My friends invited me to a New Year's Eve party. I was dead broke, so I could only make some honey-glazed chicken wings to share. As I was about to leave, my mom's face suddenly darkened. "Have I ever tasted your cooking? And you're making it for those shady friends of yours?" "Instead of eating with them, you should have gone to meet the guy I set you up with a few days ago!" "Do you understand 'networking up'? You never listen! I raised an ungrateful enemy!" I stopped in my tracks and, for the first time, refuted her complaints. "Fine. You take the wings. Give me back my paycheck!" 1 My mom froze for a moment, then her expression shifted rapidly. "What do you mean? Asking you to contribute to the household expenses makes you this unwilling?" "If I knew you were this shameless, I never should have given birth to you!" "Fine! You want money, right? I'll give it back to you right now. From now on, pay for your own food, drink, and rent. Don't expect me to spend my coffin money on you!" She ranted on and on, but made no move to actually pay me. I took a deep breath; even my mouth tasted bitter. Contributing to the household was fine. The problem was, who contributes everything? Ever since I started my internship, my mom demanded my debit card. If the direct deposit didn't hit on time, she would interrogate me relentlessly. I thought about moving out and taking on side gigs in secret. But she stormed into my office, questioning me in front of everyone about why I wasn't home by 10 PM, accusing me of sleeping with a colleague. In the end, she found out about my part-time job and took every cent I had earned. I often questioned myself: what was the point of working so hard day and night? I felt no joy on payday. The thought of facing my mother 24/7 made me dread even the weekends. But my mother, Mrs. Sarah Miller, acted stranger and stranger. She would look at me and sigh heavily. "Did you see Chloe next door? Her mom just mentioned her mouth felt bland, and Chloe bought her durian and bird's nest." "I don't have that kind of luck. Raised a daughter into her twenties, and I haven't even tasted a grain of rice she bought." "My life is so bitter." "When will you be like other people's kids and care about me proactively? Don't wait for me to ask!" I wanted to buy things for her! But did I have a single cent to my name? She said to ask her if I needed anything. But when I needed bus fare, she told me to walk to work. When I needed lunch money, she said to come home for three meals a day. My colleagues were envious. "Your mom loves you so much!" "If I went home for lunch every day, my mom would definitely get annoyed, haha." In the end, I became the ungrateful one. A few days ago, around Christmas, my friends had already invited me out once. We hadn't seen each other for a few years since college graduation. It was only because rich girl Penny returned from studying abroad that she organized the gathering. I wanted to go. I desperately wanted to go. I even swallowed my pride and contacted my father, whom I hadn't seen in ages, asking for $200. He just sneered and scolded me. "Your mom wanted custody when we divorced." "I never missed a child support payment all these years. You've graduated, and you still want money?" "Just like your mother, always eyeing the few bucks in my pocket!" "Besides, so what if your mom takes a little? Isn't she saving it for you?" "You feel wronged over this little thing? Useless! Why should I give you money?" In the end, I had to decline the invitation. Penny DM'd me proactively, saying she hadn't had home-cooked food in ages. I didn't need to split the bill; just bringing some homemade food would be fine. The more I thought about it, the more agitated I felt. Then I realized the time. If I didn't leave now, I'd be late. I sighed, deciding to argue later. I grabbed the wings and headed for the door. But she blocked me again. "Where are you going? Make yourself clear!" "Are those fox friends of yours more important than your mother?" "Speak!" 