After getting into college, I delivered food for DoorDash to earn tuition because my family was poor. When my dad found out, he scolded me for embarrassing him, tore up my acceptance letter, and forced me to drop out and work in a factory. Mom tried to stop him, but he pushed her down, causing a miscarriage, and she ended up in the hospital. To pay for the medical bills, I started delivering food secretly again. Until I delivered a birthday cake to a mansion and saw a woman sitting on my dad's lap, flirting. "Mr. Franklin, it's been twenty years. Haven't you had enough of playing the 'poor game' with that mother and daughter?" Dad laughed: "You don't understand. Watching a fallen heiress willingly wash clothes and cook for me is much more interesting than being a CEO." The woman asked again: "Then your daughter..." "Eh, it's your birthday today. Don't mention that bad luck charm," Dad said mockingly. I turned and left, my heart completely cold. Later, I found a new husband for my mom. Why is this fake-poor dad begging Mom to come back with his fortune in hand? Chapter 1 Carrying the takeout, I rang the doorbell of the mansion. The butler who opened the door disliked the rain on me and made me use the servants' stairs. Reaching the last step, I habitually turned on my phone, preparing to record a simple delivery confirmation video. But as I was filming, my blood froze instantly. At the head of the hall, the man surrounded by people, wearing an expensive silk shirt I had never seen before, was my dad. Around him were well-dressed men and women. Someone pushed playfully, and a woman in a silver sequined long dress with exquisite makeup giggled and fell onto his lap. "Mr. Franklin, it's been twenty years. Haven't you had enough of playing the 'poor game' with that mother and daughter?" The woman's voice came through the faint music. Dad laughed loudly, his arm naturally wrapping around the woman's waist. "You don't understand. A fallen heiress willingly washing clothes and cooking for me is much more interesting than being a CEO." The woman covered her mouth laughing, then asked: "The heiress is your fun, I get it. But what about your daughter? Heard..." Dad raised his hand directly, gently blocking her lips with his finger, a playful smile on his face: "Bad luck outsider, what's there to mention." He looked around at everyone present and raised his voice: "Today, only you are my leading lady." The woman exclaimed, cheeks flushing red. Dad laughed heartily again and clapped his hands. Immediately, someone presented a deep blue velvet gift box. He opened it. Inside lay a necklace, the main diamond dazzling even from a distance. He personally put it on the woman, the diamond refracting cold, brilliant light on her neck. The woman also smilingly took off the old watch on Dad's wrist and threw it downstairs casually. She took out a new watch and put it on Dad: "Mr. Franklin, that one doesn't suit you." Flattery erupted around them. "Sister Chloe is so lucky. This 'Tear of the Stars' must be worth ten million? Mr. Franklin bought it just like that!" "Tsk tsk, that yellow-faced woman Fiona saved money to buy Mr. Franklin a watch? Heard it was only three thousand? Even my servant would find it shabby!" "Exactly, Fiona only holds the title of a wife with a marriage certificate. How can she compete with our Sister Chloe..." Amidst the buzzing discussion and laughter, the woman named Chloe triumphantly lifted her face and exchanged a lingering kiss with Dad again. I held my phone, cold tears sliding down my cheeks. Dad's watch was exchanged for Mom embroidering a complex tapestry for a whole month. Mom embroidered until her fingers were pricked with countless tiny holes, until her eyes were almost blind, until her neck started to hurt. But she still smiled and said to me: Crystal, your dad and my 20th wedding anniversary is coming. He loves face, Mom is giving him a good watch. But the watch Mom almost went blind stitching stitch by stitch. Dad just let another woman throw it away like trash so easily. I trembled all over, pressed the stop recording button, put the cake on the stair corner, and turned to leave. Ring ring ring... The phone rang. The screen flashed with the word "Mom." My heart clenched violently, and I immediately pressed the hang-up button. Just after doing all this, footsteps came from the stairs. "Cake delivery?" A waiter-like person walked over. I lowered my head, mumbled a vague "Mmhmm," and went downstairs quickly. Just sitting on the e-bike, the phone in my pocket rang again. Still Mom. I took a deep breath and pressed answer: "Mom?" "Crystal," Mom's voice came from the other end, tired, "Did I disturb your delivery just now?" Chapter 2 "No, didn't disturb." I cleared my throat, "Signal was bad in the elevator just now." "Oh, that's good." Mom