The Price of Being a Daughter Chapter 2

Lucas's apartment was small, one bedroom and one living room, but very clean.

He helped me put away the suitcase and poured a glass of warm water: "Speak slowly, what happened?"

I told the story from beginning to end.

When I talked about the two pairs of slippers, I cried again.

Lucas hugged me, suppressed anger in his voice: "How could they do this! That's your hard-earned money from ten years!"

"I want to call the police." I said. "That's fifty thousand, enough for a case."

"I support you." Lucas took out his phone. "Call now."

I pressed his hand: "Wait, let me think."

"Think about what?" Lucas was anxious. "Emma, this is theft! It's illegal!"

I knew.

But my mind was full of my mother's red eyes from crying, my father's hunched back.

And Jessica's look when she first came to my house at seven, thin and small, holding a worn-out teddy bear.

"Give me one day." I said. "Tomorrow, if they don't return the money, I'll call the police."

That night, I barely slept.

The phone kept ringing. Susan called twenty-three times, David called fifteen times.

I hung up all of them.

At 3 AM, Susan sent a long WeChat message:

[Emma, Mom knows we wronged you. But Jessica is really too pitiful. She has no parents. If the dowry is small, her in-laws will look down on her for life. You are our biological daughter, understand Mom and Dad. Mom will definitely return that fifty thousand to you in the future. Come back first, we'll discuss properly.]

I looked at this message and laughed.

Laughing and laughing, tears flowed into my mouth, salty and bitter.

I replied: [Return the money within today, otherwise police.]

Then turned off the phone.

At 8 AM the next morning, the doorbell rang.

Lucas went to open the door. David and Susan stood outside.

Susan's eyes were swollen like walnuts, David's hair turned half white overnight.

Susan cried as soon as she opened her mouth, "Mom was wrong, Mom was really wrong."

"Where's the money?" I asked.

David took an envelope from his bag: "Here is three thousand, our last savings. The rest, we will pay back slowly."

"Fifty thousand, becomes three thousand?" I looked at them. "Dad, Mom, do you think I'm stupid?"

"Jessica's side has already spent the money." Susan cried. "Bought gold, paid the wedding banquet deposit, really can't take it out."

"Then go return it! Go ask for it!" My voice was shaking. "That's my money! Why do you spend my money!"

David suddenly knelt down.

This fifty-eight-year-old man knelt in front of me.

"Emma, Dad begs you, Jessica's wedding really can't be canceled. Her in-laws have already notified all relatives. If canceled now, how can she face people in the future."

"What about me?" I asked. "My wedding is less than a month away. You prepared two pairs of slippers for me. How do I face people?"

Susan also knelt down: "Emma, Mom kowtows to you. Forgive us this time. We will definitely compensate you in the future."

I looked at my parents kneeling on the ground, heart feeling like cut by a knife.

These are my parents.

For someone else's daughter, kneeling down to beg their own daughter.

"Get up." I said.

They didn't move.

"Get up!" I roared. "You are forcing me like this! Telling me that if I don't agree, it's unfilial!"

Lucas helped them up: "Uncle and Aunt, get up first. This doesn't solve the problem."

David stood up, old tears flowing: "Emma, Dad knows we wronged you, but things are already like this. Just consider helping Jessica, helping us."

"Help?" I nodded. "Okay, I'll help."

Their eyes lit up.

"I'll help you call the police." I took out my phone. "Let the police handle it, see how to calculate this fifty thousand."

"No!" Susan rushed over to grab the phone.

Lucas stopped her: "Auntie, Emma has already given you a chance."

Susan slumped on the ground, wailing loudly: "How did I raise such a cruel daughter like you! We raised you so big, just to be forced to death by you today!"

"Cruel?" I squatted down looking at her. "Mom, when I was seven, Jessica grabbed my new dress, you said I was the older sister and should yield to her. When I was twelve, she broke my birthday gift, you said she didn't do it on purpose. When I was eighteen, she peeked at my diary and broadcasted it everywhere, you said she was just curious."

"Now, she stole my fifty thousand, you say she is pitiful."

"Who is the cruel one?"

Susan froze, unable to cry.

David murmured: "Jessica has no parents, she is really pitiful."

"She is pitiful, so I deserve it?" I stood up. "Since you think she is more pitiful, then take good care of her. I don't need you anymore."

I walked to the door and opened it: "Please leave, don't come to find me again."

Susan wanted to say something more, but David pulled her back.

When they walked to the door, David looked back at me.

In that look was guilt, pain, but more of a resignation.

They chose Jessica.

Since the year she moved into my house at seven, they have always chosen her.

The door closed.

I leaned against the door, slowly sliding to sit on the floor.

Lucas hugged me: "Emma, cry if you want to."

I couldn't cry.

My heart was already dead.