2 I was honestly too exhausted. I had no mood or time to argue with her. Thinking about the hour-long walk to the meeting place, I couldn't delay any longer. I went into the kitchen and set aside a third of the wings. "I left some for you. The rest is for four people to share; I can't take less." "We see each other every day; they rarely get together." "Just treat it as lending me $200, okay?" My mom scoffed, seeming satisfied with my lowered posture. But soon, she started nitpicking again. "These wings are cold. How am I supposed to eat them?" "Your mother loves spicy food and hates sweet things! You've been my daughter for twenty years, and you can't even remember that?" "What is the use of raising a daughter?" The nameless fire in my heart flared up again. But thinking of my roommates whom I hadn't seen in years, I sighed again, compromising with a hoarse voice. "Next time I'll make a special batch just for you. Whatever you want." "Mom, I just need $200. I promise to listen to you from now on." Maybe I looked truly pathetic. She took out her phone and started the transfer. But when it came to entering the password, she hesitated. "You want money? Fine. But you must promise me you'll be back before 8 PM." It was already 6 PM! 8 PM? How was that even possible? I got anxious, unable to maintain my gentle facade. "Mom, New Year's Eve goes past midnight. It's about welcoming the first day of 2026 with friends." "Just this once! I promise to come back as soon as I wake up tomorrow." At first, hearing about staying out overnight, I hesitated. But now, I wanted to stay out more than anyone. My mental state was on the brink of collapse; I desperately needed some breathing room. But facing my plea, my mom simply turned off her phone screen. "What? Staying out all night?" "Absolutely not! If you're not back before 8, you get nothing!" 3 I looked at her in disbelief. After a moment, I gritted my teeth and compromised again. "Okay, I'll be back before 8." "I haven't seen them in years, I just want to catch up..." Since graduating and moving back home, I had zero friends. I went to work alone, left alone. Because I couldn't afford to eat out or grab coffee with colleagues, I didn't even have a work buddy. Everyone thought I was antisocial. I tried to negotiate for a small allowance several times, but only received more humiliation. "Why drink boba? It's at least $6 a cup!" "Mom will boil some brown sugar water for you at home. Take it in a thermos." "These were rare treats in the past! Don't be ungrateful." Now, I finally had an invitation. I wanted to go so badly. Seeing her about to renege, I panicked completely. I grabbed her phone and shoved it into her hand. "Stop stalling, Mom. Transfer it!" "I don't have a penny. It's so embarrassing to go out like this!" But seeing the anxiety on my face, Mrs. Miller suddenly laughed. "Why the rush? If you don't bring money, will they kick you out?" "Friends who only care about benefits aren't real friends. Someday you'll understand my good intentions." "Only 'networking up' is worth spending money on!" I couldn't take it anymore. Seeing she was obstinate, I didn't want to struggle anymore. I took a deep breath, turned, and headed for the door. But she followed me, nagging incessantly. "You child, you never listen!" "Why waste time with those people? Mom doesn't want to withhold money; I just don't want you wasting time." "Didn't the match I introduced last time invite you for New Year's Eve too?" Hearing her bring him up again, I snapped. I questioned her angrily. "Enough, okay? I don't want to talk nonsense with you. Do you really think you're making sense?" "An old man who wants the girl to stay over after knowing her for a few days—in your mouth, he's a treasure?" "Networking up? Why didn't you network up? When you looked for a husband, for a boyfriend, why didn't you use those standards?" "You know to pick the good-looking ones, but you find me one who breathes bad breath as soon as he speaks!" "I think you've been infected. Everything you say stinks!" "I'll say it one more time. Those are my friends, not shady characters, and not fox friends!" With that, I carried the wings and walked out, afraid that if I stopped, I'd never leave today. But the next second, pain shot through my wrist. My mom rushed up, slapped my arm hard, and threw the wings out the window. "Just because you ate two wings, you think you can fly?" "Let me tell you, Lily Miller, in this house, you don't call the shots!" "You dare raise your voice at your mother? You're not going anywhere today!" 