Late at night, my husband cried bitterly: "Mom was suddenly hospitalized, the doctor said we need $40,000 immediately! Transfer the money now!" "I'll go to the hospital right now!" I was worried sick. "No! You'll just cause trouble. I can handle it alone." He stopped me. Feeling sorry for my father-in-law, I gave him my bank card immediately. But the next day, I couldn't rest easy, so I quietly went to the hospital. From the ward came my mother-in-law's sneer: "Son, that move was brilliant. That fool is so easy to trick, she's literally our family's ATM." "$40,000 in hand, enough for us to splurge for a while." My husband sounded triumphant. I silently took out my phone and dialed the bank's customer service. Chapter 1 Cold wind poured in from the window at the end of the hospital corridor, unable to disperse the chill in my heart. I leaned against the cold wall, my finger sliding on the phone screen, finding that familiar bank customer service number. The moment the call connected, I heard my own voice, calm like a stranger. "Hello, my bank card seems to have been stolen. I need to report it lost immediately." The other side asked formulaic confirmation questions. I answered one by one, my voice without a ripple, as if narrating something unrelated to myself. Hanging up, I deleted the call log, along with that recording that pierced my eardrums, cleaning everything up. After doing all this, I realized my fingertips were frozen white and numb. Returning to the empty shell called "home," I didn't turn on the lights. Darkness is the best camouflage, hiding all out-of-control expressions on my face. I sat on the sofa all night without closing my eyes. When the sky turned slightly bright, I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Eyes bloodshot, face pale and haggard, looking extremely worried about my mother-in-law's condition. Good, just like this. At 5 AM, the sound of a key turning came from the entrance. Jason was back. He carried a body full of fatigue, his eyes showing feigned sadness and haggardness. Seeing me, he froze for a moment, then walked over quickly to hug me. "Chloe, why haven't you slept yet?" His voice was hoarse, full of deliberately created emotion. I stiffly leaned into his arms, nausea churning in my stomach. This man, my husband, just a few hours ago, triumphantly called me a "fool" and an "ATM." "I was worried about Mom, couldn't sleep." I buried my head in his chest, perfectly hiding my cold eyes. "It's okay now, it's all over." He patted my back, tone like unloading a heavy burden, "The surgery fee is paid. Mom's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. The doctor said it's not a big problem." Surgery? A non-existent surgery. My heart was cold as iron. "That's good, that's good." I cooperated with a sigh of relief, crying in my voice. He helped me sit on the sofa, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it all. That posture, as if he really was the filial son running around for his mother. He sat back next to me, holding my hand. His palm was warm as always, but at this moment, I just wanted to pull away immediately. "Chloe, thank you so much this time." "If not for you, I wouldn't know what to do." He looked at me, eyes full of rehearsed "deep affection" and "gratitude." Looking at this familiar face, for the first time, I discovered every expression of his could be calculated. "We are husband and wife, why say this." I squeezed out a weak smile. He nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject. "By the way, Chloe, tomorrow I might need your ID to process a supplementary insurance procedure. It can reduce a lot of costs." Here it comes. Their greed is endless; $40,000 is just the beginning. The next step of the scam is to use my identity information to leverage more benefits. I lowered my eyelids, hiding the flash of hatred. "But... I left my ID at my parents' place a few days ago, forgot to bring it back." I said carefully, with a trace of apology. Jason's brow furrowed imperceptibly. A trace of impatience flashed in his eyes, but was immediately covered by his perfect acting. "It's okay, I'll ask tomorrow to see if we can delay it." He said considerately. "Mmhmm." I nodded obediently. Late at night, we lay in the same bed. I turned my back to him, clearly feeling his steady breathing. He had fallen asleep with peace of mind. And I was soberly feeling the chill coming from every inch of my skin. The person beside my pillow is an executioner. Marriage is a slow torture. Now, it's my turn to hold the knife. Chapter 2 Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, Jason got up. His movements were brisk, even humming an off-key tune, a sign of his excellent mood. He thought I was still asleep, tiptoeing to change clothes. "I'm going out, to see Mom at the hospital and handle the follow-up fees." Before leaving, he planted a light kiss on my forehead. The touch felt like a slimy worm, making me almost vomit. I kept my eyes closed, motionless, until I heard the door gently close. I opened my eyes; the texture of the ceiling was incredibly clear in the morning light. I picked up my phone and checked the time. 7:15 AM. The show should start soon. I got up slowly, washed up, and even fried myself an egg. Food was hard to swallow, but I forced myself to eat it all. I needed strength to enjoy today's big show. At 7:45, the phone rang sharply. Caller ID: "Hubby." I let it ring for half a minute before picking up slowly. "Hello?" My voice carried the huskiness and laziness of just waking up. "Chloe!" Jason's roar suppressing anger came from the other end, "What happened to the bank card? Why is it frozen?" I sneered inside, but my face instantly switched to a panic expression. "What? Frozen?" My pitch rose instantly, "How could this be? Is there a mistake?" "How should I know!" He was almost yelling, "I tried three times at the ATM, all transaction failed! The counter said the card is frozen!" "How could it be... I don't know either." I cried, voice full of innocence and grievance, "That's Mom's life-saving money!" I deliberately emphasized the words "life-saving money." "Where are you? I'll come find you right now! Let's go to the bank together to ask!" I proposed actively, tone