On my wedding night, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, lined up a row of brass cremation urns and creepy old family portraits right in our bedroom. “Our ancestors will be watching you two make love tonight. They will bless me with a grandson soon!” she declared. My chest tightened with anger. I pointed at the door. “Are you insane? Get those things out of here right now!” “Are you out of your mind? Who puts dead people’s ashes in a bedroom? It’s terrifying!” My husband, Brandon, remained dead silent. Evelyn, however, puffed out her chest. “Let’s see who dares to move them! Moving them is disrespecting our bloodline!” Anger rushed to my head. I got out of bed and began putting on my clothes. “If you won’t take them out, I’m leaving.” The next second, Evelyn grabbed a pair of scissors from the vanity table. With a sharp *snip*, she cut my driver’s license and passport in half. She let out a cold laugh. “Don’t forget, Chloe, you moved twelve hundred miles away from home to be here. In this town, you do as I say!” “Without your ID and passport, you can’t even book a flight or rent a car. You’re trapped. Do you really think your family can save you from all the way across the country?” Evelyn slammed me back onto the bed. Just then, a pregnant woman walked out of the guest room. “You think it’s crazy? Look at Tiffany. Under the blessing of our ancestors, she got pregnant with Brandon’s baby after just one night!” “In this house, you’re nothing but a glorified placeholder. If you don’t get pregnant soon, I’ll have my son divorce you and throw you out!” I was about to explode. I turned to Brandon and demanded a divorce right then and there. But Evelyn only laughed harder. “This apartment is provided by Brandon’s company. If you divorce him, you’ll be kicked out onto the streets! Let’s see who wants a divorced, homeless woman in a town where she knows nobody!” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. I pulled out my phone and dialed the HR department of our company’s branch office. “Fire Brandon immediately and reclaim this apartment.” They thought they could lock me down because I was far from home. What they didn’t know was that I had just been transferred here as the new General Manager.
I had just completed my onboarding paperwork today and hadn’t had the chance to tell Brandon yet. I never expected that on our very first night as newlyweds, this family would show their true, ugly colors. They thought I was isolated, so they tried to break me. The moment I hung up the phone, Evelyn snatched it from my hand and smashed it onto the floor. It shattered into pieces. She smirked, looking down at me. “Oh, trying to call someone to back you up? Nobody can help you now!” “Your family is thousands of miles away. You don’t know a soul here. Who’s going to save you?” “Since you’re just a placeholder, you better serve your husband, respect me, and do as you’re told. If you behave, I’ll feed you. If you don’t, I’ll kick you out right now!” I stared at her in shock. I had never met anyone so shamelessly evil in my entire life! Before I could fire back, Brandon grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, my mom is doing this for your own good.” “You don’t have any relatives here. A wife should follow her husband. Now that you’re part of our family, you need to learn our rules.” “Besides, you lost your job when you moved here, while I just got promoted to Department Manager. What right do you have to talk back to my mother?” I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. My teeth grinded in pure fury. So, they thought they could control me with these twisted rules just because they thought I was unemployed. Before the wedding, I told Brandon I had applied for a transfer to the local branch. I told him if the transfer failed, I would resign and find another job using my years of experience. But the truth was, the branch office was desperate for a General Manager, and my transfer was approved. I became the official General Manager today. And it was my approval that promoted Brandon to Department Manager this morning. I couldn’t believe I had promoted a backstabbing snake who turned on me the second he got a taste of power. I glared at Brandon. “Do you really think your mother is right?” “This is my first day in this house, and you guys treat me like this? And you see no problem with it?” “And who the hell is this pregnant woman? Don’t tell me she’s carrying your child!” Brandon lowered his head, avoiding my eyes. Evelyn stepped in, pointing her finger at my face. “You little bitch, how dare you question my son? So what if she’s carrying his baby?” “You’ve been dating him for three years, and your belly is still flat. Who knows if you’re barren? If I don’t find someone else for my son, our family line will end!” Brandon muttered under his breath, “You’re the one who couldn’t get pregnant. Anyway, you’ve moved all the way here. Leaving won’t be that easy.” His words made me see his true colors. After three years of dating, he turned out to be a spineless coward. My heart went completely cold. The anger in my chest was roaring. Without another word, I put on my shoes and walked toward the door. I was done with this family. Brandon grabbed my arm. “It’s late. Where are you going? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum and running away over such a small thing?” Evelyn threw her head back and sneered. “Let her go, Brandon! I want to see where a broke stranger can go in this town!” Brandon let go of my arm. He stood beside his mother, watching me leave with cold, indifferent eyes. “Don’t you dare come back crying! Once you walk out that door, I won’t let you back in, even if you beg on your knees!” The door slammed shut behind me. I turned and walked away into the dark night.
