Chapter 5

One day, I came home from work and found she had already been discharged.

My mom stood in the middle of the living room, dressed neatly, with a suitcase beside her.

Linda had her arm linked with my mom's, and they were as close as sisters.

"You're back?" My mom's face held a smug, triumphant smile. "I'm not living here anymore."

"I raised you all this time, only to raise an ungrateful wretch." She took two steps forward, pointing her finger at my nose. "Let me tell you, I'm not relying on you anymore. I've found a way to make money, and when I get rich, don't come crying and begging me!"

Linda chimed in, "Exactly, relying on yourself is better than relying on anyone else. It's never too late for a strong woman to start her own business! I told you, this kind of daughter, we can just pretend we never had her!"

I almost laughed out loud. "What kind of opportunity could you possibly have?"

My mom, however, became even more smug. She pulled out her phone and shoved it in front of my face.

"See? Invested a hundred bucks yesterday, cashed out a thousand today! Linda's daughter is a big boss, helping people get rich, a 10x return on investment!"

I looked at the phone, then at my mom's excited face.

"10x return?"

"Yes! With a little effort, it can even double!" She grinned, her eyes narrowing into slits. "I've finally figured it out. What's the point of all that education? Still unmarried at your age, nobody wants you. Look at Linda's daughter, how capable she is!"

Linda patted her on the shoulder. "Don't rush, dear. I'll introduce you to a wealthy businessman later; you can start a new chapter in life. You look so young, not like you're over fifty, someone will definitely want you."

My mom was grinning from ear to ear.

"Alright," she picked up her suitcase. "I'm leaving. Don't come looking for me anymore."

I stood at the door, watching her walk out.

"Mom."

She turned back.

"If you keep this up, you're going to regret it."

Her face darkened. "Bullshit! You're just jealous, aren't you?"

Linda pulled her along. "Don't mind her, let's go."

The two of them stepped into the elevator.

Before the doors closed, she was still smiling.

After moving out, my mom seemed like a changed person.

My Ins feed was flooded by her posts every day.

Yesterday, she posted her bank balance: fifty thousand dollars.

Caption: Follow the right people, do the right things, and money will practically throw itself at you.

The day before yesterday, she posted photos from a fancy party.

She was wearing an ill-fitting evening gown, arm linked with an old man's, smiling with a face full of wrinkles under the crystal lights.

Caption: Happiness, it's never too late to pursue.

Three days ago, she posted gifts.

A pile of fake designer bags and watches, obviously bought wholesale, with flashy, sparkly packaging.

Caption: Linda is too generous! I told her not to, but she insisted. This is a true friend!

Below every post, she'd leave comments mocking me: Some people's education went to waste, they don't know how to respect their parents! People with narrow vision are like this, making a meager salary every month, they'll never get rich in their lifetime! So laughable!

A couple of days later, the HOA called me. "Your mom brought someone to look at the apartment today, saying she wanted to sell it urgently, even twenty thousand dollars below market price was fine. I asked her where she'd live after selling, and she said in a mansion. Is... are you aware of this?"

I said, "Don't worry about her. Let her sell it."

The person on the other end paused. "You're not going to try to convince her otherwise? That's your family's old apartment."

"I can't convince her," I said. "Besides, she's determined to self-destruct, and I can't stop her."

Three days later, the apartment was sold.

My mom sent me a voice message, background noise loud, like she was at a celebratory banquet.

"You little brat! The money's in my account! This time I'm investing two hundred thousand, and in a couple of days, it'll be two million! Then I'll buy a mansion and hire a maid, and you can get on your knees and beg me, I still won't let you in!"

I didn't reply. I blocked her.

My cousin, Taylor, called.

"Chloe, your mom told me to tell you that she's hosting a dinner at a five-star hotel the day after tomorrow. She's invited all the relatives and said you absolutely have to come. She wants to publicly embarrass you."

"Tell her not to worry; I'll definitely be there."

Taylor's tone was worried. "You're really going? Aren't you afraid she'll cause a scene?"

I chuckled. "How else can I watch the show?"

After all, the police were also ready to make their move.

Not only was I going, but I was also preparing a big surprise for her.

Since she loved having experience teach her, I would give her a lesson she'd never forget.