Back then, I’d refused to buy the bag because it was too expensive. Lilith warned that if I didn’t buy it, Ethan wouldn’t take care of me in my old age. Even though I had a good income and no plans to marry, I tried my best to meet their demands.
But Lilith used that refusal against me. When I said no again, Ethan held a grudge and later strangled me with a scarf while I slept—a scarf I had bought for Lilith.
To cover up for him, my mother deleted the security footage and claimed I had committed suicide. They inherited everything, just as they’d wanted. Ethan and his cronies even bragged, “That Claire was cheap. If she’d just handed over the money sooner, maybe I would’ve let her live.”
He laughed, tossing my photos to the ground and stomping on them, saying, “She got what she deserved!”
My mother rushed to stop him, more concerned about him hurting his foot than about me.
It was all so absurd.
“Auntie, say something!” Ethan demanded, his impatience growing. “Why are you so stingy? I’ll pay you back when I start making money!”
Hearing his entitled tone, I kept my cool and replied calmly, “It’s too expensive. I can’t buy it for you.”