Chapter 3

Late that night, I lay alone in the tiny guest room, barely a hundred square feet.

The room was small and dim, with nothing but a single bed and a little wardrobe. Even the window faced north, so sunlight almost never reached it.

My daughter always said she had prepared this room especially for me, so I could live there in peace.

But I knew the truth. It had originally been meant as a storage room.

I couldn't sleep. My mind was a mess.

I picked up my phone and scrolled into the photos from this exact day last year.

They were pictures from Grace's fifty-fifth birthday party.

A luxury private room in a five-star hotel, three banquet tables, each costing over 700 dollars.

In the photos, Grace wore the fitted designer dress Charlotte had bought for more than 3,500 dollars, along with that 17,000-dollar jewelry set. She was smiling from ear to ear.

Charlotte stood beside her, holding her arm and calling her "Mom" like they were truly mother and daughter.

Lily hugged her and chirped, "Grandma's the best."

And me? I was standing in the corner in faded old clothes, looking like I didn't belong there at all.

That whole day, I ran around pouring tea and serving people. I didn't even have time to sit down and take a bite.

After the banquet, Charlotte booked Grace a ten-day trip to Europe, first-class flights and five-star hotels all the way. It cost over 23,000 dollars.

That money had been borrowed from me.

Charlotte had said, "Mom, you live alone. You don't need that much money anyway. Lend it to me so I can give Grace a proper birthday. I'll pay you back little by little later."

To this day, she hadn't returned a single dollar. And my own fifty-third birthday was just ten days away.

What would I get? Another 2-dollar transfer? Or maybe just a quick "Happy birthday"? The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. My tears wouldn't stop.

Right then, my phone suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar number from Sunport City.

"May I speak to Ms. Taylor? I'm Attorney Lee. I'm calling on behalf of your cousin, Susan Taylor..."

I froze.

Susan? We had grown up together. She was five years older than me and had always treated me like a little sister.

Ten years ago, she moved overseas with her husband. We didn't talk as much after that, but every holiday she still called to check on me. But this year, she hadn't called. I had thought maybe she just forgot.

"Ms. Taylor, I'm sorry to inform you that Ms. Susan Taylor passed away from illness three months ago..."

My mind went blank.

Susan... had died?

"According to her will, she left all her assets to you, including a 1,300-square-foot apartment in downtown Willow Valley City and 500,000 dollars in savings. She said you were the only family she had left in this world..."

I covered my mouth and burst into tears.

Susan had no children, and her husband had passed away years earlier. She had spent all those years alone abroad, and in the end, she still remembered me.

"Ms. Taylor, please come to our firm this week to handle the paperwork. I'll send the details to your email..."

After the call ended, I just sat there, stunned.

500,000 dollars, and an apartment.

I had never seen that much money in my life.

I had worked in a textile factory for thirty years, and my monthly pension was only 1,400 dollars.

Out of that 1,400, I sent Charlotte 1,000 dollars every month, supposedly to help with living expenses, though really it was helping pay their mortgage.

The 400 dollars left had to cover my medicine, my clothes, and the occasional snacks and toys for Lily.

By the end of the year, there was barely anything left to save.

For the past three years, I had poured my whole pension into my daughter's household while scraping by myself.

And what had my daughter done?

She took my money and turned right around to shower Grace with it.

Every month, Grace got 700 dollars from my daughter as an "elder care allowance," supposedly to thank her for helping with Lily.

But Grace only came three times a month and stayed three days each time. Nine days of showing up got her 700 dollars?

I had lived there for three years, working from dawn till night every single day, and I hadn't been paid a cent.

Not only was I unpaid, I was still giving them 1,000 dollars a month.

Thinking about all that made the weight in my chest sink even deeper.

Then my daughter's voice drifted in from the living room. "Mom, don't forget to get up early tomorrow. Guests will be here by noon for Grace's birthday."

Another birthday party for Grace.

I closed my eyes and made up my mind.