Chapter 1 "Mom, this month's salary is in. Check it." I said while taking off my shoes. My cousin, Jessica Zhao, was also there. Seeing me, a flash of unnaturalness crossed her face. Then she put on a sweet smile: "Emma is back. Working so late today, you must be tired." I ignored her, my gaze landing on the passbook on the coffee table. "Mom, is that my salary account passbook?" I walked over. Susan Lee tried to hide it in a panic, but it was too late. I picked up the passbook and opened it. The balance on the last page showed: $3.28. I blinked, thinking I saw it wrong. Looking back, the most recent transaction was three days ago: Transfer out $42,000.00. Looking further back, last month: Transfer out $8,600.00. My fingers started to tremble. "Mom, where is my money?" I asked, my voice surprisingly calm. Susan stood up, squeezing out a smile: "Emma, listen to mom." "I asked where my money is!" I suddenly raised my voice. "Forty-two thousand! And last month's eight thousand six hundred! Why is there only three dollars left in my salary account!" David Lin also stood up: "Emma, don't rush, we were just about to tell you about this." "Tell me what? That you transferred fifty thousand dollars of mine without my permission?" I slammed the passbook on the coffee table. "That's my money! That's the down payment I saved up by working overtime for ten years!" Jessica whispered: "Emma, Uncle and Aunt did it for my own good." "For you?" I turned to her. "Jessica Zhao, using my money to make you look good?" Susan grabbed my hand: "Emma, Jessica is getting married next month. Her fiancé's family demanded a dowry of $68,800, saying anything less would be losing face. We scraped together twenty thousand from home, plus the eighteen thousand Jessica handed over these years, still thirty thousand short..." "So you touched my money?" I shook off her hand. "Mom, that's my money! That's the money Lucas and I prepared to buy a house and get married!" "The house can be bought later!" Susan also raised her voice. "Jessica's wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event! She has no parents. If we don't help her more, how can she hold her head up in her in-laws' house!" This sentence again. I've heard it for twenty years. When I was seven, Jessica's parents died in a car accident, and she moved into my house. Since then, my room was given to her, my new clothes were worn by her first, and my birthday cake had to be shared with her. Now, even my hard-earned money from ten years is given to her. "What about me?" My voice was trembling. "My wedding is on June 18th next month. How much dowry did you prepare for me?" The living room suddenly went quiet. David lowered his head, Susan's eyes dodged. Jessica whispered: "Emma, Uncle and Aunt actually prepared for you." "Prepared what?" I stared at her. "Say it, what did they prepare for me!" Susan took out a plastic bag from the drawer of the coffee table, containing two pairs of slippers, two sets of pajamas, and towels and toothbrushes. "These are all good brands." She said. I looked at that plastic bag, then at the transfer receipts on the coffee table, and suddenly laughed. Laughed until tears came out. "So, Jessica's dowry is $68,800, and my dowry is two pairs of slippers?" "Emma, don't compare like this." David tried to comfort me. "How should I compare?" I roared. "Compare who is stupider? Compare who handed over their salary for ten years like a day, only to have it all taken by parents to subsidize someone else's daughter?" Jessica's tears fell as she spoke: "Emma, don't blame Uncle and Aunt. It's all my fault. Or I won't get married." "Jessica, don't talk nonsense!" Susan immediately hugged her. "The marriage is set, invitations are sent out, how can you not get married!" She turned to me, tone strict: "Emma Lin, look at what you've pushed Jessica into! We raised you so big, is it just to make you so selfish!" "I'm selfish?" I pointed at myself. "My monthly salary is $1,200, I give $1,000 to the family, keeping $200 for myself. I haven't bought new clothes for three years, haven't traveled for five years, working overtime until late every night! Every penny I saved was taken by you to save face! Now you say I'm selfish?" David sighed heavily: "Emma, Jessica's situation is special, her parents left early." "Her parents left early, so I deserve to die?" I completely broke down. "I am also your