“Beep. Incorrect PIN…” The card reader beeped after my third failed attempt. I stared at my credit card in confusion. The PIN was correct. Why wasn’t it working? “I’m sorry, ma’am. All your cards are showing incorrect PINs. And since you don’t have a physical ID, we cannot check you in,” the hotel receptionist said, handing the cards back to me. I was completely lost. “That’s impossible. How can none of these cards work?” Evelyn had smashed my phone and destroyed my ID. Now, even my bank cards were useless. While I was trying to figure out what to do, Evelyn and Brandon walked into the hotel lobby. “See? I told you she’d be here!” Evelyn gloated. “Having trouble checking in, aren’t we?” “Let me tell you the truth. My son gave me all your card details and PINs a long time ago. I changed them all. You can’t use a single dollar now.” “You’ll have to wait until the bank opens tomorrow to reset them. I told you, I’ll make sure you sleep on the streets tonight!” Evelyn smirked at me, her eyes filled with malicious triumph. “But, if you get down on your knees right now, beg for my forgiveness, and promise to obey me from now on, I might let you come home.” Brandon stepped up and gave me a look. “Chloe, just apologize. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Is it that hard to just listen to my mom?” “The hotels around here require IDs. You have no money, no phone, no ID, and you don’t know anyone. You really are going to sleep on the street!” “This isn’t a big city. There are plenty of creeps and drunkards out there at night. If something happens to you…” I glared at him so fiercely that he took two steps back, hiding behind his mother. Ever since I graduated, I had fought my way up from the bottom to the executive level. No one had ever managed to manipulate me, let alone using such disgusting, lowlife tactics. I met Brandon when he visited our headquarters for a business trip. It was almost love at first sight. During our three years together, I fell for his gentle, caring personality. As a career-focused woman, I was drawn to his warmth. Eventually, I made the huge decision to relocate to his hometown to start a family with him. I never expected that this gentle man was actually a spineless, pathetic mama’s boy! They wanted to break me? In their dreams. I turned to the receptionist. “Call the police, please.” “This woman stole my phone, destroyed my ID, and illegally accessed my bank accounts. Let’s see who the police will take away tonight!” A few minutes later, two officers walked into the lobby. Before I could speak, Evelyn rushed forward and grabbed one of the officers’ hands. “Marcus, thank God you’re here!” “It’s my ungrateful daughter-in-law. She ran away in the middle of the night and even dared to call the police on us. You need to talk some sense into her!”
The officer walked over to me, looking me up and down. “You called?” I nodded, shocked to realize the officer was Evelyn’s nephew. “Yes, I did. My mother-in-law destroyed my phone, cut up my ID, and locked me out of my bank accounts…” Before I could finish, Officer Marcus raised his hand to stop me. “You’re her son’s legal wife, correct?” “Since you are, this is a domestic dispute. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but we don’t interfere in family matters.” “Resolve this among yourselves. Don’t waste police resources. We’re leaving.” The officers turned to leave. I tried to stop them, but Evelyn grabbed my arm with a vicious grip. “Still want to run? Let me tell you something, city girl. In a small town, it’s all about connections!” “You can scream all you want, but you can’t touch a single hair on my head. Booking me? You’re dreaming! Hahaha!” Brandon sneered. “Stop fighting it, Chloe. Half the town is related to my parents.” “You have to play by our rules here, or you won’t survive.” “Even if you go to the bank or the DMV tomorrow, my mom can easily block you.” “With just one phone call from her, you won’t get anything done. Just listen to me. Kneel down, apologize to my mom, and we can put this behind us.” He pushed down on my shoulders, trying to force me to my knees. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. “So you guys are the local bullies, huh? You thought you could control me because I’m alone here!” Evelyn burst into laughter. “Exactly! What are you going to do about it?” “Try us if you don’t believe it. Let’s see when you can get a new ID. Without money and documents, where can you go?” “Earlier, a simple apology would have been enough. But now, you have to kneel and bow a hundred times before I let you back into my house!” A hundred times? The old woman had completely lost her mind. I stared at her, my eyes burning with rage. I wanted to tear her apart. But HR had informed me that the termination process and house reclamation couldn’t be executed until office hours tomorrow morning. I forced down my anger. “I’ll apologize, but I won’t kneel.” Brandon begged his mother on my behalf, and she finally agreed. “Fine. Since you’re new to the family and don’t know any better, a simple apology will do for now. But do it again, and I won’t be so easy on you.” I squeezed out a half-hearted apology, and Evelyn immediately beamed with pride. A next time? There wouldn’t be a next time. Tomorrow morning, I would make this entire family pay! When we got back to the apartment, I found not only Tiffany but also two strange men sitting in our living room. I gasped. Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Those are Brandon’s cousins. They’re staying over. If you don’t like it, go sleep on the couch!” The two shirtless men slowly put on their shirts. I rushed to the bedroom drawer to check my belongings. The drawer was empty. My wedding jewelry and the cash gifts from my parents were gone.
