Chapter 4

My son and his family didn't return all night.

Since I didn't have to walk Leo to school the next morning, I took the bus over to see the woman from the park.

She told me there were currently no openings for live-in housekeepers.

Hearing that, my heart sank into my stomach.

Was I really destined to spend the rest of my life walking on eggshells around my son and daughter-in-law?

I dragged my feet all the way back, only to find that Justin and Chloe had already returned.

The way they were looking at me was hostile.

"What's going on?"

I spoke up first.

"Mom, I never thought you were this kind of person!" Justin yelled, furious.

I was completely baffled.

"Save the act! Let me ask you: did you take the gold necklace off my nightstand? That was a birthday gift for my mother! Do you honestly think you deserve to wear something like that?"

Chloe's venomous glare pierced right through me.

My eyes widened in shock. I turned to my son.

"You suspect me, too?"

Justin looked away, but his voice was cold and resolute.

"You were the only one home today. If it wasn't you, who else could it be?"

"Don't you have cameras? Check the footage!"

My conscience was clear, and I wasn't afraid of any recording.

We checked the cameras, but the footage only showed me walking near their nightstand. My back was turned toward the lens, so my hands weren't visible.

"Aha! You old thief! I knew it was you!" Chloe shrieked. "Give it back right now, or I'm calling the police!"

"I really couldn't tell! You're this old and you've got sticky fingers? No wonder you stole Leo's money for drinks. You're just a shameless, greedy parasite! Disgusting!"

Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, her index finger practically poking into my nose.

Her words were vile beyond belief.

"You..."

Before I could finish, my vision went black, and I collapsed.

"Justin, while your mom's still knocked out, search her pockets."

Through the haze of consciousness, I heard Chloe's voice.

What? That sentence jolted me wide awake.

I opened my eyes and realized they hadn't taken me to the emergency room at all. I was still lying on that cold metal cot in the storage room.

"See? I told you she was faking it!"

The moment she saw my eyes flutter open, Chloe crossed her arms with a smug, knowing smirk.

"Mom, if you want a gold necklace, I'll take you out to buy one later. But this one won't do. Just hand it over," my son pleaded, sounding like he was doing me a favor.

"I didn't take it." I turned my face to the wall, refusing to look at them.

"I don't believe you. Not unless you let me search you," Chloe demanded sharply.

Seeing her act so brazenly made my blood boil.

"Justin, what is the meaning of this?"

To my absolute horror, he actually agreed with her.

"If you didn't steal it, what are you afraid of? Besides, isn't this a great chance to prove your innocence?"

"No!"

This wasn't just about innocence; it was about my dignity.

Chloe looked me up and down with a cold sneer.

"Fine. Don't blame me for doing this the hard way."

She told my son to pin my arms and legs down while she began patting me down.

Inside and out, she dug through every single pocket on my clothes.

I fought back with all my might, but an old woman is no match for a grown man's strength.

Tears finally broke through my defenses and streamed down my cheeks.

"Justin, have you lost your damn mind?! I've slaved away in your house for years! Even if you don't care about my hard work, show some basic human decency! How could you humiliate me like this?!"

I screamed at him, but it made no difference.

When Chloe found nothing on me, she turned around and began tossing everything inside my tiny room.

My heart died completely in that moment.

I stood in the hallway, watching the two of them throw my few belongings out into the corridor one by one.

Right then, my phone buzzed with a text.

I looked down, read it, and smiled through my tears.

Finally, I could leave this hellhole.