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Synopsis
I was universally known as a monster of a mother, guilty of countless sins.
Ever since my daughter turned eight, she had to surrender every penny of her allowance to me.
While she choked down dry bagels in the dead of winter, I gambled her money away at poker tables.
When she worked part-time after college classes to pay tuition, I took her hard-earned cash to splurge at luxury malls.
After graduation, she made good money, yet I forced her to live in a dingy basement without an ounce of sympathy.
When she found a boyfriend, my first demand was a hundred-thousand-dollar luxury car.
Eventually, my daughter broke down, screaming through tears:
"How could I end up with a greedy leech like you for a mother?!"
"I raised you so you could pay me back! No luxury car, no wedding!"
Her fiancé called me a money-hungry psychopath.
His parents urged my daughter to cut ties with me completely, saying a mother like me wasn't worth keeping.
I never explained myself. I even whipped out a paternity test, demanding monthly support payments from her.
I said coldly, "It’s your legal duty. Pay up!"
On Christmas Eve, my daughter reached her breaking point.
Standing on the edge of a rooftop with bloodshot eyes, she cried, "Mom, did you ever love me at all?"
A sharp ache pierced my chest. I couldn't hold it back anymore, and finally revealed the secret I had buried for nearly thirty years...
The night before Christmas Eve, I sent my daughter a text.
"This month’s support is $318.56. I’ll knock off the change—just send me three hundred."
A second later, her FaceTime call came through.
On the screen, Chloe looked gaunt, her expression tight and eyes brimming with deep disappointment.
"Mom, did you only have me as an investment? Am I just your personal ATM?"
I frowned and cut her off. "Are you refusing to pay?"
Chloe trembled.
"Mom, all my life, the only thing you ever cared about was taking my money! Other kids could buy whatever they wanted and enjoy life, while I had to scrape by just to hand my savings over to you."
She bit her lip, pausing.
"And I never even blamed you for that."
So all these years, she had resented me deep down.
She had been an obedient, sweet girl, yet she never received my warmth.
Feeling sorry for me as a single mother, she had endured it all, earning money to give to me since she was little, promising she would love me forever.
My heart clenched.
Her eyes were red and full of tears. I forced myself to look away.
Chloe pressed on:
"Mom, you’ve been taking my money since I was eight years old. Your pension is higher than my salary now. Why are you still doing this?!"
Her fiancé, Logan, sneered from the background:
"Chloe, stop wasting your breath. She’s just a heartless miser!"
"I’ve never seen a grandmother who doesn't give a damn about her own grandchild!"
Chloe snapped at him:
"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!"
That desperate, emotional cry of "mother" pulled me back in time.
When Chloe was eight, just in third grade, I took away all her pocket money.
She gave me an obedient smile, handing over every cent from her little teddy bear pouch.
I turned around and spent it dining at high-end restaurants.
When she was twelve, starting middle school, she won a top-ten academic scholarship of two hundred dollars.
She ran to me, beaming, hoping for praise.
With a cold face, I snatched the envelope and used it to go on vacation for several days.
When she graduated and started working, I demanded she hand over her paychecks.
Over time, she grew distant, no longer craving my love.
Later.
She found a boyfriend. A rare smile returned to her face. When she tentatively asked for my blessing, I demanded a hundred-thousand-dollar luxury car, threatening to stop the wedding. Her face instantly froze.
"Mom, you’re marrying off a daughter, not selling one!"
Snapping back to reality, my voice remained harsh:
"Chloe, supporting your mother is your legal obligation."
This time, Chloe refused to let it go.
"Do you owe loan sharks? Or do you have some disgusting addiction?"
She was desperate for answers, but I insisted I just needed the money for myself.
Chloe scoffed coldly. "Stop lying! You live like a pauper. The neighbors said you won't even turn on the heater in the dead of winter!"
I frowned in displeasure:
"Is that how you speak to your mother?"
Logan chimed in, leaning toward Chloe. "Chloe, are you sure you’re not adopted?"
Chloe froze.
It seemed she had never considered that possibility.
As a poor girl who had been bled dry by her mother and grew up without a father, she had always been starved of love.
Logan had become her entire world.
Her eyes wavered with suspicion.
"Mom? Am I really your biological daughter?" I could see her knuckles turning white.
Before I could answer.
Chloe wiped her tears, her eyes flashing with pure hatred as she snarled at me:
"Mom, even if you won't tell me, I have ways to find out!"
"DNA tests are easy to get now. If you’re not my mother, I swear I won't let you leech off me for another second!"Chloe’s look of raw hatred made me stiffen, but thankfully, the call ended.
Over the years, as she got married and had a baby, my terrible reputation spread to all our relatives.
Relatives on both sides talked behind my back.
They said I was unreasonable, treating my daughter like a cash cow. Polite to my face, they trashed me the second I walked away.
The day Chloe’s water broke, she called me, crying, "Mom..."
I snapped at her coldly:
"Call, call, call, that's all you know how to do! Can I give birth for you?"
In the background, cards shuffled loudly.
"Full house! Pay up, pay up!"
My voice sounded cheerful, utterly unbothered by her agony, and I even asked if she could wire me some money.
Chloe sobbed softly on the other end.
Logan and his parents urged her to stop bothering with me, which only made her wail harder:
"Mom, please, won't you just come see me?"
"Get lost! I didn't knock you up. Have some shame."
Faced with such coldness, Chloe finally gave up on me.
Drained of money by me for decades, she never had an easy life.
Did she hate me? I didn't know.
But I raised her through hardships. Wasn't it natural for a daughter to provide for her mother’s retirement?
What was wrong with that?
Composing myself, I headed to the hospital.
I had taken on another part-time gig during the day, rushing to the bank before closing to wire money into a specific account.
I had been doing this for thirty years.
Even the bank teller recognized me.
"You have such a kind heart, ma'am. Wiring money to this account every single month. That sponsored kid must be so blessed."
I sighed, thanking her while secretly resenting my daughter.
Why couldn't Chloe just understand?
After that, I went to Chloe's house.
Holding the fresh DNA test report, I said coldly:
"When are you giving me this month’s support?"
Her house was lively. A Christmas tree stood in the yard, and festive holiday gift boxes were neatly arranged.
Yet Chloe and Logan looked like ants on a hot pan.
Chloe was rushing out the door holding her baby. The child looked terribly sick.
Seeing me, they both froze.
Chloe hurried over, pleading in a low voice:
"Mom, money is really tight right now. Please don't make a scene. I'll pay you in a few days."
Logan's mother immediately chimed in with sarcasm, "Wow, the audacity! You haven't helped with a single penny, but you sure show up on time to collect your handout!"
Logan's father joined in, adding fuel to the fire. "Shameless to the extreme."
The people gathered around—apparently Chloe’s friends—whispered among themselves:
"Chloe’s mom treats her like an ATM. How does someone like that even deserve to be a mother?"
My face hardened. "A daughter supporting her mother is the law of nature!"
Logan's mother tugged Chloe’s sleeve, whispering loudly:
"Cut ties with this vampire already!"
Chloe glanced at me, then down at her baby, who was burning with a high fever. Gritting her teeth, she dropped to her knees in front of everyone.
"Mom! I'm begging you! It’s not that I don't want to give you the money, but my baby is really sick..."
Logan pulled her up anxiously. "Stop talking, Chloe! Our son's life is on the line!"
Choking back tears, the two rushed off to the hospital.
As the onlookers pointed and gossiped, I followed them closely.
Not to help, but to demand my debt.
"Chloe, I raised you, so you owe me retirement support! Three hundred dollars! Pay up!"The baby was critically ill, and everyone was scrambling to raise funds.
Logan looked frantic, pacing and making call after call.
Chloe collapsed onto the floor, trembling.
The doctor muttered something about "congenital organ enlargement," saying the baby wouldn't survive without an urgent organ transplant.
I walked up and shoved the DNA report into her hands. She pressed her lips together, staring at it for a long time in silence.
I looked at her smugly. "Convinced you're my daughter now? What else do you have to say?"
Chloe looked up at me stubbornly, tears streaming down. "Mom! You heard the doctor! My baby is sick—he’s your grandson! It'll take over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to save his life! Please, help me!"
I let out a cold laugh:
"Out of the question! That's my retirement fund!"
"A loan! Can I borrow it? Mom, I know you must have saved over a hundred and fifty thousand over the years. I'm begging you!"
I turned a deaf ear.
When handing her the DNA test, I had accidentally slipped a bank wire receipt along with it.
Her sharp eyes caught it, and her whole body went rigid.
"Mom... what is this six-thousand-dollar wire transfer?"
Seeing that I had that much money, Chloe tried again to appeal to my conscience.
Her voice was hoarse, practically a scream:
"Mom, if you have spare cash to donate to charity, why can't you show any mercy to me and your grandson?"
"I'm your own daughter!"
"Mom, I'm not ungrateful! You gave birth to me, and I will repay you for raising me! But my baby has an emergency, he needs this money to live..."
"Bullshit! It’s my money! Spending it on your kid? Keep dreaming! I’ll spend my money however I damn well please! Now give me my three hundred dollars!"
Not only did I reject her plea,
I didn't bother explaining the wire receipt either. Instead, I demanded she hand over the support money right there and then.
Logan snatched both papers from her hands. After reading them, he spat with pure disgust, "Chloe is cursed to have a mother like you!"
The friends who had followed them were equally outraged:
"She’s actually her biological mother! How can anyone be so ruthless?!"
"She's a monster! Chloe, just cut ties with her! We’ve all seen how much money you’ve given her over the years. Her own grandson is dying, and instead of helping, she has the nerve to demand money right here in the ER!"
