Chapter 2

Just then, my mother appeared in the doorway. Seeing the chaos, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's going on here?"

Sean's mother instantly jumped in her face, scowling. "Who the hell are you? This is my son's apartment. How dare you walk right in?"

My mother looked at me, completely bewildered. "Ethan, isn't this your place? How does it belong to someone else?"

Seeing how aggressive they were, my mother thought I had done something terrible. Her eyes welled with tears.

"Did you... did you gamble the apartment away?"

Swallowing the bitter rage burning in my throat, I gave her a pained smile.

"Mom, you know I'd never gamble. It's complicated. I'll explain everything later."

My mother turned to Chloe instead, pleading, "Chloe, tell me the truth. What's happening? Did Ethan ruin himself gambling?"

Sean's mother barked, "You old hag, who are you calling your daughter-in-law? She's mine!"

"Now I get it. You two came here together to cause trouble!"

"Chloe, sweetie, tell this crazy woman whose family you belong to!"

Furious beyond measure, I locked eyes with Chloe.

"Chloe. Does Sean's pride really mean more to you than me and my mother?!"

Chloe hesitated.

Noticing her pause, Sean whispered under his breath, "Chloe, my mom's heart is weak. She can't handle stress..."

Hearing that, Chloe turned her head away and said coldly, "You two are delusional. I don't even know who you are."

Sean's mother puffed up with smug pride.

"Hear that? That's my girl!"

"A crazy old woman and her lunatic son. Don't pull your crap here. Throw them out!"

At her command, the relatives grabbed my mother and me, shoving us roughly toward the door.

My mother panicked, struggling in their grip. "What is happening?!"

"This is my son's home! And that's my son's wife!"

*Slap!*

Sean's mother struck my mother across the face with brutal force.

"Shameless old lunatic! Someone needs to knock some sense into you!"

The blow sent my mother crashing headfirst into the wall. She slumped to the floor, instantly unconscious.