Chapter 219


    “But I feel that whatever there is between the two of you is not as simple as an employment


    rtionship. I''m your mother, Anna. I''ve raised you since you were a baby. Don''t you think I know how


    you tick?”


    Mom chose to ignore my exnations. Besides, I could see that she had more to say as she bored into


    my eyes.


    Confronted by her incessant questioning, I averted her gaze guiltily. I did not have a good answer for


    her. After all, I could not very well say that Michael and I were friends with benefits, could I?


    Mom and Dad had a more traditional mindset. Thus, if I really said that out loud, I would probably never


    see the light of day again.


    “Mom, Michael''s really not my boyfriend...”


    I might not know what else to say, but I most definitely could not let Mom and Dad assume that Michael


    was my boyfriend. Otherwise, they would just keep asking Michael for money, devoid of any shame or


    guilt.


    “If Michael''s not your boyfriend, then... is it true? Is it true what they say, that you''re his mistress?”


    The conversation suddenly took an ugly turn. I froze when she called me a mistress. I looked at Mom


    with a pained expression, and my heart ached.


    Mom actually called me a mistress. I was well aware that my rtionship with Michael was not


    something that could be discussed openly. If other people had called me that, I probably would not


    have minded. However, out of all people, it had to be my mother who used that word.


    I''m your daughter, Mom. How can you call me that? It''s such a demeaning term! Have you ever


    considered my feelings?


    “Mom, how can you say that?”


    My eyes turned misty as I stared at her, feeling upset.


    “Anna, we are decent people. How could you let yourself be someone else''s mistress? Do you have


    any idea the shame you''ve brought to your father and me? What are we supposed to do the next time


    we meet our rtives?”


    Mom did not give me a straight answer. But instead, she had basically decided that I was Michael''s


    mistress.


    “I''m not! I''m not anybody''s mistress!”


    Mom always jumped to her own conclusions. She never listened to me, and even if I did borate, she


    would not believe me anyway.


    It was then that Dad, who had been eating silently while Mom and I were bickering, announced his


    stance on the matter. “I don''t care what you are. From now on, I want you to cut ties with Michael. Don''t


    ever see him again.”


    He spoke harshly. My dad was never much of a talker, but whenever he opened his mouth, his words


    were intimidating.


    “Dad, he''s my boss. I work there. How can we not meet? What''s up with you guys today? Why are you


    telling me this all of a sudden?”


    I was very confused. In the past, Mom and Dad had never asked me about my rtionship with


    Michael. Today, out of the blue, they called me toe home and then proceeded to ask about


    whatever was between us. It was all too weird.


    “Then quit your job! Go work at anotherpany! There''s bound to be one that will take you!”


    Dad''s stern voice sounded again, but he did not answer my question.


    “Why? Why must I quit my job? For your information, Joyful Sess offers the highest sry in the


    entire design industry, and it''s apany with the most promising future for me. How can I give that up


    so easily?”


    Without having to think, I rejected Dad''s demand. Getting the opportunity to work in Joyful Sess


    was not an easy feat, and I would not let it go to waste!


    “High sry, you say? Then how long will it take for you to earn one million?”


    It was Steven who spoke this time. He looked at me with contempt.


    “What do you mean by one million?” I stared at him quizzically.


    I had no idea what he meant, but I had a bad feeling that I was about to find out.


    “To tell you the truth, a woman came to us a couple of days ago. She told us that as long as you stay


    away from Michael, she''ll give us one million.”


    Steven could be quite a thoughtless person. With no effort at all, he had voluntarily spilled the beans.


    Hearing that, I suddenly felt like I was struck by lightning. instantly, I understood why Mom and Dad


    wanted me toe home, and why they deliberately brought up Michael.


    Their eyes are on a prize all along!


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    This was ridiculous. I thought my family had changed their attitude toward me. I thought Mom had


    forgiven me. However, I had juste to realize that she was putting up a pretense all this time. She


    was good to me because she wanted the reward money.


    “Mom, you''re doing it for the money, aren''t you?”


    I looked into my mother''s eyes, holding onto what little glimmer of hope I had left. I hoped she could


    give me a good exnation and tell me that it was not the money she was after.


    All that, despite the fact that I already had an answer. I knew what kind of person Mom was. For a


    moment, I just did not want to believe it.


    She nced at me, and I could see the guilt in her eyes. Then, she avoided my gaze but remained


    silent. Her actions only verified what I feared to be true.


    “I guess Steven''s right. You just want the money.” I sneered.


    A chill spread throughout my veins. I thought I had finally felt what it meant to fit right at home, but it


    turned out that I had only been fooling myself.


    Facing Mom, I snickered. As Iughed, tears began to flow down my cheeks. What kind of world is


    this? The people I consider dearest to me can''t seem to stop conspiring against me.


    “Come off it! Michael''s not your boyfriend anyway! Just quit your job, and we can get one million! Think


    about it! One million is a veryrge sum! It''s just waiting to fall into ourps! It''s a blessing, I say!”


    Mom was bing desperate. She knew I would not do it, and she was getting flustered.


    “A blessing? By sacrificing me and my future? What do you n to do with that money? Can you really


    bring yourself to spend it, knowing what you did to get it? Which one is more important to you: Me, or


    one million offered by a stranger?”


    Between the three of them, they would probably choose the money and get me away from here. They


    would rather get their “blessing” in exchange for my suffering.


    Is money that important to them? So important that family means nothing?


    “There''s nothing topare! I don''t care what you are to Michael! I want you to leave that man! And


    this city as well!”


    They paid no mind to the pain they had caused me. The only thing they cared about was to get me to


    leave so that one million would be theirs.


    “I''m not leaving him, and I''m not resigning my post. You''d better give up that thought!” I shouted as I


    wiped away the tears with the back of my hand, all the while ring at them.


    However, I would never give in. I would not leave, and I would not let them have the money because


    they had the gall to put a price on my pain and suffering.


    “You... How dare you speak to us like that? You''ve be rebellious, that''s what you are! We''re your


    parents. You must obey us!”


    Dad mmed the table and rose to his feet. He was purple with rage.


    “Oh, I''m surprised you''re aware that you''re my parents. But as parents, shouldn''t you be supportive of


    your child? Look at you! Time and time again, you''re the ones forcing me to do what you want. Have


    you ever seriously thought about what I want?”


    All these years, just because they were my parents, I hadpromised time and time again. There


    were many times I wanted to fight back, but I relented because I felt indebted to them for raising me.


    But not anymore!