What does it feel like to be pinned to an operating table by your own mother, about to have a kidney removed? I learned at eighteen. Perhaps I understood she didn't love me long before she divorced my father. I just never imagined her hatred ran this deep. 1 When I was seven, my parents joined the ranks of countless divorcing couples. In court, I watched my parents feign civility, shifting blame back and forth. Expressionless, I stood up and addressed the judge. "I choose to live on my own. I don't want either of them." Then, amidst the astonished stares of everyone present, I walked out. No one ever knew how I managed to grow up. My mother was a gambler, spending her days playing cards and seeking thrills with her friends. My father, disappointed I was a girl, worked away from home year-round, never even returning for holidays. Independence, for an ordinary seven-year-old, might seem a distant concept. For me, it was second nature. For the next ten years, they paid no attention to me. Then, at eighteen, my mother suddenly appeared at my door. No gentle inquiries about my well-being. She wanted my kidney. After she left, I went back inside. The house was stripped bare of anything that had belonged to my mother. My father said spitefully, "Your mother already found someone else. She was probably afraid you'd be a burden and scare him off, so she likely didn't even mention she had a child." Seeing my lack of reaction, my father grew annoyed and muttered, "I'm going to rent this place out. I'm always on the road anyway, and you…" I wasn't surprised he was kicking me out, just shocked it was happening so soon. As I packed my meager belongings, a morbid curiosity made me ask him, "Dad, if I had been a boy, would you still have abandoned me?" My father froze, then averted his gaze, mumbling evasively. I hadn't truly expected an answer. Once my things were packed, I held out my hand to him. "There's a semi-basement storage room downstairs in this building. It's too small to rent out. Give me the key. I need a place to stay when school's out." This time, my father was surprisingly quick to hand over the key, almost desperately so. That very night, after a trip to the real estate agent, he left without looking back. With the help of the community center and kind neighbors, a month later I successfully enrolled in a boarding school, not too close, not too far. Spring turned to autumn, years passed. I grew, vigorous as a resilient wild grass. In a blink, my eighteenth birthday arrived. It wasn't a day for celebration; my financial lifeline was cut. And with it, my monthly contact with my parents ceased entirely. Truth be told, my grades were average, enough to get into a decent college. But I resolutely gave up on university and became an apprentice at the largest auto repair shop in our city. A girl learning auto repair? Not only did the owner find it unbelievable, even my master mechanic thought it a waste of time to teach me. But I persisted. Over time, everyone saw that I wasn't just having a fleeting interest. I could endure more hardship than anyone, and I was eager to learn and improve. Gradually, not only was my master willing to teach me everything he knew, but my senior colleagues were also happy to share their experiences. I established myself at the shop, my skills growing steadily, and my bank balance multiplied. Everything was heading in the direction I had planned. If only my mother hadn't shown up at the shop and caused a scene. She burst into the shop, hair disheveled, just as I was under a BMW, working on the car. All I could see were her feet. "Is Aubrey here? Tell her to come out. I'm her mother, and I need to see her urgently." The people in the shop had never heard me mention parents, so they looked at her with suspicion. But upon closer inspection, her face bore a five-point resemblance to mine, making them hesitate. I quietly scooted further into the shadows under the car. My boss casually glanced over, his expression unwavering as he spoke. "What do you need her for?" My mother hesitated, then spoke with a forced maternal tenderness. "Isn't it getting cold? I was worried Aubrey didn't have warm clothes, so I wanted to take her shopping for a few things. Where is she? Tell her to come out! Do you think I'd lie to you?" This time, it was my master who spoke. He stood strategically, placing himself between my mother and the BMW. "Aubrey doesn't work here anymore. Please leave. We're about to wash the cars; you wouldn't want to get your clothes wet." Seeing that no one in the shop believed her, my mother dropped the pretense and began creating a huge ruckus. "Bullshit! I asked around! She works here! What are you trying to hide her for, you creeps?!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "A bunch of grown men hiding a young girl! I… I'll go outside and yell that you've corrupted my daughter and won't let me take her!" "Don't stop me! I must find Aubrey today! I can't wait; there's no time left!" Her shouts attracted more and more onlookers outside the shop. My master and senior colleagues were honest, decent men. Faced with such a belligerent shrew, they didn't even know how to respond. Yet, even as she hurled insults and smeared their reputations, they held their ground, protecting me. But I couldn't hide any longer. I couldn't let her hurt these people who had genuinely cared for me. I crawled out from under the car, grabbed a rag to wipe the black grease from my hands, and stood expressionless before my mother. "Brenda Lin," I said coldly, "I'm giving you two choices: either tell the truth, or get out." My mother pointed a finger at my nose and shrieked, "What did you call me?! I'm your damn mother! You call me Brenda Lin?! Are you even human, disowning your own mother?" I was too tired to argue. I simply stated, "I have all the time in the world to stand here and listen to you. You can curse for a day, a month, a year; I'm all ears." Her urgency, her impatience from earlier, wasn't feigned. Grasping her weakness was the fastest way to restore peace to the shop. Sure enough, Brenda stopped cursing. A flicker of guilt crossed her face, quickly masked by her deliberately raised chin and wide, defiant eyes. She said