paused, a trace of imperceptible nervousness in her tone, "Crystal, why is your voice a bit hoarse?" My heart soured, immediately raising my pitch a bit to cover up: "Someone was smoking in the elevator just now, choked me." Silence for a few seconds on the other end, Mom sighed: "Then be careful, come back early." "Mmhmm." I hung up the phone. After delivering the last order, I bought a small cake and went to the hospital. Gently pushing open the ward door, Mom was half-leaning on the bed, pale but peaceful. And Dr. Gold, who was in charge of her ward, was facing away from the door, leaning slightly, saying something. "Okay, I will follow the doctor's orders and eat well." Mom nodded promising. Dr. Gold's expression softened. "Crystal is back?" Next second, Mom saw me and waved. Dr. Gold straightened up and turned around. Seeing me, his smile deepened: "Good child, tired? Rest a bit, your mom is recovering well." "Thank you, Dr. Gold." I walked into the ward and thanked him sincerely. After Mom was hospitalized, Dad didn't have time to come. It was Dr. Gold who ran around helping settle Mom down. Dr. Gold nodded, instructed Mom to "rest well" again, and turned to leave. I walked to the bedside, Mom seemed to come back to her senses. "Dr. Gold was checking the room?" I asked casually, not wanting Mom to see my face, looking down to open the delivery box and take out the small cake. "Ah, yes." Mom's voice was a bit light, "Dr. Gold is very responsible." "Indeed, he even advanced the medical bills for us." I nodded in agreement, smilingly handing the cake to Mom: "Mom, the cake shop messed up the pattern on this one." "The shop owner lady knows me, sold it to me for five bucks." Mom handed the cake back to me: "You haven't eaten, you eat first." "What delicious food are you eating?" The ward door was pushed open violently. A tall figure appeared at the door. It was my "poor" dad who couldn't afford medical bills, Franklin. "Cake, I asked Crystal to buy it back." Mom spoke first, winking at me simultaneously. I quietly pushed the delivery box by my feet under the bed. Dad had already walked in. He took out a stack of frayed banknotes from his pocket and placed them by Mom's hand. "Fiona, this month's salary is settled, three thousand. You use it first, check whatever needs checking, don't save." Mom looked at the money, her eyes red instantly. She put the cake on the bedside table, then held Dad's hand. "Why are your hands so cold." Mom was full of heartache, "Rained on again?" "It's all my fault. If not for my bad health, you wouldn't have to work so hard..." She couldn't go on, tears rolling down. "Don't talk nonsense." Dad immediately held Mom's hand tightly back. He lowered his head, Adam's apple rolled, and when he spoke again, his voice was a bit hoarse: "I didn't take good care of you. Don't worry about money, I'm here." Warmth filled the ward. But I remembered Dad's face in the villa, spending money like water, hugging beauty and laughing. A wave of nausea rushed to the top of my head. I couldn't help speaking, voice cold and hard: "Mom, you've done enough. At least, much better than some people who are clearly clean but insist on pretending to be dusty and dirty." Voice fell, Dad looked up sharply at me. Chapter 3 "Crystal, what do you mean by that?" I pinched his dry and clean sleeve, sneering: "You earned this hard money, but you are quite clean." "If people didn't know better, they'd think you work in an office, not a factory!" Slap! Dad swung his arm. My cheek burned. "Franklin!" Mom screamed, propping herself up. Dad raised his hand again. Slap! The slap landed on Mom's face. Dad's hand froze in mid-air. His face changed drastically, sweeping the small cake on the bedside table to the floor. "Loving mother spoils the child! Eat eat eat, I let you eat!" He kicked the scattered cake away, then strode out of the ward. Dead silence in the ward. Mom covered her mouth, tears flowing silently. Looking at the sweet mess on the floor, I felt my heart was also covered with a layer of cold cream, suffocating. After cleaning up the cake, I suppressed all churning emotions back to the bottom of my heart, rasping: "Mom, I'll go to the cafeteria to get you some food." Almost escaping, I pulled open the ward door and walked out. Once out, I saw Dad leaning against the cold tiled wall, arms crossed, head down. Hearing the sound, he looked up. "Didn't eat dinner, for you." Dad walked over heavily, handing me the hospital meal box. I didn't take it. He took out two boiled eggs from his pocket again: "Apply on your face, don't leave marks." I still didn't take it, just staring at him: "Dad, what exactly do you want to do?" "Do you love Mom, love me or not?" I finally couldn't help asking. Dad frowned: "Why ask this? Dad of course..." Ring ring ring— Phone