Mom took out Dad’s will. It read: My entire estate is to be inherited by my eldest son, while my daughter is to handle the debts. I looked at the aged document in disbelief. My brother seemed unfazed, as if it were the most natural thing: “You’re Dad’s daughter, and there’s a saying that a daughter pays her father’s debts. You should accept your fate.” Mom nodded in agreement, “Yes, you can’t just ignore it, or we’ll take legal action against you.” I tossed the will aside. A will without proper witnesses or legal validation is nothing more than a piece of scrap paper. “Are you serious?” I not only threw the will but also stomped on it several times. Dad’s assets included an old house in the downtown area and a mere $30,000 in savings, all bequeathed to my brother. Yet they expected me to cover the $100,000 debt Dad left behind. In that moment, Mom and Brother felt like complete strangers. “How can you do this? Dad just passed away, and you want him to rest in peace with such regrets?” Brother pushed past me and carefully retrieved the will. Mom’s eyes were filled with reproach. “From childhood, haven’t I done so much for this family? How can you ignore that?” “Now you want to dump all the debt on me while you enjoy the benefits. Is that fair?” Brother scoffed, crossing his arms. “Fair? There’s no such thing as fairness in this world.” “Since Dad left a will, we have to follow it.” “Stop making a scene and figure out how to pay up, so you don’t drag us down.” Brother didn’t even finish middle school. He’s completely illiterate. To him, this will was absolute, and I had to obey it. Mom and Dad didn’t have much education either. They thought they could control me with a simple will. Mom added her voice to the conversation. “Cora, don’t be stubborn.” “We have no choice. Your brother is the breadwinner and needs to inherit the family business.” “You need to make some sacrifices to help the family through this tough time.” Mom’s words struck me hard, making me see reality clearly. To her, I was just a pawn to be sacrificed at will. I once thought Mom loved me dearly. Dad never liked me and was often harsh with me. Whenever I was upset, it was Mom who comforted me. She often said we were family, and families fight and make up. Dad often abused Mom, and I was the one who protected her. At that time, I believed Mom and I were both victims in the family. I thought we needed to support each other. So, I worked hard in school, hoping to succeed and take care of Mom. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears. “This will is invalid. The court won’t recognize it, and neither will I.” “How dare you refuse?” Brother kicked the table angrily, his face contorted with rage. It seemed like he would hit me any second. Mom stopped him, turning to me with tears in her eyes. “Cora, why are you being so unreasonable?” “We’re family. If you make a scene, people will laugh at us.” Those tears would have broken my heart before. But now, I only felt deep sadness. “Mom, it’s not me being unreasonable. You’re being too much!” “You only think about Brother. Have you ever considered me?” “Do you know how much a $100,000 debt burdens me?” Brother glared at me, gritting his teeth: “Stop playing the victim. Just because you studied a few more years doesn’t make you special. Dad’s will is clear; you have to accept it!” He stepped forward, ready to charge. I fearlessly met his gaze, standing tall. “Don’t try anything! If you touch me again, I’ll call the police!” At the mention of “police,” Brother and Mom’s faces turned pale. They never expected me, always obedient, to resist so firmly. Mom’s tears flowed unchecked, trying to use family ties to sway me. “Cora, are you really going to be so heartless?” “We’re your family. How can you turn against us for money?” My voice was filled with sorrow: “If you insist on forcing me, then see you in court.”
With that, I turned and left, ignoring their shouts behind me. Back in my apartment. I collapsed onto the floor, tears finally flowing freely. After crying for a long time, I calmed down and started thinking of a plan. I contacted a professional lawyer and explained the situation in detail. The lawyer listened, frowning. He said the will had major issues with authenticity and legality. Especially putting all the debt on me, clearly against the law. The will was invalid. Hearing this, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. During this time, Mom and Brother bombarded me with messages. They accused me of being unfilial, saying I’d grown independent. My sister-in-law pretended to advise me not to make things ugly. I ignored them all. Until one day, I came home after work. I found the door wide open. I thought it was a break-in and was about to call the police. Then I heard a familiar voice. It was my nephew’s voice. “I like this cat, I want to take it home.” Hearing my nephew’s voice, I was startled. I rushed inside. The living room was a mess, clothes and books scattered everywhere. Mom, Brother, and Sister-in-law stood in the center. My nephew crouched in a corner, trying to grab my cat. The kitten struggled, crying out. “What are you doing?” I shouted angrily, my voice echoing in the empty room. Mom was startled by my shout, a flash of panic on her face. But she quickly returned to her self-righteous demeanor. “Cora, how can you talk like that?” “We’re your family, can’t we come to see you?” Mom spoke while picking up a piece of clothing from the floor, casually folding it and placing it on the sofa. “Do you need to turn my house upside down to visit?” “And who let you allow the kid to grab my cat?” I quickly went to my nephew, gently taking the cat from his arms. “Auntie’s stingy, I just wanted to play.” My nephew pouted, looking unhappy. “Alright, alright, he’s just a kid, why argue with him?” Sister-in-law pretended to smooth things over. “We came today to talk things out. We’re family, no need to make it like this.” “Talk about what? About me paying off the debt?” “Yes, it’s Dad’s wish. You can’t ignore it.” “Get out, I have nothing to say to you.” Brother, who had been silent, turned grim at my words. Suddenly, he stepped forward. “The will is from Dad. You think just saying it’s invalid will make it go away?” “You have to pay Dad’s debts, or you’ll be an ungrateful traitor!” I pointed to the door, yelling: “The debt allocation is unfair. I’m not stupid enough to inherit it. Get out!” “Cora, don’t talk to your brother like that.” Mom played the family card again. “We have no choice. Your brother’s business failed, and he owes a lot.” “Help us carry this debt, and we’ll treat you well in the future.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “The future? Do you think I still believe you?” Mom has said “in the future” too many times. “But when has it ever come true? Every time you coax and deceive me, making me pay for your greed!” Mom once asked me to give her my paycheck, promising to save it for me. But last year, when I got sick and asked for some money, she said it was gone, used for Brother’s business. She said Brother would pay me back… Things like this happened so often in recent years.
