On Sunday, Chloe Malan stood at the shabby dirty neighborhood, feeling sad. She had also forgotten how long she hadnât returned.
She didnât want to return because she couldnât find the reason to. A dead heart had no hope of being able to survive.
So, when she stood on the bottom ground and looked up, there wasnât a slightest color of excitement in her squinted eyes. She didnât think that family above could give her an unexpected surprise. As long as it didnât scare her, she would thank the earth and the sky.
In the dark and cramped corridor, every step she took, she could smell the dust and something musty.
The mottled and yellow walls recorded the age and disrepair of the house.
It wasnât that she didnât want her family to live better and more comfortable. But her family was too unconvincing. They were like a bottomless hole, like a vampire, they wouldnât stop until she was squeezed dry, to such an extent as to she giving up on aided them financially.
The more she gave, the more they wanted. And this time, she didnât know what tricks they played.
The iron door was rusty. She knocked three times then let out a deep breath. Sometimes, it wasnât that she was heartless, but she was forced into helplessness. Since she was young until now, she felt like an outsider in the family. She even ever suspected whether her parents did give birth to her.
Mrs. Malan was quick to answer the door. Seeing she had come, it was like a stone fell to the ground.
She smiled widely and beckoned her to quickly come inside. It was the same on that day when she kicked her out, then pretended to be pitiful on the street, very pleasing to the eyes.
âChloe, so good that you return. I was afraid that youâre still mad at mom and dad and wonât come back. Your dad and sister-in-law have been busy in the kitchen all morning, making a lot of your favorites.â
As she was talking, Mr. Malan and Zhi Wang, her sister-in-law, came out of the kitchen and called her affectionately. James Malan, who was sitting in the living room, also asked his son, who was watching TV, to call her aunt.
Everyone seemed to have changed. They were so friendly towards Chloe Malan that she couldnât bear it. It wasnât that she didnât want to think the goodness in human nature, but it was because she knew her family too well. She was afraid that some scheme was waiting for her. Pleasant countenance were not their natures. She smelled something fishy.
âZheng, why arenât you calling auntie?â Zhi Wang scolded her son.
Chloe Malan didnât look forward to be called auntie. This woman who she called sister-in-law had ever encouraged her son to scold her a bitch and bad luck. But because she and Bruce Lynn had divorced, they couldnât find the slightest benefit from her and didnât want to call her auntie.
But the child was still so young and innocent. While he had been raised by his parents in that way. She didnât know what he would be like after he grew up.
Mrs. Malan served teas, âSit down. What are you still doing there?â
In the past, before she was married to Bruce Lynn and after divorced with Bruce Lynn, she didnât even get a glass of cold water whenever she came back home. Only during the period when she was married into the Lynn family, they flattered her in every possible way. But how could she not know that each word of flattery and concern was just to get more benefits from her.
Everyone said âpoor all the parents in this worldâ. But since she was young until now, she had never known the word âwarmthâ from this family. What was âfamily affectionâ? What was âprotectionâ?
And this time, what they gave was still icy cold.
When she saw Bruce Lynn knocked on the door with a gift, everyoneâs faces immediately shifted into flattering smiles. And she understood in an instant. A sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.
âBruce, look at you. You just need to come, no need to bring anything.â Mrs. Malan pretended to be polite as her hands had already received the gift. Her face was full with smile.
âItâs dadâs birthday today. Itâs just a little gift. Itâs nothing,â Bruce Lynn smiled, but his eyes stared deeply at Chloe Malan.
Chloe Malan felt annoyed and coldly snorted, âMr. Lynn, it seems like youâve forgotten. Weâre divorced.â
She would have never expected that this man was getting more shameless. He was hitting a wall with her, so instead he turned to her greedy parents. He thought his roundabout tactics would work?
âThis kid. You can remarry after you divorce,â Mrs. Malan shot her a glare.
Mr. Malan also helped out, âItâs inevitable for men to make mistakes. Whatâs important is he can come back. He doesnât even say anything about you messing around with other men outside.â
Chloe Malan was depressedâshe messed around. Thatâs her parents. In order to sell their daughter for glory, they even contradicted her character, not knowing how advantaging it was for him. She stood up from the couch, she said word by word, âBruce Lynn, just give up. Even if Iâm all alone forever, I will never go back to remarry with you.â
The atmosphere in the room froze in an instant, and everyone had different kinds of feeling embarrassed on their faces. Her words ended as she stood up.
Chloe Malan was sharp-eyed and deft-handed. Seeing she was about to leave, Mrs. Malan pulled her back, âThis kid. Bruce had sincerely come to apologize to you. Why are you acting like this?â
âShould I be grateful?â Chloe Malan coldly chuckled.
âFood are all served and on the table. Letâs sit down first, then we talk.â Mrs. Malan became the mediator.
âThereâs no need,â Chloe Malan coldly refused.
Bruce Lynn felt that sharp chilly gaze of hers, but the smile on his face didnât diminish, âChloe Malan, youâre still acting important. I admit, I was wrong to you in the past. But do you think you have a future with Aoba Hoyle?â
Zhi Wang agreed too with an ingratiating smile, âYeah. Whatâs good about Aoba Hoyle? He only listens to his mother, and his mother wonât accept youâ¦â
James Malamâs face changed a bit, secretly stretching out his hand and pinching his wifeâs waist.
Knowing that Zhi Wang had made a mistake, she quickly shut up.
But they didnât know that the small move had caught Chloe Malanâs eyes. She was a smart person. For no reason, how could her family know Aoba Hoyle? Even Aoba Hoyleâs mother.
âThe old witch had met you,â Chloe Malan said without the slightest tone of suspicious. Her eyes swept through everyone in the room coldly. âWhat does she give you? Talk.â
Her shout shocked everyone in the room that they didnât respond for a while. Chloe Malan stared at everyoneâs dodging eyes, feeling upset.
Mrs. Malan chewed her bottom lip, âChloeâ¦â
âHow much did she give?â Chloe Malanâs voice was so cold that all temperature was lost. She knew.
She really couldnât hope anything for this family.
Maybe it was the chill that radiated from her body stunned Mrs. Malan for a while. This woman, who had always believed that she could freely push around her daughter, inevitable felt guilty at this moment. She cowardly muttered the truth, âOne million.â
âHaha,â Chloe Malan mock-laughed so furiously. She laughed miserably. One millionâthe value of her lifeâs happiness in her parentsâ eyes. A fixed price and they sold her.
âChloe Malanâ¦â Bruce Lynn suddenly called her a little nervously.
Chloe Malan ignored him. She reached out her hand and said, âGive me.â
Of course she meant the one million.
It was just that the money you had put in your pocket couldnât be easily spat out.
Zhi Wang was afraid that she would steal it, so she dragged her mother-in-law to behind her. âWe have used that money to buy a new place. Itâs not like you donât know how dangerous this place is now. Itâs dusty on sunny day and raining on summer. But, look at you. You earn money and live at other familyâs place. But you didnât care a bit or ask about your parents. Are there other daughters like you?â