Chapter 2The Spice of Karma

Clutching the toothbrush, I stormed out of the bathroom.

"Which one of you used my toothbrush?"

My mom was curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone, the speaker volume blasting.

[CEO, your wife has been banished abroad for three years!]

[Does she know she was wrong?]

[She has turned over a new leaf, and she gave birth to 12 babies!]

My mom was engrossed, a smile on her lips, not even lifting her head.

I raised my voice and asked again.

My younger brother, Leo, rolled his eyes.

"Who would dare use your stuff? It's disgusting!"

The fire in my chest flared up instantly.

"Leo, what is that supposed to mean?"

He looked up, scanning me from head to toe with a look of pure disdain:

"I heard people with dirty diseases get cauliflower-like warts in their mouths. Sis, is that cauliflower on your toothbrush? Hahahaha..."

He bent over laughing, thoroughly amusing himself.

I was shaking with anger.

I gripped the toothbrush handle so tightly it hurt my palm.

I wanted to rip that foul mouth of his right off!

Just as I took a step forward, Leo nimbly dodged and shrank behind my mom.

Poking his head out, he continued hollering:

"Ooh, getting defensive! I hit the nail on the head, didn't I!"

His voice grew even louder:

"A girl like you, just a year out of college, where do you get all that money? Designer bags, designer clothes... you must have a sugar daddy! Mom, you need to rein her in. She can still fetch a good price while she's young, but once she's used goods, she'll be worthless!"

"Leo!"

I lunged at him!

My mom slammed her phone down onto the sofa with a smack.

She grabbed my arm.

"What are you doing! Your brother is just worried about you!"

I glared at her, my mind buzzing.

"Mom, what did you just say?"

She avoided my eyes, looking down and fiddling with the hem of her shirt, still muttering.

"But really, as a young girl, why dress so fancy? And that phone of yours, I heard it cost over a thousand bucks, and that bag... tell Mom the truth, are you really involved with some old man..."

"Mom!"

I interrupted her in disbelief.

"I stay up late working overtime every day until midnight. This is all my hard-earned money! How can you say that about me?"

My mom looked completely unconvinced:

"Oh, come on. I'm not the only one saying it. Last time, Mrs. Smith next door asked me if my daughter struck it rich, saying that bag you carry is worth tens of thousands. I was wondering myself, how could a young girl just out of college like you have so much money? If you have that kind of money, why don't you buy your brother a car? It's so inconvenient without a car; he's too embarrassed to take dates out..."

She kept rambling on.

I couldn't listen anymore.

I understood everything now.

Last week, Leo asked me for ten thousand dollars to buy a car, and I didn't give it to him.

His face changed immediately then.

He made a bunch of passive-aggressive comments about how my "wings had grown strong" and how I had "forgotten where I came from."

I didn't take it seriously.

I thought he was just throwing a tantrum.

Turns out, he was waiting for me here.