“Who stole my money? I put everything right here! Where is it?” I searched frantically, but Evelyn shrugged indifferently. “Stole? What a nasty word to use! I put the jewelry away for safekeeping, and I used the cash to pay off their debts.” “You’re rich anyway. A little cash shouldn’t matter to you. Stop screaming and go to bed.” My heart pounded furiously. The rage inside me was about to burn the house down. I snapped. “If that’s not stealing, what is? That is my money! Who gave you the right to take it?” “And you two, get the hell out of here! This is my place! You have no right to stay here!” Evelyn lost her temper and slapped me across the face. “Shut up!” “You don’t call the shots in this house! I’ll give that money to whoever I want!” Brandon chimed in. “Yeah, Chloe. I’m a department manager now. My salary has doubled. I’ll pay you back later. Stop making a scene.” I touched my swollen cheek. Tears of anger and regret streamed down my face. I hated myself for being so blind! How could I have married into such a family? I should have listened to my parents and never moved here! I sat on the couch all night, waiting for morning to come so the company could throw them out. At 8:00 AM, my laptop buzzed with an email from HR. [The termination letter for Brandon has been drafted. The legal team and the moving crew are on their way to reclaim the property.] As I felt a wave of relief, a strange, savory aroma wafted from the kitchen. Evelyn walked out holding a bowl of soup, a creepy smile on her face. “Drink up. It’s good for you.” I took a sip. It tasted rich and savory. “What kind of soup is this?” Evelyn chuckled. “It’s Buster. Do you like it? It’s a special small-town recipe. No gamey smell at all!” I froze. Buster was my twelve-year-old golden retriever. With everything that happened last night, I hadn’t realized Buster was missing. Evelyn blocked me as I tried to stand up. “Don’t bother looking. He’s right there in your bowl.” “Why keep a dog anyway? It’s better to focus on getting pregnant and raising Brandon’s child!” I stared at her, my mind going blank. Then, without a second thought, I slapped Evelyn as hard as I could, sending her crashing to the floor. “You psycho! You absolute monster! Buster was with me for twelve years! He was harmless, and you slaughtered him!” “You guys are sick! Eating a dog? Are you even human?” Evelyn screamed from the floor. Brandon rushed over and punched me in the face. “Is it really that big of a deal? He was just a dumb animal!” Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Tears poured down my face like a broken dam. “This is madness! How dare you hit my mother! Call the police! Put this crazy bitch in jail!” Evelyn and the two cousins found some rope and tied me up while Brandon called the police. I struggled with everything I had. “Let me go! You psychos! You’re going to pay for this!” A moment later, the doorbell rang. Evelyn smirked. “They’re here already. You’re going to jail, you miserable bitch!” Evelyn swung the door open, but standing there wasn’t Officer Marcus. It was the company’s HR manager, several corporate security guards, and two real state police officers. My secretary, Amber, pushed past Evelyn and immediately untied me. “Are you guys insane? How dare you put your hands on our General Manager!” The HR manager stepped forward and handed Brandon the termination letter. “Brandon, you are officially fired. We are here to reclaim this corporate-owned apartment.”
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