daughter! Doesn't my wedding need face? Lucas's family is also an ordinary family. What will they think of me when they see I only have two pairs of slippers as dowry! What will they think of our family!" Jessica sobbed and said: "Emma, Lucas loves you so much, he won't mind." "He doesn't mind, but I mind!" I grabbed the transfer receipts on the coffee table. "This is evidence! I'm calling the police! Suing you for theft!" "You dare!" Susan rushed over to grab them. I stepped back to dodge, quickly taking photos of the receipts with my phone. "Now, I give you two choices." I held up my phone. "First, return my fifty thousand dollars, not a penny less. You figure out the shortfall for Jessica's dowry yourselves." "Second, I call the police immediately, then post this matter in the family group chat, to your workplace, to Jessica's in-laws. I want everyone to know you stole your own daughter's money to give your niece as a dowry." Susan's face turned pale: "Emma Lin! You are trying to drive us to death!" "You forced me first!" My tears poured out. "Ten years! How many ten years do I have in my life! I scrimped and saved, I worked hard, I didn't even dare to take leave when sick! What about you? Have you ever thought about my feelings!" Jessica cried even harder: "The money has already been transferred to my account. Part of it bought gold jewelry, part was withdrawn and spent." "Then go return it! Go sell it!" I stared at her. "Jessica Zhao, if you don't return this money to me today, I will go to your company, to your fiancé's workplace, and tell everyone you are a thief!" "Enough!" David roared. He panted heavily, eyes bloodshot: "Emma Lin, we raised you for twenty-eight years, just to get you forcing us like this today?" "You forced me first." I wiped my tears. "Choose, want her, or want me." Susan cried: "How can you make us choose! Jessica is also our daughter!" "She is not!" I screamed hoarsely. "Her surname is Zhao! My surname is Lin! She is just your sister's daughter! I am the one you carried for ten months!" David slumped back on the sofa, covering his face with his hands. Long silence. The ticking of the clock was particularly ear-piercing in the deadly silent living room. Finally, David looked up, daring not look into my eyes: "Jessica's wedding cannot have mistakes. Her in-laws have status, invitations have been sent out." I nodded, heart completely dead. "Okay, I understand." I turned back to my room and started packing. Susan chased in: "Emma Lin! What are you doing!" "Moving out." I threw clothes into the suitcase. "From now on, I cut off relations with you." "You're crazy! You are our daughter!" "You made your choice just now." I zipped up the suitcase. "From now on, I am not your daughter. That fifty thousand, consider it buying out twenty-eight years of upbringing." David stood at the door, voice hoarse: "Emma, don't be impulsive, we can discuss the money matter again." "Nothing to discuss." I dragged the suitcase out. "My wedding is on June 18th, you don't need to come." Walking to the door, I looked back at them one last time. Susan was crying, David was sighing, Jessica shrank in the sofa, peeking at me from the corner of her eye. "Wish you family of three, happiness and perfection." I closed the door, shutting twenty-eight years of affection behind me. Going down in the elevator, I took out my phone and called Lucas. The phone rang only once before connecting. "Emma?" "Lucas," my voice trembled, "I moved out, come pick me up." "Send me the location, arriving immediately." Three minutes later, Lucas's car stopped in front of me. He got out and took my suitcase, asking nothing, just hugging me tightly. "Go to our place." He said. When the car drove out, I looked at the apartment complex one last time. Goodbye, the Emma Lin who always had to yield to others. From today on, I live only for myself. Chapter 2 Lucas's apartment was small, one bedroom and one living room, but very clean. He helped me put away the suitcase and poured a glass of warm water: "Speak slowly, what happened?" I told the story from beginning to end. When I talked about the two pairs of slippers, I cried again. Lucas hugged me, suppressed anger in his voice: "How could they do this! That's your hard-earned money from ten years!" "I want to call the police." I said. "That's fifty thousand, enough for a case." "I support you." Lucas took out his phone. "Call now." I