Chapter 3Mother Dearest

These words hit Mom's switch. She covered her face and wailed.

"Stop saying it! If she had any conscience, she wouldn't be doing this today!"

"Why is my life so bitter? If I had known, I wouldn't have given birth to her!"

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be born in your belly either!"

My voice was broken and sad, coming from the bottom of my heart.

Mom stopped crying and stared at me viciously.

Suddenly, she rushed to the window, opened it, and tried to jump.

Luckily, someone nearby grabbed her.

"Let me die! Let me die! My daughter hates me. What's the point of living!"

Her shrieks echoed in the living room, making my ears ring.

Aunt Karen hugged her waist, glaring at me furiously.

"Carol, stop! Lily, what good does driving your mother to death do? Aren't you afraid of karma?"

Uncle Bob grabbed a teacup and smashed it at my feet.

"You're rebelling! Just because your dad died early and your mom has no husband to back her up? If you want to bully her, you have to go through me!"

"Kneel and apologize to your mother! Right now!"

I stepped back, dazed, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Why didn't I listen to Liam? Why did I come here?

I was no match for Mom.

"What? Not convinced? I'm telling you, if you don't apologize today, none of us will attend your wedding!"

Uncle Bob threatened me, pointing a finger.

I wiped the tears from my face, my voice low and final.

"Good. Saves me money on invitations."

I turned and left Uncle Bob's house without looking back.

They kept shouting my name behind me. I covered my ears, feeling nauseous.

My name is Lily. But my legal name used to be something much uglier. Mom named me "Cuilan"—Jade Orchid. It sounded like a peasant name from the 1950s.

My aunt said when they registered my birth, she told Mom it was too old-fashioned.

Mom didn't care. "Why give her a fancy name? Is she going to become a phoenix?"

But when naming my sister, she spent hundreds of dollars hiring a numerologist.

They calculated for days and chose "Bella." Beautiful.

Everyone said Bella was prettier and better than me. They didn't know my SAT score was 300 points higher than hers.

But on the day I got my acceptance letter to a State University, Mom lent our family savings to a distant relative to buy a truck.

I cried for two days and nights. She looked innocent.

"You're so insensible. We have no sons. If something happens later, we need relatives to help."

Just like that, I didn't go to university. I went to community college.

Bella? Her scores were barely enough for a for-profit college, but Mom bought her the latest iPhone, MacBook, and iPad, and threw a huge graduation party.

She got a $500 monthly allowance and lived carefree.

I felt wronged. I resented it. But eventually, I tried to please them.

I fantasized that if I was filial and obedient, I could earn a little of Mom's love.

I even naively thought that finding a good husband would make Mom respect me.

Until Mrs. Higgins called.

It turns out, in this world, there really are mothers who don't love their children.

And because I wasn't loved, all the relatives sided with the favorite.