked up a cloud of dust. Along with it, the father-daughter bond I'd spent decades building was carried away too. I watched the police car disappear into the distance and let out a quiet sigh. This absurd father-daughter relationship had finally come to an end.…Days passed, and the court's verdict was finally out. Christine, Daniel, and Marge were convicted of misappropriating another person's property, refusing to fulfill their legal duty to support a dependent parent, and participating in the disguised sale and purchase of a person. They were sentenced to three years, two and a half years, and two years in prison, respectively. The three of them were also ordere

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