A Journey to Oppose His Family

During the holiday, our whole family went to Silverwood for a trip.

On the way, my mother-in-law, Melissa Stokes, kept scolding me for being too extravagant, while my sister-in-law, Emma Stokes, accused me of being stingy and unwilling to order food.

Melissa was afraid of wasting food, so she insisted on packing the leftovers in socks and taking them back to the hotel to continue eating. However, she was admitted to the hospital in the middle of the night because the leftovers had gone bad.

Suddenly, my husband, Theo Stokes, overwhelmed by a burst of filial piety, unleashed a torrent of abuse on me.

Emma went even further, shoving the leftover food into my mouth.

I died because I ate spoiled seafood and didn't get timely medical treatment.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Theo first suggested the trip.

This time, I was determined to make sure they'd regret ever going.

1.

"Honey, I took some time off. Should we go to Sanya for a trip?"

"Why does she have to come? You can just go by yourself. Everything costs money on the trip, and she earns nothing. What does she know about how hard it is to make money?"

When I heard the familiar conversation, I realized that I was reborn.

To save Theo's dignity, I'd always play the part of the dutiful housewife in public while secretly running an online business behind the scenes.

Sometimes, when I couldn't handle a return in time, I would have the package sent to our home.

That was when Melissa would seize the chance to scold me.

"Clara, you don't make any money, and you don't even know how to spend it wisely. Money doesn't come easily. You just stay at home and spend money. When will you ever think about Theo?"

After we got married, Theo told me I didn't need to work. He said he would give me money.

But what he meant by giving me money was to ensure that I had food to eat every day.

Whenever I wanted to buy something, he would trot out his usual lecture to talk me out of it.

"Honey, it's not easy for me to earn money. I work hard every day. If you want something, just use our shared payment account, but don't spend too much, okay? My money is for you, but we have to live, too. As long as you have clothes to wear, that's enough. Just eat whatever, you're not growing anymore. I always think about our future. You can only wear a $200 piece of clothing for a quarter, but $200 is enough for us to eat for a week."

"Us?" I thought.

He never came back to eat, so I was the only one eating simple meals at home.

To avoid overspending, I even started growing my own vegetables.

As for the so-called couple's joint payment, the limit was supposedly twenty thousand, but when it came time to pay, I couldn't even get five dollars through.

Looking back, I was pathetic. I thought that if I were considerate enough, he would cherish me.

All I got in return was he taking advantage of me at every turn.

If he was so heartless, why should I keep saving his dignity?

2.

"I don't make money? Why don't you ask Theo how much he earns a month and how much our family spends a month? Who's paying the car loan and the mortgage? I'm the one covering all of that! It's easy for you to sit at home and talk, only seeing Theo's efforts. What about mine? Have all my efforts been fed to the dog?"

Emma shot me a venomous glare from the side.

I was used to being cowardly at home, and they couldn't stand it when I scolded them.

"Who are you calling a dog? I don't even care about the little money you earn! And let's be real, if you hadn't gotten pregnant before marriage, would Theo have married you? If you want to stay, fine. If not, get a divorce. Right, Theo?"

She was blunt and never sugarcoated her words.

But I wasn't wrong. I was the one paying the car and house loans. If we divorced, Theo couldn't afford all those expenses.

Theo had no choice but to come out to mediate.

"Emma! Is that any way to talk to your sister-in-law? Apologize to her, now!"

Emma's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. Normally, she would never miss a chance to insult me, and Theo would always avoid it.

"Theo! She just insulted you, and you're still taking her side? If this keeps up, she'll never show any respect for our parents again."

I sneered and said calmly, "Emma, you're not a kid anymore. Instead of accusing me of disrespecting your parents, why don't you ask yourself what you have done for your parents? You sit at home all day doing nothing. When have you ever shown any real filial piety? All you do is ask me for money or pester Theo and your mom for cash. Are your hands and feet broken, or is it your sense of shame? You talk like you're righteous, but I've never seen you spend a penny on your parents. What? Do I look like someone you can just push around?"

Emma staggered back a few steps, clutching her chest and crying out in pain.

"My heart! Theo, Mom, Dad, my heart condition is acting up, please take me to the hospital, quick."

I folded my arms and watched, pointing out, "Funny how your heart never acts up until you're losing an argument. What's wrong? Even you can't stand yourself anymore?"

Melissa's face grew even darker at my relentless words.

She slapped me hard, and it left my head spinning.

"Enough! She's sick and you're still arguing? Can't you let us have a peaceful holiday? Where did you get this aggressive attitude? Just because you have a little money, you think you can disrespect us? Theo! Can't you control your wife? If you don't, she'll be walking all over us soon."

Caught off guard by the slap, I struck back the very next second.

"My parents never hit me. What gives you the right to hit me? Just because you're older, you think you can lord it over me? If it weren't for your age, I'd have fought back long ago!"

I slapped her face again and again, careful not to use too much force. After all, if she fell, my plan would be ruined.

"Are you trying to turn the world upside down? Theo, stop her! Are you just going to stand there and watch her beat me to death?"

"Theo, get this crazy woman off our mother. Oh, my heart!"

Theo hurriedly pulled me away and slapped me too.