self-righteously, "Your brother is sick and needs a kidney transplant. You need to come with me for compatibility testing. The doctors say a biological sister has a high success rate. It's your duty!" … The onlookers, who had initially joined Brenda in criticizing the shop for hiding a girl and me for addressing my mother by her first name, now fell silent. Their eyes on Brenda were filled with disbelief and outrage. I, however, burst into laughter, bending over with amusement. So, His Royal Highness was sick, was he? My laughter, sharp and piercing, unnerved Brenda. She swallowed, puffed out her chest, and issued a command. "Laugh, laugh, laugh! Your brother is sick, and you can still laugh? You're worse than an animal! Get with me now! At most, after the transplant, I'll give you two thousand dollars for supplements to recover." She scoffed. "Hmph, I don't even think you'll need supplements. Your body's tough as nails." The smile slowly faded from my face. My expression darkened. I leaned against the counter, arms crossed, scrutinizing her shameless face. Tsk, tsk, tsk, truly unsightly. "Brenda Lin, from the moment you screamed 'I don't want this daughter!' 'I don't want this daughter!' in court when you divorced my father, you ceased to be my mother. The five hundred dollars in child support you sent me each month before I turned eighteen, I will now, in front of everyone, return to you in one lump sum. From this moment on, we are completely even. As for your precious prince needing a kidney transplant…" I deliberately drew out the last words. Brenda's eyes held a flicker of desperate hope as she looked at me. Then, I spoke each word clearly, emphatically: "That has nothing to do with me. If you make another scene here, don't blame me for personally dragging you to the police station. If you don't believe me, feel free to test whether I'll actually do it." Watching the hope in Brenda's eyes shatter into fragments, an inexplicable surge of satisfaction rose in my heart. She didn't know. On nights spent in that basement, I too had trembled uncontrollably from thunder and lightning, hoping she would come to see me, or at least answer a call so I could hear my mother's voice. Yet, she had blocked me. The thought of her comforting her son, telling him not to be afraid, letting him sleep soundly, made a wave of hatred instantly override my fear. In the thunder, I had opened the window level with the ground, stood on a stool by the sill, letting the wind and rain lash against me, fearless and unafraid. Brenda knew I meant what I said. She cursed me as an ungrateful wretch and a white-eyed wolf, then pressed me to transfer the money to her. Finally, she left reluctantly, defeated. I ignored the complex glances cast my way, slipped back under the car, and continued my work. By the time I finished, it was well past closing time. My boss sat by the shop door, smoking. Seeing me emerge from under the car, he put out his cigarette, looking as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. All my life, I had seen mostly the cold indifference of the world. My boss's hesitation, I interpreted as him not knowing how to fire me, a potential magnet for future trouble from Brenda. I thought for a moment, then, being considerate, spoke first: "Boss, could you give me a few days to find a new place before I leave?" My boss shot up, his voice tinged with anger. "What are you talking about, Aubrey? What kind of person do you take me for, John Bell? I… I was going to ask if you needed to borrow some money, since you gave her all yours? Or if you wanted an advance on a few months' salary? I just didn't want to hurt your pride." This time, it was my turn to be surprised. Wasn't my boss afraid Brenda would cause trouble again? She was a greedy, insatiable woman. Thinking this, the question slipped out. My boss grinned, showing off his pearly whites, and said honestly, "No businessman wants trouble, but I especially don't want my employees to be bullied. I don't look for trouble, but if trouble comes, I'm not afraid of it. Aubrey, you just keep working here steadily. If you have any financial difficulties, just say the word." A warmth silently bloomed inside me, spreading through my whole body, and a moist light filled my heart. "Thank you, Boss." My boss scratched his head uncomfortably as he closed the door, saying, "Oh, come on, we've known each other this long. 'Boss, boss' sounds too formal. Just call me John from now on." I repeated the name to myself. The end syllable made me smile, as if every time I said it, I would be happy. Back at the dorms John rented for us behind the shop, the moment I stepped inside, I noticed a difference. Usually, by this time, snores would be echoing through the rooms. But today, there was no snoring, only the clinking and clanking of pots and pans from the kitchen. Hearing the door open, my master stuck his head out from the kitchen. This surprised me even more. My master owned his own house and didn't live in the dorms. What was he doing in our kitchen so late at night? Soon after, a few senior colleagues also appeared, waving me to sit at the dining table. A feast was coming. Watching dish after dish being placed on the table, I suddenly understood. These men, not given to many words, were comforting me in their own way. During the meal, no one mentioned the day's events. Everyone spoke of lighthearted topics. My usually quiet master even told me a corny old joke. I ate more that night than I ever had. I had always been used to fighting my battles alone. Now, suddenly, having people standing behind me, it felt like I had a strong support system, a new motivation. My fearless heart grew even stronger. After seeing my master off, I tidied the kitchen. I began to make careful plans. Over the years, although my contact with Brenda had been minimal, it didn't mean I didn't understand her. On the contrary, I knew her very well. She had tasted sweetness from me today; tomorrow, she would demand more. Rather than being passively exploited, I needed to actively bare my fangs. I needed to let Brenda know the price of provoking me.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "392912", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel