Chapter 4
Jasmine came at me in a fury, but I booted her in the calf, and she crashed to the ground, stumbling all the way.
The commotion finally drew the attention of our neighbor from across the hall.
Catherine opened her door and poked her head out, looking surprised. "Jasmine, what's going on? Why are you making such a scene during the New Year?"
Normally, I'd do anything to keep our dirty laundry from being aired in public.
But today, I wanted the whole world to know.
I stood at the doorway and shouted into the hallway, making sure everyone could hear me.
"Catherine, you're just in time. Tell me, am I wrong here? I've been feeding and housing this whole family, letting them live in my house and spend my money. And what do I get in return? They treat me like their personal maid, and Brielle even dumped red wine on my head. Jasmine and Zachary even tried to team up and beat me!"
"Now, I'm kicking these ungrateful freeloaders out. Am I really in the wrong?" I added.
My voice echoed through the hallway, loud and clear.
Leona's face turned beet red, and Zachary looked like he wished the floor would swallow him up.
They cared more about their reputation than anything, and couldn't stand being the subject of gossip.
I wanted to make sure every neighbor saw them lose all their dignity.
Catherine was always a kind soul. After hearing my story and seeing the pile of luggage at the door and the Vance family looking like a total mess, she pretty much got the whole picture.
She tutted at Leona. "Come on, Leona, this is just wrong. Jasmine's your daughter-in-law, not some slave you bought. How could you bully her like that?"
Other neighbors started poking their heads out, gossiping and pointing at the Vance family.
The Vance family stood in the snowy hallway, under the scrutiny of all the neighbors, looking like a bunch of clowns with their dignity stripped bare.
Their faces twisted with shame, anger, and helplessness.
Meanwhile, I stood in my warm doorway, watching them, feeling completely in control for once.
In that moment, I finally realized that dignity wasn't something that others granted. It was something you seized for yourself.
The Vance family clearly hadn't expected me to be this ruthless.
They clung stubbornly to the hallway, refusing to budge. Leona pulled her usual stunt, dropping herself onto the icy floor, slapping her thighs, and bawling her eyes out.
"You heartless one! Kicking the whole family out during New Year's!
"God, open your eyes! What terrible retribution did I bring upon myself?" she cried.
Her cries were so loud and dramatic, anyone who didn't know the real story would think I'd committed some unforgivable crime.
Brielle snatched up her phone, texting angrily while glaring daggers at me, spitting out curses and insults without a care.
I knew exactly what she was up to—spinning lies and smearing my name in the family group chat.
Back then, I might have caved just to save face.
But now, I just wanted to see what other tricks they could pull.
I grabbed my phone, set it up, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
"If you want drama, let's let everyone see it," I said.
I went live, titling the stream: [Live: New Year's Eve Showdown—Daughter-in-law Strikes Back, Kicks Out the Whole Parasite Family].
I pointed the camera at Leona, making a scene on the floor, then swung it over to Brielle, furiously texting and swearing, and finally landed on Zachary, looking furious.
"Alright, everyone in the livestream, let me introduce you to the stars of tonight's drama. This one rolling around on the floor is my mother-in-law, Leona. She lives in my house, but wants me gone with not a penny to my name," I introduced.
"And here's my sister-in-law, Brielle. She's a 24-year-old grown baby, swiping my card for designer bags, trashing my hair, and just for fun, dumping red wine all over my head," I went on.
"And last but definitely not least," I said, shoving the camera right in Zachary's face.
"My dear husband—classic mama's boy, always trying to please his mom and his family, spending my salary on them. And whenever they gang up on me, all he ever says is, 'Just put up with it.'"
The livestream viewership exploded in seconds.
100… 500… 2000… 10000…
The chat went absolutely wild, comments flooding in nonstop.
[Damn! This is insane right from the get-go!]
[Is this mother-in-law a pro or what? Her acting is seriously on point!]
[That sister-in-law looks all proper, but she's downright nasty!]
[Stay strong, Jasmine! Don't hold back against these toxic people!]
Leona froze for a second when she saw I was actually streaming, then got even more fired up, lunging at me to snatch my phone.
"You little bitch! How dare you livestream! I'll tear you apart today!" she screamed.
I dodged her easily, and she missed completely, going sprawling on the floor, her hair all over the place, making a fool of herself in front of everyone.
Over ten thousand people watched it all go down, no filter.
The stream chat exploded instantly.