Chapter 3

I only made it back to that so-called "home" early the next morning.

When I pushed open the door, the living room was a total mess.

Empty bottles, fruit peels, and snack bags were scattered all over the floor, and some random jacket was thrown over the couch.

This was the battlefield left behind after they continued the party at home after the birthday dinner.

Meanwhile, I, the birthday boy, spent my sixty-fifth birthday all by myself in an old house nobody cared about, with no one even bothering to check on me.

I didn't bother cleaning up. I just walked straight into my room.

My room was tiny, only about a hundred square feet, the smallest one in this big house.

Silently, I opened the closet and took out a few changes of clothes, along with my awards, retirement certificate, and a thick photo album.

The album was filled with pictures of me in my prime, photos of my late wife and me, and adorable shots of Edward as a kid.

I flipped through the photos one by one.

I bought this 1900-square-foot apartment before Edward got married.

Back then, I said I'd cover the down payment and let the young couple handle the mortgage themselves to give them some responsibility.

But after Bella moved in, she hardly worked a day.

Edward's salary had to support all three of them, plus cover Bella's never-ending spending habits. There was no way he could keep up with the mortgage.

Every time the bank called about the payment, Bella would cry in front of me, holding little Hank in her arms.

She pleaded, "Richard, we really don't have any other options. You wouldn't just stand by and let the bank kick us out, or let Hank end up homeless, would you?"

I relented and agreed.

From that day on, 70 thousand was automatically deducted from my pension every month to cover the mortgage.

Before I knew it, Bella was holding onto my pension card like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She said, "Richard, you're getting up there in years, and your memory isn't what it used to be. Let me handle your money for you. I'll make sure everything's taken care of. I'll give you 200 bucks a month for pocket money. That's more than enough for you."

And I actually believed her.

I figured that since we were all family, it didn't really matter who handled the money.

I was way too naive.

As soon as Bella got her hands on that card, it basically became her personal ATM for her own family.

When William got married, I was "persuaded" to cough up 70 thousand for the bride price.

When Bella's parents wanted to go travelling, I was "reminded" to chip in 35 thousand for their trip.

Even when Bella's nephew needed a laptop for school, I had to pay for the most expensive MacBook.

And here I was, a retiree making about 10 thousand a month, but my monthly pocket money was just 200 bucks.

I had to sneak around and save up just to buy a pack of cigarettes.

I was the so-called "hero" of this family, but really, I was just a prisoner here.

With a loud bang, the door swung open.

Bella and Edward were back.

When Bella saw me packing my bags, she crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and smirked at me with that look.

She sneered, "Oh, so you're really leaving? Got quite the attitude, huh?

"Let me tell you, Richard, this family will get along just fine without you. If you walk out that door, don't come crawling back, crying and begging to come home."

I ignored her and kept folding the last of my clothes, packing them into my suitcase.

My silence only seemed to piss Bella off even more.

She snapped, "Are you deaf or something? I'm talking to you!"

Edward stood behind her, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with guilt and hesitation.

But in the end, he just stayed silent.

Bella gave him a death stare, and he instantly shrank back like a scared little quail.

Whatever hope I had left for Edward was gone for good.

He wasn't just spineless. He was her partner in crime.

I zipped up my suitcase with a crisp click.

Without even looking at them, I dragged my suitcase and walked straight past.

I could feel Bella's hateful stare boring into my back like daggers.

I made my way to the door, changed my shoes, and gripped the doorknob.

"Dad," Edward called out, his voice trembling.

I paused, but didn't look back.

I quietly closed the door.

The door closed with barely a sound, but to me, it was like a bomb, blowing apart all the patience and sacrifice I'd poured into this family for the last ten years.

Once I got downstairs, I hailed a cab and headed straight to the nearest bank.

"Hi, I'd like to report my bank card lost and get a new one," I said to the clerk.

The clerk was super efficient and had everything sorted out in no time.

I changed the PINs on all my bank cards right there, and canceled the automatic monthly mortgage payments.

After I finished everything, I let out a long, relieved sigh.

I'd planted this landmine myself, and I had no idea when it would go off.

But I was really looking forward to seeing how they'd react when it finally hit them.

I dragged my suitcase back to the old flat.

The place was run-down, but I felt a kind of freedom and peace I'd never known before.

Starting today, I was not anyone's dad, not anyone's father-in-law, and definitely not anyone's walking wallet.

Just Richard. That was all.

Now, I lived for myself.