Chapter 1

I thought my efforts would be reciprocated, but from start to finish, they just treated me as a free nanny. Ethan Grant actually squandered all the money for my father's treatment behind my back, and afterwards, wouldn't tolerate a word of my dissatisfaction. My second sister, Grace, inexplicably came at me with a knife just because I revealed her secret. But in fact, I didn't say anything. In an instant, my family was on the brink of collapse, and I didn't know how to return things to where they once were.

1. The Life-Saving Money That Disappeared

"May, are you home?"

I was in the kitchen washing dishes and mopping the floor. Hearing someone call me, I quickly went to open the door. It was my neighbor Nora Wilde, bringing over cardboard and some bottles and jars for me.

Nora was my first friend after I got married here. Though not particularly close, she seemed to be the only friend I had over these years. Joyce Wilde came in and headed straight to the kitchen, saying she was thirsty from the heat, while I busied myself packing the cardboard and bottles she brought.

"Cough, cough, cough." My father-in-law's rough, hoarse coughing echoed throughout the courtyard. I immediately dropped what I was doing and went to attend to him.

Father-in-law is 56 this year. Seven years ago, he injured his leg in an accident and became paralyzed from the waist down. Before I married in, my mother-in-law divorced him, leaving the four children behind. My husband is the eldest, with two younger sisters and a younger brother underneath him. The second sister is in her senior year of high school, the third sister in her first year, and the fourth brother is still in junior high. I got married at nineteen and experienced a miscarriage. Due to financial pressure, we haven't dared to have another child since.

After taking care of my father-in-law, I hurried to the yard to work with Nora.

Nora looked up and asked me, "May, isn't today the weekend? Why are you the only one at home?"

"It's Ray's birthday today. Ethan took them out to play."

Nora sighed, shook her head, and said, "Ah, encountering someone like you must be Ethan Grant's blessing. If it were me, I'd have run away long ago; I couldn't endure this kind of life."

I could only smile slightly and say, "It's nothing. Though life is a bit tough and tiring, as long as he cherishes me, it's worth it."

Nora is straightforward, and upon hearing my words, she immediately frowned, saying, "Don't get upset, but I think Ethan Grant doesn't know how to cherish you. The old need your care, the young need your attention, and you're left to deal with this heap of junk. Though you can earn a bit from it, your body will eventually wear out with just you doing it all."

Having known her for so many years, I'm aware of her temper, so I just smiled and said, "It's okay, he doesn't want it either. With such a big family to feed, how can his monthly factory wages be enough?"

"I just feel for you, seeing you so exhausted every day, it hurts my heart. May, don't blame me for being nosy. I advise you to have a child while you're still young. After all, having a child of your own will give you something to hope for."

I nodded and didn't refute, then diverted the topic. As we chatted, we soon packed all those cardboards, then together placed them on the scale to weigh them.

"It's a total of thirty-five dollars and sixty cents. I'll give you thirty-six dollars, wait a moment, I'll get the money for you."

Saying this, I went back inside, opened the cabinet to get the wallet, intending to take out the money, and found there were only about two hundred dollars left. My heart skipped a beat; could Ethan have taken the rest? Does it take that much just to go shopping for groceries?

Holding deep suspicion, I settled the payment with Nora and planned to ask Ethan about it once they returned.

After I finished cooking, darkness gradually descended. No moon, no stars, just a pitch-black night. Ethan and the others hadn't returned yet. I called Ethan, but he didn't answer, so I had to serve dinner to my father-in-law first.

My father-in-law raised an eyebrow and asked, "They still haven't returned yet?"

I lowered my eyes and nodded.

"Ethan spoils his siblings too much. You don't need to wait for them; eat first. I'll speak to them when they return," my father-in-law said somewhat angrily.

"Dad, please don't scold Ethan, today…" I hadn't finished speaking when I heard laughter and chatter from outside. Ethan and the others were back!

Ethan and the others brought in bags and bags of things. I was somewhat dumbfounded.

2. The Argument Sparked by a Thousand Dollars

The siblings were very happy. As soon as the third sister entered, she handed a piece of clothing to my father-in-law.