pressed his hand: "Wait, let me think." "Think about what?" Lucas was anxious. "Emma, this is theft! It's illegal!" I knew. But my mind was full of my mother's red eyes from crying, my father's hunched back. And Jessica's look when she first came to my house at seven, thin and small, holding a worn-out teddy bear. "Give me one day." I said. "Tomorrow, if they don't return the money, I'll call the police." That night, I barely slept. The phone kept ringing. Susan called twenty-three times, David called fifteen times. I hung up all of them. At 3 AM, Susan sent a long WeChat message: [Emma, Mom knows we wronged you. But Jessica is really too pitiful. She has no parents. If the dowry is small, her in-laws will look down on her for life. You are our biological daughter, understand Mom and Dad. Mom will definitely return that fifty thousand to you in the future. Come back first, we'll discuss properly.] I looked at this message and laughed. Laughing and laughing, tears flowed into my mouth, salty and bitter. I replied: [Return the money within today, otherwise police.] Then turned off the phone. At 8 AM the next morning, the doorbell rang. Lucas went to open the door. David and Susan stood outside. Susan's eyes were swollen like walnuts, David's hair turned half white overnight. Susan cried as soon as she opened her mouth, "Mom was wrong, Mom was really wrong." "Where's the money?" I asked. David took an envelope from his bag: "Here is three thousand, our last savings. The rest, we will pay back slowly." "Fifty thousand, becomes three thousand?" I looked at them. "Dad, Mom, do you think I'm stupid?" "Jessica's side has already spent the money." Susan cried. "Bought gold, paid the wedding banquet deposit, really can't take it out." "Then go return it! Go ask for it!" My voice was shaking. "That's my money! Why do you spend my money!" David suddenly knelt down. This fifty-eight-year-old man knelt in front of me. "Emma, Dad begs you, Jessica's wedding really can't be canceled. Her in-laws have already notified all relatives. If canceled now, how can she face people in the future." "What about me?" I asked. "My wedding is less than a month away. You prepared two pairs of slippers for me. How do I face people?" Susan also knelt down: "Emma, Mom kowtows to you. Forgive us this time. We will definitely compensate you in the future." I looked at my parents kneeling on the ground, heart feeling like cut by a knife. These are my parents. For someone else's daughter, kneeling down to beg their own daughter. "Get up." I said. They didn't move. "Get up!" I roared. "You are forcing me like this! Telling me that if I don't agree, it's unfilial!" Lucas helped them up: "Uncle and Aunt, get up first. This doesn't solve the problem." David stood up, old tears flowing: "Emma, Dad knows we wronged you, but things are already like this. Just consider helping Jessica, helping us." "Help?" I nodded. "Okay, I'll help." Their eyes lit up. "I'll help you call the police." I took out my phone. "Let the police handle it, see how to calculate this fifty thousand." "No!" Susan rushed over to grab the phone. Lucas stopped her: "Auntie, Emma has already given you a chance." Susan slumped on the ground, wailing loudly: "How did I raise such a cruel daughter like you! We raised you so big, just to be forced to death by you today!" "Cruel?" I squatted down looking at her. "Mom, when I was seven, Jessica grabbed my new dress, you said I was the older sister and should yield to her. When I was twelve, she broke my birthday gift, you said she didn't do it on purpose. When I was eighteen, she peeked at my diary and broadcasted it everywhere, you said she was just curious." "Now, she stole my fifty thousand, you say she is pitiful." "Who is the cruel one?" Susan froze, unable to cry. David murmured: "Jessica has no parents, she is really pitiful." "She is pitiful, so I deserve it?" I stood up. "Since you think she is more pitiful, then take good care of her. I don't need you anymore." I walked to the door and opened it: "Please leave, don't come to find me again." Susan wanted to say something more, but David pulled her back. When they walked to the door, David looked back at me. In that look was guilt, pain, but more of a resignation. They chose Jessica. Since the year she moved into my house at seven, they have always chosen her. The door closed. I leaned against the door, slowly