Chapter 2

Just then, the waiter pushed open the door to our private room to serve the dishes. Daniel Walter and Linda from our dance team happened to catch sight of what was going on.

They both came in cheerfully to greet us, big smiles on their faces.

"Hey there, looks like the whole family's gathered for dinner?" Daniel asked.

Linda spotted the grand prize package on the table. "I saw you win this afternoon, and now the whole dance team's buzzing about it.

"Everyone's saying there's not just a free six-month trip to Aurfland for two, but also 20 pounds of gold waiting for you."

My heart dropped. There was no hiding now.

My mind was instantly flooded with a deafening roar of their thoughts.

'Almost let this old woman pull a fast one on us. Did she really think a stupid balloon would distract us? No way. She's not leaving tonight without handing over the cash,' Samuel grumbled to himself.

'Beachfront villa, limited-edition sports car... I need to get my hands on that money, whatever it takes,' Mason schemed inwardly.

'Six months in Aurfland, plus all that gold. Man, with that kind of money, I could buy anything I want,' John thought greedily.

'Once the money's split, I'm getting a divorce. I can't stand another day in this family,' Isabella thought coldly.

If I couldn't hear their real thoughts, I might've actually believed the smiles on my sons and their wives were genuine, like they were happy for me.

Samuel was the first to speak up. "Mom, I've been saying for ages that you should come live with us. After we finish dinner, I'll take you back to our place."

Isabella jumped in right away. "Why wait for dinner? Let's go now. She always says she loves my ravioli, and I made them earlier today. They're ready and waiting for you to enjoy."

They moved to take my arm and escort me out, but the next second, their true colors showed through in their thoughts.

'Just come with me, old hag. Once you're in my house, you won't get to call the shots anymore,' Samuel thought.

'Never got a single benefit out of marrying into this family. Finally, I've made it. The moment the cash is in my hands, I'll kick her out without a second thought,' Isabella thought.

My hand holding the fork was shaking.

Of all my sons, Samuel got the most money out of me.

He was the first to get married, the first to have a kid. I handled everything for him.

The down payment for their house, the money for Isabella's postpartum care, the fees for Lucas's extra classes... Before they even had to ask, I was already shelling out the cash.

Back then, Isabella would praise me to the skies in front of Samuel, playing the perfect daughter-in-law. Turns out, it was all for show.

"No need," I shot back. "I'm perfectly happy in my little place."

John jumped in right away. "Yeah, Mom's been living with me, and it's been great. You guys don't need to worry about her. I can take care of her just fine."

He stared at me with a smile, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.

I could hear his thoughts loud and clear. 'Man, moving in with this old hag was the smartest move I ever made. After more than a year, I'm finally about to cash in.

'Once I get my hands on that 20 pounds of gold, I'm buying the priciest mansion in the city. Who'd want to live with her after that? The whole place reeks of old people. It's disgusting.'

Two years ago, John lost his job and couldn't afford rent anymore. I was the one who offered to let him move in with me.

Back then, he was all tears and snot, thanking me over and over. He promised that once he found work, he'd not only pay me back for the rent, but even hand over his paycheck to me each month.

Turns out, it was all just hot air.

"John, you really have no shame," Mason couldn't hold back anymore. "Taking care of Mom? Please. You've been mooching off her house and her food, and every single day, she's cooking three meals for you.

"You haven't even bothered to look for a job. Just lazing around at Mom's place for over a year, getting all kinds of freebies from her. We haven't even started calling you out for all the stuff you've gotten.

"I'm totally against Mom living with you."