"Dad, look, this is the shirt we picked for you. Do you like it?" the third sister said excitedly.

But my father-in-law wasn't pleased. Instead, he frowned and said, "Why buy clothes, wasting money, and coming back so late. Don't you know you should come back earlier to help your sister-in-law with chores?"

"Oh, Dad, why are you so unenthusiastic? Everyone has their own tasks and things to do. The house chores are always sister-in-law's job. We study hard daily too. Today is a rare chance to relax, and you're being so difficult. What's up with that?" Grace, the second sister, said with a pout, sharply.

Just as my father-in-law was about to lose his temper, Ethan stepped in: "Dad, stop it, they're still young. Today is Uncle Ray's birthday, and it's rare for them to enjoy a day off. Today, let's all happily light candles and eat cake."

My husband finished talking and opened a gift box. Inside was a five-tier birthday cake. Growing up, I had never seen such a big cake. Uncle Ray was overjoyed. I was initially happy too and then casually asked, "It's so big and beautiful, how much was it?"

Ethan paused and said, "It's not expensive, it's just a cake, how costly can it be?"

And in my mind, as long as the family is happy, even if it's a bit pricey, it doesn't matter. I never imagined that this cake actually cost over a thousand dollars, and that became the catalyst for the conflict in our family.

After eating the cake, the second and third sisters joyfully came out to show off their new dresses, while Uncle Ray got new sneakers. My husband said they were branded. Grace was examining her new dress while complaining to Ethan, "Big brother, I really liked that necklace. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken this dress, I really wanted that necklace."

My husband glanced at me first and then said, "You've already chosen the dress. That necklace doesn't look better than this dress. If you really want it, I'll buy it for you later."

"Okay, then wait till my birthday. By then, you must buy it for me," Grace sighed helplessly, with her dissatisfaction written all over her face.

"Sis, then you won't be able to have the cake, otherwise how will brother have enough money to get it for you," Uncle Ray said, with his bright, clear eyes sparkling.

At that moment, I noticed a slight change in my husband's expression; he was spurting gestures at the siblings. Upon seeing me look at him, he pretended to cough twice. I was somewhat clueless, and evidently, Grace and the others hadn't realized either. Grace blurted out, "Don't buy it then. This cheap cake costs over a thousand dollars, just two bites and it's gone, not as interesting as a necklace."

In an instant, the cup my father-in-law was holding fell to the ground with a sharp, shattering sound. I froze as well, unable to recover for a long time.

"What? This cake cost over a thousand dollars, Ethan Grant, you wastrel, how do you plan on living like this…"

My father-in-law immediately flew into a rage, scolding Ethan aggressively, while I quietly returned to the room, my ears buzzing, overwhelmed by an inexplicable wave of panic. How could he do this?

3. Ethan's Reckless Attitude

After more than an hour, Ethan pushed open the door and entered. I was sitting on the bed in a daze. He came over, sat down, and asked me, "May, don't be so petty, it's not like I spend recklessly every day. Today is special, that's why I bought it. It's just over a thousand dollars, I'll earn it back later."

His words left me speechless. I extended my hand and asked him, "Where's the rest of the money?"

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I looked at it and saw it was only six hundred left. "Where's the rest?" Ethan swallowed, lowered his head, and didn't speak. I immediately guessed, feeling a terrible chill within me, and continued, "You spent it all, Ethan Grant, over six thousand dollars, and you spent it until only this little is left. How can you do this? Do you still want to live like this? I worked hard for two years to save up this amount, and I've already told you that my dad needs surgery soon. I'd promised my brother to lend him these five thousand dollars for the treatment. I planned to transfer it to him tomorrow. What should I do now?"

As I spoke, tears unconsciously rolled down, and Ethan stood aside silently. About two minutes later, he said, "I'll borrow it tomorrow and then slowly pay it back. It won't delay things."