ringtone interrupted him. He answered in front of me. A woman's commanding voice came from the other end: "Franklin, time to come back for overtime!" "Yes yes yes, Supervisor, I'll be right back!" He bowed and scraped to the phone, hung up, and showed an apologetic look to me, "Crystal, factory needs overtime. Tell your mom I won't be back tonight." Saying that, he stuffed the meal box and eggs into my hands, turned and left hurriedly. Looking at his back, tears rolled down. What supervisor, clearly Chloe. I could recognize that voice. I dug my nails into my palm, wiped my tears. Back in the ward, Mom's eyes were still red. I put down the meal box, asking softly: "Mom, can we not live with Dad?" Mom was stunned, then held my hand urgently: "Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?" "Your dad loves us. He's just under pressure. When you were sick as a child, he guarded you day and night..." These words again. I numbly said "Oh" and stopped talking. At night, Mom slept. I went out with the thermos. Coming back, I heard Dad's suppressed roar outside the ward. "I work myself to death outside, and you are lovey-dovey with your first love here?" I pushed the door open hurriedly, seeing Dad grabbing Dr. Gold's collar, eyes red. Mom cried defending: "No, Dr. Gold was just checking the room..." Dr. Gold tried to break free: "Mr. Franklin, you misunderstood!" Dad didn't listen, punched Dr. Gold in the face, turning to Mom with a hideous look. I rushed in, blocking in front of Mom. "Franklin, enough!" "When you celebrated Chloe's birthday in the villa, when you hugged and kissed, did you think of Mom?" "What deep affection are you pretending now!" Voice fell, Mom forgot to cry, eyes wide open. And Dad's lips trembled, seeming to want to say something. Crying, I took out my phone from my pocket and clicked on that video... Dad's face lost all color instantly. Next second, panic turned into tangible ferocity. He pounced like a beast to snatch the phone. Prepared, I turned sideways to protect it firmly. "Give it to me, that's fake, synthesized." His eyes were splitting, veins on forehead throbbing. Mom struggled to get up, voice trembling... Chapter 4 "Franklin, Crystal, what are you doing? What video?" Her pale face was full of bewilderment. Dad froze because of her voice. In this second, I handed the phone over. Screen lit up. In the paused frame, Dad's profile hugging Chloe was incredibly clear under the brilliant villa lights. "Fiona, don't believe it, listen to me..." Dad's pleading stuck in his throat. Mom didn't look at him. She took the phone, fingertips trembling, but clicked play with abnormal firmness. Volume not high, but those words, frivolous, flattering, malicious, still drilled into the dead air like snakes. "A fallen heiress willingly washing clothes and cooking for me..." "Bad luck outsider, what's there to mention..." "Fiona that yellow-faced woman..." I saw Mom's shoulders starting to shake slightly, then violently. She stared at the screen, eyes wide open, pupils dilating bit by bit, breathing rapid. Video ended. Phone slipped from her completely powerless hand, smashing on the floor with a PA. She maintained the head-down posture, solidified. "Fiona, that's a misunderstanding, just acting on occasion." Dad stepped forward, reaching out to touch her. Mom's body swayed slightly, like a puppet with broken strings, falling backward straight. "Mom!" "Fiona!" Dad and I screamed simultaneously. Dad reacted faster, opening arms to catch. But a white figure was faster than him. Dr. Gold rushed over agilely, arm steadily supporting Mom's sliding body, other hand already checking her neck pulse. "Fiona!" He called urgently in a low voice, no calmness of a doctor at all, face full of panic. Dad's arms missed, looking at Mom, ashen-faced in Dr. Gold's arms. He froze for a moment, then raged: "Let go of her, give her to me!" He reached out to snatch. I used all my strength to rush forward, pushing him away fiercely. Caught off guard, he stumbled into a chair. I blocked in front of Dr. Gold and Mom, every word quenched in ice. "Franklin, you don't deserve to touch her." "It's you, you made Mom like this." Dad froze. Dr. Gold ignored us. He had quickly laid Mom flat, pressed the call bell, and ordered the arriving nurse clearly. "Patient emotional shock, blood pressure and heart rate unstable, prepare for emergency room!" He bent down, carefully picking Mom up onto the gurney, movements gentle as treating fragile porcelain. Then, he pushed the bed, rushing out the door without looking back. Dad woke up from a dream, wanted to chase. "Franklin," I blocked him, stopping his steps, "Chasing now, is it to perform 'deep affection', or afraid Mom wakes up and says more things you don't know?"
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