4 I stared blankly at the wings thrown outside. My mom acted like she didn't see anything and started complaining to herself. "How did I mistreat you? How can you say that?" "He's nine years older than you, but he earns $3,000 more. Together you can pay the mortgage and car loan, just enough!" "With a matchmaker's guarantee, isn't it better than finding one yourself?" "I think your heart is wild! Seduced by men outside!" We lived in an old apartment complex; the soundproofing was terrible. Her voice was sharp and piercing. My vision went black from the noise; I almost fainted. She didn't stop, continuing to curse loudly. "I saw it when you were in college!" "Wearing those skirts that barely cover your butt, who knows who you wanted to seduce!" "I never did such things. Do you want to be like that vixen your dad kept, a whore who destroys families?" Mentioning that past event made me feel worse. Growing up, my mom's education was: no dressing up, no clothes other than school uniforms. She said a student's job is to study. But this habit persisted into college. Without uniforms, I suddenly didn't know what to wear. My living expenses were limited, so I wore cheap jackets and pants from Temu every day. Until one day, my pants split when I squatted in the dorm. My face flushed red with shame. My roommate lent me a dress, saying I was at the age of blossoming and should allow myself to be beautiful. I remember it was a beautiful white floral dress, knee-length, safe but showing my calves. I loved it. I secretly skipped dinner for a month to ask for the link. But the day the dress arrived, my mom saw it and cut it to shreds. She also dragged me to the salon and cut my long hair into a bob. "This is a student cut! Do you understand?" "Just because you're in college doesn't mean you're not a student!" "Stop thinking those crooked thoughts. They are unclean themselves and want you to be played by men too!" Those words were too ugly. I didn't even dare look at my roommates' faces. After that, we tacitly stopped being close. Until I fainted in class and was taken to the hospital by my roommates. Seeing my haggard state, the teenage girls couldn't bear it, and we became friends again. I think my mom just couldn't stand me having sincere friends. She wasn't reconciled to me being with them, to me escaping her control. So she used her old tricks, wanting my friends to hate me again. Sure enough, she started screaming again. "Those friends of yours are up to no good! Telling you not to come home? Who knows if they found some old man to sell you to!" "If you dare leave, I'll die right here!" She always used this to force me into submission. But this time, I just looked at her calmly and climbed onto the windowsill before she could. "Do you want to die, or do you want me to die?" "What did I do wrong to be treated like this?!" By the end, I was almost hysterical. Tears uncontrollable, body shaking, I questioned her sentence by sentence. "I just accepted parental support like most kids." "Why, in your mouth, is it an unforgivable sin I have to repay for a lifetime?" "Why, when I just started working, couldn't you wait to take money back?" "Since you see me as an investment, you should be prepared to lose money!" With that, my emotions peaked, my body swaying precariously. But the expected panic and repentance didn't come. My mom sneered, rushed forward, grabbed my hair, dragged me off the sill, and slammed my head against the wall. "You think I'm easily scared?" "I used that trick before you were born!" "You want to die? Go ahead! Jumping is too quick and easy for you!" "If you die, it has to be a living hell!" I was dizzy from the impact, but the pain in my heart spread, drowning out even the throbbing in my forehead. In an instant, my desire to die vanished, replaced by questions. Why should I be the one to die? Why must I die when I did nothing wrong? Why die obediently when I haven't enjoyed anything? I suddenly remembered a line from a hit show and blurted it out unconsciously. "Mom... thank you." "Thank you for not changing. Thank you for still being like this." "This way, I can finally make up my mind." Hearing the first sentence, Mrs. Miller smiled triumphantly. She let go, responding lightly. "Why didn't you act like this sooner?" "You young people, your lives were given by your elders, yet you all want to climb on our heads!" "If you had always been this good..." Towards the end, she stopped, looking at me warily. "Make up what mind?" "What do you mean?" Before the words fell. A knock sounded at the door! My mom froze, looking a bit panicked. A moment later, she glared at me, fixed her hair, and warned in a low voice. "Be careful. If you embarrass me, you'll pay." She snorted, walked to the door with a sway, and looked through the peephole. Her expression changed, voice squeezed through gritted teeth. "Why are you here? Who asked you to come?" "Get out, my house doesn't welcome you!" But the doorbell rang again and again, relentless. The veins on Mrs. Miller's forehead throbbed. Finally, unable to bear it, she pulled the door open. "Don't understand human language? Get out!"
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