I was still sobbing: "You speak so lightly. This isn't about borrowing money or not, but about our financial situation, of which you're well aware. We're not affluent. You know better than me how much money your younger siblings need each year for their studies and living. Because of them, we haven't dared to have children yet. But you, you suddenly spent our two years of savings. What if Grace gets into college next year? The expenses will be even greater. What should we do then?"

Ethan was stunned by my words and was momentarily speechless, just bowing his head. Seeing him like this, an indescribable disappointment filled my heart. I had spoken, and whether he listened or not was his business. I went out to boil water, clean up the dishes, and prepared a large table of food, but they just ate cake. The siblings, fearing the father-in-law would see, moved the table to the yard, playing and eating. Looking at the ground covered in cake crumbs, an indescribable feeling welled up inside me.

By the time I finished cleaning everything, it was already two in the morning. Returning to the bedroom, Ethan's snores filled my ears. They all slept so soundly, yet I couldn't sleep for a long time. I didn't know how to refuse my brother the next day. Over the years, my father's medical treatments had cost a lot, and he was under great pressure. As his daughter, married for seven years, I'd never given him a cent, never properly shown filial respect. Now, I couldn't even keep the promise of lending my younger brother money to treat my father. An indescribable discomfort weighed on me, and I felt increasingly powerless in this life.

4 The Financial Calamity

The next day, while I was doing the laundry, my brother called, saying he'd send me the account number. I bowed my head in shame: "Jack, I'm sorry, can you wait a few more days? Your sister hasn't scraped enough together yet."

Jack paused, then replied faintly, "Alright, no problem. Let me know in a few days when you transfer it."

I asked a few questions about father's condition and then hung up. I could sense the slight disappointment in Jack's voice. I thought he might have to ask others for help again, and I felt helpless as his sister who couldn't assist him.

I cooked porridge and intended to bring it to my father-in-law. Just as I reached the door, I heard him talking to Ethan.

His tone carried a hint of displeasure: "Ethan, you're too indulgent with May and the others. Haven't you used up all the money? I heard you say you wanted to lend some to your father-in-law for his treatment. What are you going to do now?"

"Dad, don't worry about it. I'll borrow some for her. Yesterday, I did spend a bit too much, but it was mostly May being somewhat naive. There wasn't much money at home anyway, yet she promised to lend it out without even discussing it with me first."

Ethan's words made me feel like I had fallen into an ice cellar. So, this is what he thought of me?

My father-in-law got angry: "How can you say that? That's your father-in-law. Isn't it just right for you to borrow a bit? May didn't make any mistake. On the contrary, you should cherish her. She helps you take care of your dad, looks after your brother and sister, sleeps later than a cat and gets up earlier than a rooster. And you? Yesterday you all bought this and that. Tell me, what did you buy for your wife?"

Ethan was immediately stumped by the question, speechless for a long time, and the atmosphere turned tense. My father-in-law, puffing on a cigarette, took a deep drag and said, "You, if you don't cherish your wife, you'll regret it someday. If you need to borrow money, go quickly and don't dawdle."

Hearing my father-in-law speak like that, I felt somewhat comforted and quietly withdrew, planning to wait until they finished their conversation before going back in.

During dinner, Ethan handed me a wad of cash: "Here, for you, a full five thousand. You can count it. Now are you happy?"

Seeing this much money all at once, my brother and sister's eyes gleamed, especially Grace, whose longing for money was even more evident, yet at the moment, I didn't notice at all.

I took the money from Ethan's hand and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "No need, you counted it, so I'm sure it's right." After I said this, I stood up, took the money to our room to place it carefully, then came out to eat.

I thought everything would get better, but when I checked the next day, the five thousand dollars were gone without a trace. I panicked immediately and hurried to call Ethan. He was at work and told me to keep looking around and wait until he returned in the evening.

That day, I couldn't concentrate on work or any task, turning the house upside down inside and out but still couldn't find that five thousand. Could it be that we were robbed?

I was restless the entire day until Ethan came back. He asked about the situation, then, scratching his head, started to blame me: "You reckless woman, did you take it out and lose it?"