They spoke with righteous indignation.
Losing my patience, I snapped at them, "Give me the money! If you don't pay up, I'll call the cops and report you for abandoning your elderly mother! I'll have them arrest you!"
"And if you lose your jobs over this, don't blame me!"
Everyone was stunned.
Chloe broke down, sobbing uncontrollably:
"Mom, do you even have a soul? You clearly have money, and your grandson is dying! He would have called you Grandma! How could you?!"
Ignoring her, I reached to snatch back the papers, but she dodged.
Her voice rose: "Go ahead and call the cops! You care so much about strangers' kids, but you treat your own daughter and grandson like dirt! Let’s see whose side the police take!"
I rolled my eyes and cursed under my breath:
"I should've aborted you back then! You're utterly useless!" I yanked the papers from her grip.
Under the furious glares of Chloe and Logan, I took the three hundred dollars.
Then, I walked away with satisfaction.
Before leaving the hospital, I overheard Logan’s parents discussing selling their house to pay for the medical bills.
I immediately texted Chloe:
"I heard your in-laws are selling their house. Next month’s support is bumped up to six hundred dollars."
I walked two hours back home. For dinner, I had a piece of dry bread and a glass of warm tap water.
At midnight, my phone rang. It was the police.
"Ms. Evelyn Vance? Your daughter, Chloe, is on the roof of the Central Tower. She's about to jump!"
My heart slammed to a stop. The room spun around me.
Clutching the phone, I gasped.
"You're... joking, right?"
She had a loving husband and a six-month-old baby. Why would she jump?"Get down here immediately! If you get here fast, we might talk her down. Any later, and you'll be identifying a corpse."
"I don't believe you. You must be a scammer!"
Through the officer’s phone, I heard Chloe’s raw, exhausted screams:
"I don't want to live anymore! Leave me alone! My mother has treated me like an ATM my whole life, and I can't take this anymore!"
"My baby is dying, and my own mother won't help! She mocked me and demanded money! When I jump, none of you are allowed to give her another cent! I want her to drown in regret for the rest of her miserable life!"
Unable to bear it, Logan grabbed the phone from the officer:
"Mom, I'm begging you! I'll pay whatever you want, just please save Chloe!"
Over the line came the sickening thuds of Logan dropping to his knees, begging desperately.
It... was real.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor.
Had I really pushed my own daughter to jump off a building?
When I arrived at the scene.
Logan’s mother charged over and slapped me hard across the face. "You dare show your face here?! You drove my daughter-in-law to this!"
"Chloe is such a wonderful girl! How did she end up with a monster like you?!"
She was trembling with fury.
Logan’s father pointed right in my face, shouting:
"I treat her like my own daughter! If she dies tonight, you're a murderer!"
I looked up at the roof. Chloe's frail silhouette swayed against the night sky.
"Chloe, step down first. Mom has something to tell you."
Seeing me, Chloe looked as if she were staring at her worst enemy.
"Stay back! You don't deserve to be my mother! I wish you never gave birth to me!"
Standing on the rooftop ledge, she waved her arms frantically like someone pushed past the brink of madness.
My heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds.
"Mom was wrong, Chloe! When you were little, you promised you’d stay by my side until I got old! What about your baby? Have you forgotten about your child?!"
I tried to appeal to her emotions.
Instead, my words triggered her even worse. She stepped backward, violently shaking her head:
"Mom, I don't want to be your daughter anymore! Being your daughter is pure hell!"
"Chloe, don't!"
My vision blurred with terror, my hands clawing at empty air.
Thirty years of relentless demands had finally shattered every piece of her hope.
I hesitated, my voice trembling:
"You're my daughter... isn't supporting me what you're supposed to do?"
Chloe stared at my face for what felt like an eternity before breaking into a ragged sob:
"Mom, I only have one question. Why? Why did you treat me like this? Where did all that money go?! Are you truly so selfish that you'd sacrifice your own daughter and grandson?!"
A crowd had gathered below. Panic seized me.
I tried to plead: "Please, step down first. Mom will tell you in private."
"No!" Chloe took another step back toward the drop. "Say it out loud! Tell everyone! If you don't say it now, I jump!"
Words lodged painfully in my throat.
Logan, frantic, shoved me. "If you’re not going to help, get the hell out of here!"
I stumbled and nearly fell.
Someone carried the sick baby up to the roof.
Logan wept, pleading, "Babe, please! Whatever problems we have, we’ll work them out! If your mom keeps acting like this, we'll cut all ties with her, I swear!"
The baby wailed loudly.
Yet Chloe refused to step back. Her eyes remained locked onto me.
The answer she had spent her life seeking was held by me.
"What secret are you hiding?! Speak! Are you really going to let Chloe die?!"
Everyone stared at me with murderous, condemning eyes.
A bitter smile pulled at my lips.
"This is a secret... I've kept hidden for thirty years."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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