8
As soon as I got back, I immediately contacted Kevin’s creditors.
I told them if they didn’t hurry to collect their money, Kevin was about to skip town.
The creditors pressed hard. Kevin couldn’t come up with the money, and he certainly wouldn’t get off easy.
Mark, Brenda, and Kevin chased me down like madmen. My phone was bombarded with their hateful messages every day.
As their deadline approached.
12:26 AM P P
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ET
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I arranged to meet them.
Only a week had passed, but they both looked terrible. Their faces were drawn with fatigue, their eyes sunken. Kevin even had
a bruise on his face.
Brenda’s haughty demeanor was gone, replaced by a strangely warm expression. “Oh, Lily dear, we’re all family. Let’s just put all those past unpleasantries behind us.”
“Kevin didn’t turn out well outside, and he’s drowning in debt. They’re threatening to take his arm if he can’t pay. As his sister–in–law, please be the bigger person. Use your wedding gift house to pay off his debts, and I promise he’ll truly respect you
as his eldest sister–in–law from now on.”
“I won’t interfere in Mark’s life anymore either, how about it?”
Looking at their expectant faces.
I said calmly, “No. And I’m divorcing Mark!”
“You can’t divorce me! You won’t get rid of me that easily!” Mark glared at me fiercely.
HA
“Lily Miller, you belong to our family, dead or alive. Even after you die, you’ll be buried in *our* family plot!”
I cut him off, staring at Kevin. “You’re running out of time. You and Mark are brothers. It’s not like his house can’t be sold.”
“Plus, if you convince your brother to divorce me, I’ll give you fifty thousand dollars.”
Kevin and Brenda exchanged glances, saying nothing.
I added more fuel to the fire. “If you don’t agree, I guess you’ll be losing an arm. And trust me, I won’t be giving a single cent. If you don’t divorce, we’ll just drag this out.”
“But I can afford to wait. Can you?”
All three of their faces looked grim.
Especially Mark’s eyes, which looked like they could eat me alive. I swore, if he dared to touch me, I’d smash his head in.
ww
After a moment, Brenda was the first to speak. “Mark, you and Kevin are brothers. You can’t just stand by and watch him die! If there was any other way, I’d rather sell my own house than yours!”
“Yeah, Big Brother,” Kevin echoed.
“I think Sister–in–law has lost all affection for you anyway. Forcing yourselves to stay together won’t make you happy. Just divorce her. Once I get through this, I’ll introduce you to ten, twenty other girls. You can pick and choose!”
Mark sat there blankly, saying nothing.
Brenda gritted her teeth, then knelt down and slapped herself across the face. “It’s all my fault, my fault for being useless, for not bringing you two into a wealthy family, for raising you with so much hardship!”
Mark’s face paled, and he quickly knelt down too. “Mom, please don’t do this. I promise you.”
Kevin also knelt down. The two brothers hugged Brenda. Brenda cried, snot and tears streaming down her face,
The scene was genuinely moving. But my heart felt not a single ounce of warmth.
12:27 AM P P
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。
They were people, they had feelings, but that feeling was utterly selfish.