sliding to sit on the floor. Lucas hugged me: "Emma, cry if you want to." I couldn't cry. My heart was already dead. Chapter 3 June 18th, my wedding. No parents attended, but I had Lucas, friends, colleagues. Lucas's parents increased the betrothal gift from $8,800 to $18,800. His mother said: "Emma, from now on we are your mom and dad." Wearing a rented wedding dress, standing on the stage, my eyes still couldn't help searching. Knowing it was impossible, still hoping they would appear. They didn't come. Halfway through the wedding, I received a text from Susan: [Emma, sorry, Mom can't go today. Jessica's wedding has some problems, we have to help her handle it. Wish you happiness.] I deleted the text, looked up, and smiled at Lucas. "I do." After the wedding, I scrolled onto Jessica's WeChat Moments. A grid of nine photos, all from her wedding scene. The last one was a family photo. My parents wearing new clothes, standing next to Jessica and her husband, smiling happily. Caption: [Thank Uncle and Aunt for giving me a second life. You are my biological parents.] Dozens of comments below, all praises. [Best Aunt and Uncle in China!] [Boundless love!] [Jessica is so blessed!] No one remembered that today was also my wedding. No one asked where my parents were. Lucas took away my phone: "Don't look. We live our own life from now on." I nodded, but the missing piece in my heart could never be filled. After marriage, Lucas and I moved into a rented apartment. Both our savings were taken by my parents. Not enough for down payment, could only continue renting. Lucas said: "It's okay, we'll save for another two years." I started working desperately. Working during the day, taking private jobs at night, part-time jobs on weekends. Lucas persuaded me: "Emma, don't push so hard. Health is important." "I want to earn back that fifty thousand." I said. "Earn it back cent by cent." Three months later, I lost ten pounds but saved three thousand dollars. I deposited the money into a new card, writing on it: Own House. National Day, Lucas said: "Go home and see your parents, after all, it's a holiday." I shook my head: "That's not my home." "They are your parents after all." "When they chose Jessica, they were no longer my parents." Although saying so, in the dead of night, I still missed them. Missed the braised pork Mom made, missed the way Dad fixed bicycles. But thinking of that fifty thousand, my heart hardened. October 3rd, Susan suddenly called. Using a new number, I hadn't blocked it. "Emma," her voice was weak, "your dad is hospitalized, heart attack." My heart tightened, but tone cold: "Oh." "Doctor said bypass surgery costs ten thousand, we have no money." "Where is Jessica?" I asked. "Didn't she just receive a dowry of $68,800?" Silence on the other end. "Emma, Jessica's money is in a fixed deposit, can't be withdrawn." "Then borrow money." I said. "Don't you love helping others the most? Now that you need help, go find those people you helped." "Emma!" Susan cried. "He is your dad! Are you really going to leave him to die!" "My dad?" I repeated this word. "When my dad gave fifty thousand to someone else, did he think about me, his daughter?" "We were wrong... really wrong..." Susan cried heartbreakingly. "Your dad is now in ICU. Doctor says if no surgery..." "What does it have to do with me?" I hung up. Hand shaking, but I didn't cry. Lucas looked at me: "Want to go see?" "No." I said. "If I go, they will say again, biological daughter is better after all. Then continue to treat Jessica well." I know them too well. Sure enough, the next day, Jessica posted on Moments: [Uncle sick in hospital, heartache. Transferred one thousand to Aunt, wish Uncle speedy recovery.] Image is transfer record. Below is another wave of praise: [Jessica so filial] [Aunt and Uncle didn't love you in vain] I laughed. Ten thousand surgery fee, she transferred one thousand, and specifically posted on Moments. Really knows how to behave. Three days later, Susan called again. This time Lucas answered. After hanging up, Lucas said: "Your dad had the surgery, money borrowed from loan sharks." "Oh." "Your mom said Jessica agreed to pay back two hundred a month, but can only pay this much for now." "Mm." "Emma, you really don't plan to care?" "Don't care." I said. "This is their choice, they bear the consequences themselves."
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