Mom opened her mouth to argue but was silenced by my sharp gaze. She looked down, hands nervously twisting her clothes. Brother’s face turned red, veins bulging on his forehead like an angry bull. “You heartless brat, if you don’t agree to pay today, you’ll regret it!” Sister-in-law, instead of stopping him, fanned the flames. “Exactly, you can’t be so selfish. Think about the family.” The kitten trembled in my arms, letting out frightened cries. I gently soothed it. “Try anything, and I’ll call the police. You’ll regret it!” “Your wings have hardened, huh, you little brat?” He gritted his teeth but didn’t dare to lay a hand on me. We stood in a standoff until he suddenly smashed a cup on the table to the ground. With a loud crash, glass shattered everywhere. My nephew jumped, hiding behind Sister-in-law. “You think calling the police will solve anything? You can’t escape this debt!” “Fine, let the police sort it out. Let’s see what they do about you trespassing, vandalizing, and threatening others!” I gently stroked it, feeling a pang of sympathy. “You dare lay a finger on me? I’ll call the police, and you’ll regret it!” “Think you’re all grown up now, you brat?” He was seething with anger but didn’t dare make a move. After a tense standoff, he suddenly smashed the cup from the coffee table onto the floor. With a loud crash, glass shards flew everywhere. My little nephew was startled and quickly hid behind my sister-in-law. “You think calling the police will sort this out? You’re not getting away from this debt!” “Fine, let the police come and see how they handle your trespassing, destruction, and threats!” When “call the police” was mentioned, my mom’s face turned ashen. She rushed over, grabbing my hand. “Sweetie, don’t call the police. It’s my fault, let’s talk this over.” Even my sister-in-law panicked, her fake smile fading into a worried expression. My little nephew, frightened by the scene, started crying loudly. I wasn’t swayed and clearly stated the address on the phone. They were too late to stop me and could only watch me with anger. Soon, the police arrived. I explained the situation in detail. The police inspected the damage to the house and checked the threatening messages on my phone. “Your actions are illegal.” The officer said sternly, “Breaking into someone’s home and making threats is a legal matter.” My mom and sister-in-law began pleading, while my brother stayed silent with his head down. “Because this is your first offense and the victim is considering not pressing charges, you must leave immediately and never harass her again.” Under police supervision, my mom and sister-in-law exchanged reluctant glances. My brother clenched his fists, seemingly wanting to lash out, but held back. “Fine, see if we care!” He gritted his teeth, spitting out his words, “Don’t expect us to be there for you anymore!” With that, he pulled my nephew and headed for the door. My mom and sister-in-law quickly followed. At the door, my mom glanced back at me. Her eyes seemed to carry a glimmer of hope, but I ignored her. With a heavy thud, the door slammed shut. I sat on the floor, hugging my cat, tears once again blurring my vision. I thought I had scared them off this time. But I didn’t expect them to escalate things. It was the weekend when I received a message from my mom. “I’ve been thinking these past few days. We’re family; you shouldn’t bear all the debt alone.” “We plan to sell the house to repay the debt.” I was skeptical. “Your aunt is also here. She rarely visits; you should come too.” I couldn’t refuse anymore. The family had pressured me to drop out of school early. My aunt covered my living expenses in high school. In college, I relied on student loans and part-time jobs. Without my aunt, I couldn’t have even finished high school. So my aunt is very important to me. “Okay.” To ensure everything was safe. I sent a message to my aunt, asking if she was really going back. She replied: Yes. Relieved, I packed my things to go back. I didn’t realize this decision would almost ruin me. When I returned to the old house that night. Everyone was there. The food was ready, neatly placed on the dining table. My aunt warmly greeted me as I came in. Even the others, usually so harsh, smiled and greeted me. Even my usually bossy brother was speaking kindly. No matter how I looked at it, it felt strange. I got goosebumps. I didn’t feel touched, just uneasy. But with my aunt there, I felt a bit calmer. She pulled me to the dining table. She sat next to me, occasionally glancing my way. “Our Sweetie has grown up beautifully.” For some reason, I felt like my aunt was looking at me like I was prey for sale. But I quickly told myself I was overthinking it.
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