extremely urgent. Silence for a few seconds on the other end. Jason's anger seemed choked by my initiative. "...I'm at the branch on Main Street, come quickly!" He finally gave the address impatiently. "Okay, I'll be right there!" Hanging up, I calmly changed clothes, put on light makeup to look both haggard and decent. When I rushed to the bank, Jason was standing next to the lobby manager with a dark face, looking anxious. Seeing me, he immediately strode over, eyes cutting me like knives. "What exactly is going on?" He lowered his voice, squeezing words through his teeth. I didn't answer him but walked straight to the counter. "Hello, I want to ask why this card is frozen?" I took the card from Jason's hand and handed it to the teller. The teller took the card, checked on the computer, and answered in a standard business tone: "Ma'am, this card was reported lost by you via phone customer service last night, currently in a frozen state." Hearing this, Jason's face turned iron green instantly. He stared at me deadly, wishing to swallow me alive. Meeting his gaze, my eyes reddened, big tears rolling down without warning. "Reported lost?" I repeated in disbelief, voice trembling, "I... when did I report it lost?" I turned to Jason sharply, grabbing his arm, crying: "I was home all night after giving you the card! How could I report it lost? Was the card stolen by someone? Oh god, the money inside! That's Mom's life-saving money!" My crying was loud and clear, full of despair and panic. Everyone's eyes in the lobby were attracted. People pointed at us, whispering. "What's wrong? Couple fighting?" "Sounds like the card was stolen, life-saving money inside?" "That guy's face looks so bad, why stare at his wife so fiercely?" Pressure of public opinion was like an invisible net, trapping Jason firmly. His face turned red then white, wanted to explode but suppressed by the crowd's gaze. Looking at my tear-streaked face, he could only grit his teeth and extend his arm to pull me into his embrace. "Alright, alright, stop crying, maybe just a misunderstanding." His voice was stiff, "Let's ask clearly again, money won't be lost." He comforted me while signaling to the people around with his eyes, trying to calm the storm. I lay in his arms, the corner of my mouth curling into an unnoticed, cold arc. Jason, this is just the beginning. Chapter 3 Back home, as soon as the door closed, the last shred of Jason's patience ran out. He threw my arm away violently, force so strong I stumbled into the shoe cabinet. "Chloe, did you f*cking do this on purpose?" His face was hideous, no longer the gentle and considerate look. I held the cold cabinet door, looking at him coldly. "I don't know what you are talking about." "You don't know?" He seemed to hear a huge joke, chest heaving violently, "Bank card lost not earlier not later, but lost when I got it to pay? And reported lost? Do you think I'm a three-year-old!" He approached me step by step, spit almost spraying on my face. "Do you just not want to take out money to save my mom!" He roared his truest thought. Just then, his phone rang sharply. It was my mother-in-law Brenda. Jason glanced at the screen, as if finding an outlet, immediately pressed speaker. "Hello, Mom." "Jason! Where's the money? The nurse came to urge again! Didn't you say pay today?" Brenda's sharp mean voice came from the receiver, full of energy, not looking like seriously ill at all. Jason looked at me with even more venom. "Mom, there's an accident, bank card frozen." "What? Frozen?" Brenda's volume raised eight octaves instantly, "How could it be frozen? Did that bitch Chloe do it! I knew she had bad intentions! Does she want me to die!" Vicious curses poured like dirty water. I silently turned on the recording function of my phone, screen down on the console table. "Mom don't worry, I'm asking her." Jason comforted his mother on the phone, eyes staring at me like a wolf. Hanging up, the madness in his eyes could no longer be hidden. "Speak! Who else did you tell the password to? Did you ask someone else to report lost?" "I didn't." I answered calmly. My calmness thoroughly enraged him. "Still pretending!" He roared, pouncing at me suddenly, "Give me your phone and ID! I'll go to the bank to unfreeze it now!" He looked like he wanted to eat people. Prepared, I turned and ran into the bedroom the moment he rushed over, then quickly locked the door. Bang! His huge fist hit the door panel, making a dull sound. "Chloe! Open the door! Open the door!" "You poisonous woman! If anything happens to my mom, I will never let you go!" "Open up! Do you hear me!" He smashed the door crazily, cursing me with the most vicious words I could imagine. Those words were like poisoned knives, piercing my heart one by one through the door. No, my heart won't hurt anymore. Only clearer and clearer hatred remained. Back against the cold door, I slowly slid to sit on the floor. Outside was the devil's roar, inside was hell-like silence. I took out another spare phone, trembling, and messaged my best friend Sarah. "Sarah, I might need your help." Reply was almost instant. "What's wrong Chloe? What happened?" I told her what happened in the briefest words. Sarah's call came immediately. "That beast! That dog couple!" Sarah cursed angrily on the phone, "Chloe, don't be afraid! Most importantly protect yourself now, never open the door!" "Record all evidence! Every word he says could be proof to send him to hell later!" "Are you safe now? Do you want me to come over?" Listening to Sarah's powerful voice, my chaotic mind slowly calmed down. "I'm fine, can still hold on." I said, "I just... first time discovered he could be so scary." "Not first time discovered, just first time willing to admit." Sarah hit the nail on the head. "Chloe, remember, from now on, you are not enduring, you are collecting evidence. Every grievance you suffer, make them pay back double in the future." I took a deep breath, clutching the phone tightly. "I know." The cursing outside continued, but those voices could no longer hurt me. They were just evidence, the epitaph I personally prepared for this pair of blood-sucking mother and son, Jason and Brenda.
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