【Wenwen, Tanya's still a kid. Can't you just let it go?】
【It's only $70,000. Why not just give it to her?】
【I already withdrew the money. I'm doing this for the good of the family too.】
Right after that came the debit notification.
Austin had actually transferred $70,000 directly out of the linked account.
Blood rushed to my head. I felt dizzy.
I'd only set that account up for him because he handed his entire paycheck to his mother and never had a cent to his name.
Really. Just great.
I checked the time—my mother-in-law's seventieth birthday was almost here.
Since you're treating me like this, don't blame me for being ruthless.
This family can look forward to my big gift.
Austin quickly discovered the spending limit had dropped to zero. He bombarded me with messages.
【You actually changed the limit to zero? You know I gave all my money to Mom. I don't have a single cent. What am I supposed to do?】
【If you're upset about that $70,000, I'll pay you back later, okay?】
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck.
Empty promises. Always empty promises.
Since we got married, Austin hadn't kept a single one.
I didn't bother replying. I blocked him everywhere, and finally got some peace.
I used the time to tally up exactly how much this family had siphoned off me over the years.
Soon enough, the day of my mother-in-law's birthday banquet arrived.
I drove back to the small town.
The moment I stepped through the door, the relatives started whispering behind their hands.
Not loud—but loud enough.
"Isn't that the Austin family's daughter-in-law? She's really something, treating the family like this. Whoever ends up with a daughter-in-law like her is just unlucky."
"Right? Just because she has a little money, she thinks she can bully her husband's family. I've never seen anyone so vicious."
"A woman like that? Get rid of her. Keeping her around is just asking for trouble."
No need to guess—Tanya's handiwork.
I ignored them and sat down at the table.
Tanya spotted me, snorted, and shot me a sidelong glare.
"You've been married into this family for years. How much we've helped you—don't you know? You won't even spare a measly $70,000. The nerve."
"Since you're so petty, let's settle accounts right here in front of everyone."
"Whatever you took from this family, you pay back! If you don't settle up, don't bother coming through this door again!"
I hadn't expected her to bring up settling accounts before I even opened my mouth.
Seeing I didn't object, she pulled out her phone and started counting.
"Last time Mom gave you a red envelope—$2,000. The shopping card I gave you, the bag my brother bought you—return them all!"
I laughed—two sharp, scornful notes.
Then I pulled out the bill I'd prepared and slammed it on the table.
"Fine. Let's settle it."
I laid out all the evidence I'd compiled.
"Over these five years, Austin's entire salary went to my mother-in-law. Logically, household expenses should be split evenly—so your family owes me $200,000."
"Since I married in, all of my mother-in-law's medicine and checkups came out of my pocket. That's $30,000."
"And during the year you stayed at my place? The out-of-print ornament you broke has a market value of $10,000. The new phone I gave you, the skincare products—another $10,000."
As I kept going, their faces grew paler and paler.