I started to wonder if today was just destined to be a day of slaps, like I'd walked into a hornet's nest, except it was all slaps.

"Go fuck yourself."

I slapped him back without giving in, and his face instantly became red and swollen.

"I'm calling the police! Someone's trying to kill people!"

Emma, terrified, fumbled for her phone, but I snatched it away before she could dial.

"Call the police? Weren't you just acting so high and mighty a moment ago? You think you're the only ones who can bully me?"

Emma was stunned by the slap, crouching down and clutching her face, too shocked to speak.

But in the end, I was no match for Theo on my own, and they kicked me out of the house.

3.

I had married far from home, and with years spent busy running the household, I had no relatives or friends here.

Theo was certain I had nowhere to go. He assured Melissa that I would definitely return.

"Don't worry, Mom. Where could she possibly go? Her family never agreed to her marrying so far away. She cut ties with them just to marry me, and she's been stuck at home ever since, never making any friends. She'll have to give in to me. When she does, Mom, I'll make her buy you a gold bracelet as an apology. Emma, just insist that your heart condition flared up because of her. Ask her to pay you for mental damages."

Emma looked uneasy, still shaken by my actions earlier that morning.

"I don't dare, Theo."

Theo sneered, then tried to reassure her. "Why not? She is alone, and we have a family. If she doesn't give it to you, I can always find a way to get her to give it to you. Don't you want to go to Silverwood? This time, I'll make her beg you to go."

"Really, Theo? I've always wanted to fly. I've never even been on a plane before."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

During the fight, I quietly slipped my phone under the sofa, then used my other phone to make a call.

Listening to their scheming, I couldn't help but sneer.

Everyone in this family was bad in their way.

Theo was selfish and always put himself first.

Emma was lazy and greedy, always dreaming of getting rich quickly.

Melissa had always treated me as a servant, constantly taking advantage of me.

Theo's father always stayed out of things, but the moment I showed any backbone, he would start using his usual emotional manipulation on me.

"Clara, let me come stay with you. I'm really worried about you," Maia Tucker, my best friend, said anxiously over the phone.

"Just go straight to Silverwood. This time, I won't let them get away with it."

"If you need anything, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Maia. I honestly don't know what to do anymore."

4.

That night, I went back. I knocked on the door for nearly half an hour before they finally let me in.

"We thought you weren't coming back. We were worried something might get stolen, so we changed the locks. I was just talking with Mom and Dad and didn't hear you," Theo said.

I almost laughed. Even if they were having a private conversation, there was no way they couldn't hear me knocking.

The walls here were so thin, thanks to Melissa's penny-pinching and hiring her cousin for the renovations, that we could hear someone sneeze in the bathroom from the living room.

I shook my head with a smile. "Where else could I go if not here? I'm sorry, I lost my temper today."

I handed over the gift boxes with a bright smile. "I bought gold bracelets for Melissa and Emma."

Emma's eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at me, then at the gold bracelet, stammering, "This is for me? A gold bracelet?"

I nodded calmly. "I'm sorry about today. After I left, I realized how out of line I was. Melissa, you've always taken care of me and Theo. Emma, you bring so much life to this family. I'm lucky to have you all. So I bought you gold bracelets to make amends."

I bowed slightly, a faint smile playing at my lips.

Emma snatched the bracelet greedily and was about to bite it.

I stopped her just in time.

"Emma, if you bite it, it won't be worth as much. Just think that if the bracelet's covered in teeth marks, people will think we're bumpkins who've never seen gold."

She nodded in agreement.

"That's true. And I'm sure you'll buy me more gold in the future."

I didn't answer, just smiled.

Emma wasn't satisfied and pressed on.

"Isn't that right, Clara? You'll do that, won't you?"

"Of course. You know how much Clara cares about you. Remember that coat you wanted for Christmas? It cost over three thousand dollars, and Clara bought it for you without a second thought. And now you want to go to Silverwood. I'm sure she will take you there, too."

Melissa chimed in, and I hated how they always ganged up like this.

"Of course, I will definitely take you there!"

I said through clenched teeth.

5.

Later, Theo pulled me aside. He said he wanted to bring his parents along, too.

"Clara, they're not getting any younger. Who knows how many more chances they'll have to travel? Bringing them along is just the right thing to do."

I took a bite of my apple, not giving him an answer.

"My mom was just speaking up for you. Emma may be an adult, but she still acts like a child. If she said something you didn't like, just let it go. You're so generous. You wouldn't hold a grudge against Emma, would you?"

Emma was at least twenty-eight, but with her parents and Theo spoiling her, she acted like a child and did whatever she pleased.

Today, she just happened to cross me. If it had been someone else, Theo wouldn't be so forgiving.

"We're all family. How could I be mad at Emma? It's my fault for not being capable enough. If I worked harder and paid off the car and the mortgage, maybe I could even buy Emma a place of her own, so she could have a proper send-off when she gets married."

Theo praised me for being so understanding and, while he was at it, handed me the job of buying the plane tickets.

"Clara, I'm busy these days. With the holiday coming up, I need to finish my work so we can enjoy the trip."

I nodded understandingly and said softly, "Don't worry, leave it to me."