His words forced me to defend myself vigorously: "No, when we ate yesterday, I placed it inside. Didn't you see it as well yesterday?"

"Then where did it go? Did it suddenly sprout legs and fly away?" Ethan still didn't want to believe me, and I felt a little heartbroken.

All of a sudden, I didn't know how to defend myself, the words were stuck in my throat, desperately wanting to speak but unable to utter anything.

5 Second Sister's Vanity

At that moment, Linda came home from school and jumped in, saying: "I know who took the money, it was sister who took it. I personally saw her get up last night and enter your room. She already used the money to buy her favorite necklace."

Ethan, my father-in-law, and I were dumbfounded, as though struck by lightning, and found it hard to believe.

Not long after, Grace returned home and saw us waiting for her with an imposing air. She was first startled, then glared at Linda, scoffing: "Traitor."

Linda was not to be outdone: "Who asked you not to share with me?"

My father-in-law harshly reprimanded: "Hand it over, give back the necklace."

Grace unwillingly pulled it out from her backpack, and my father-in-law became furious: "You're in your third year of high school, a grown young woman, how dare you do such a thing as stealing? Are you trying to anger me to death? Cough, cough, cough." He said while starting to cough violently again.

But Grace showed no concern, arguing defiantly: "What do you mean by stealing? I took money from my own home, and it's my brother's money, how can that count? Besides, my brother said he'd buy me the necklace for my birthday, so I'm just exercising my right in advance, what's wrong with that? It's money my brother earned, why can my sister-in-law use it and I can't?"

"Smack," accompanied by several crisp sounds, Grace got slapped by Ethan, and we were all a bit stunned, except my father-in-law who said it was well-deserved.

Ethan sternly said: "Taking without asking is considered stealing. You're in your third year of high school, don't you understand this principle? I said I'd buy it for you, and I definitely will. You can use my money, but you need to ask for my permission like your sister-in-law does. This family is not yours to run."

Grace covered her face, tears gushing out, she shouted: "Since this is how you all think, then fine, I'll return it to you, sister-in-law, you take it then, you win. Who asked me to be a motherless child, you just want to bully me."

After saying that, Grace threw the necklace to me, then ran back to her room, while my father-in-law told Ethan to quickly return it. Grace's temper was notoriously bad and stubborn, which I had always known. But, after all, we are a family. I've taken care of her for seven years, watching her grow from a little girl into a graceful young lady. I couldn't bear to see her sad, so in the evening, I brought some food to her room intending to comfort her, but she wouldn't even open the door and yelled for me to leave.

My father-in-law heard this from the dining table outside and immediately got angry, shouting straight at me: "May, come back and eat, don't worry about her. Let's see how long she can go without eating."

This incident had made the family very unhappy, and Grace didn't speak to us for several days. When she came home from school in the evening, she went straight to her room and locked the door behind her, eventually even asking my father-in-law and Ethan if she could stay at the school dormitories.

My father-in-law flatly refused, and Grace threw a big tantrum, claiming she was at loggerheads with the family. I asked Ethan to talk with her, but she was fuming and wouldn't listen to anyone.

I understood her temper well; all her life, if she wanted something, she had to have it. Ethan tended to indulge her, and whenever I objected, she'd say it was because she had no mother and was being bullied by me. I could only ask Ethan to manage her, but he was always indulgent, which led to her being so unreasonable today.

Thinking stern measures wouldn't work, I decided to soften her up, spending over three hundred to buy her a new dress, knowing how much she loved new clothes, hoping it would help her forget about the necklace and then we could talk.

But today, Ethan was on the night shift, and the younger siblings had all come back for dinner, yet Grace still didn't show up. I looked at the clock, it was almost eleven, and I couldn't help feeling anxious, so I went out to look. Unexpectedly, I saw a man bringing her back a little farther down the road. The way the young man was dressed seemed disreputable, filling me with unease.

Grace caught sight of me but ignored me, continuing to chat and laugh with the guy, and I couldn't hold back any longer: "Grace!"

Both of them stopped and turned to look at me, Grace's eyes still full of disdain, while the guy spoke first.