On a family reality show, my daughter tearfully recounted her childhood filled with "domestic abuse." "I was just playing, blowing bubbles with dish soap, and you beat me as soon as you got home from work..." "It felt like, in your eyes, even breathing was a mistake." I quickly cut off her melodramatic pity party. "You were inhaling bug spray." My daughter stared in disbelief, her eyes wide: "Then what about the time I kindly put lip balm on my cousin, and Dad wanted to hit me too?" I rolled my eyes: "You used Super Glue." After a minute of silence, still unwilling to give up, my daughter asked: "Well, Grandpa hitting me had no justification, right?" I was exhausted by this conversation. "You grabbed a live eel and swung it around like a lasso. In today's terms—you were a 'Monster Child'." Tired of her endlessly digging up the past, I just kept going, listing everything. "Your grandma spanked you because you stole funeral wreaths, arranged them in a circle on her bed, and lay in the middle." "Your aunt hit you because you dragged a prop dead baby from a haunted house all the way home." "As for your uncle—he was driving, and you insisted on playing 'Guess Who?' by covering his eyes." The internet exploded instantly. [Playing dead, fighting the dead, manufacturing the dead.] [Every family has its problems, but Maya Price's family has 1599 of them!] 1 "Maya, I'll say this one more time. I don't have time right now. The board meeting starts in five minutes." I pinched the bridge of my nose, speaking coldly into my Bluetooth earpiece. The details of a multi-billion dollar cross-border acquisition were spread out on the desk in front of me. I couldn't afford to be distracted. On the other end of the line, my rapper daughter, using her signature arrogant, drawling voice, stretched out her words. "One month. I promise, for one month, I'll secretly eat spicy noodles in your bedroom, and I'll even buy you a brand new set of silk sheets." I stared at the phone in silence for three seconds, then expressionlessly pressed the intercom button. "Cici, cancel all my afternoon meetings. Also, book me the fastest flight to LA." Cici's voice held a hint of panic: "Ms. Vance, what about the meeting with the venture capitalists..." "Let them wait." ... On the premiere day of the family reality show, the live comments almost flooded the screen. My daughter, Maya Price, was the new top-tier rap artist of her generation. With a head of pink dreadlocks, smoky makeup, and ripped jeans, her entire vibe screamed "stay away." She had gained countless fans with her rebellious, "bad girl" persona, and her haters despised her just as passionately. Because of this, the public was incredibly curious about her family background. Everyone assumed that Maya's unconventional behavior must stem from a dysfunctional family. They believed it was her parents' negligence that caused her to develop such a prickly, defensive exterior. So, when I appeared on camera, the live comments instantly exploded. [Here comes the capitalist. Look at that cold face. Maya must have suffered a lot.] [I bet a bag of chips this mom is a total control freak. Otherwise, why would Maya be so rebellious?] [Finally seeing the real deal. The pain of her family background—let's judge it today.] I swept my gaze over the cameras expressionlessly, as if I were looking at an ordinary financial report. These rumors and gossip couldn't hurt me in the slightest. After I arrived, the other two groups of guests also showed up. One was the newly minted Best Actor, Ethan Reed, and his mother, Brenda. The other group consisted of a pair of sibling influencers famous for extreme sports documentaries, Sarah and Leo Cole. Ethan's mother, Brenda, wore a mismatched floral top and pants, with brand new, cheap canvas shoes on her feet. Her eyes darted around with a timid, probing curiosity, looking completely out of place in the glamorous studio. Before the filming even officially started, she proactively came over, plastering a flattering smile on her face. "Miss, you're so pretty. What kind of work do you do?" I maintained basic politeness, giving a slight nod, and was just about to answer. Actor Ethan Reed quickly walked over, affectionately put his arm around his mother's shoulder, and answered for me with a smile. "Mom, this is Maya Price's mother, Ms. Victoria Vance. She runs her own company." The smile on Brenda's face stiffened for a second, quickly replaced by a knowing look tinged with contempt as she looked me up and down. "Oh, running a company. Then you must rely on the men in your family, right?" "A woman's career, no matter how good, is useless. Husbands are unreliable." "It's best to be like our Ethan. Relying on your son is the most secure." The sourness in her tone practically spilled through the screen. It was as if she believed all my designer clothes were earned through some kind of improper relationship. [LMAO, what century is this lady living in? Every time she opens her mouth, it's so old-fashioned.] [Is the Best Actor's mom really this ignorant? I'm starting to feel sorry for him.] [For once, I have to defend the capitalist. Ms. Vance's face says it all: squinting confusedly at phone meme.] Ethan's face instantly turned beet red, and he apologized to me profusely. "Ms. Vance, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. My mom is from a small town, she doesn't know how to talk. Please don't take it to heart." With that, he half-dragged his mother away quickly. I watched their retreating figures, remaining silent. I had done my research before coming. Rumor had it that Best Actor Ethan Reed started from nothing. His father died when he was young, and he and his mother depended on each other. They were famous in the industry for being a loving, devoted mother and son. Looking at it now, that "devotion" probably wasn't easy to maintain. At that moment, a flash of pink caught my eye. 2 Maya had her hands in her pockets, chewing gum. She glanced in the direction Ethan and his mother had left, the corners of her mouth turning down, her tone carrying a hint of barely detectable jealousy. "Tsk. Other people's moms follow them around voluntarily. But you? I have to beg and plead just to get you here." I heard the awkwardness and envy in her words. This kid was always like this. Clearly wanting something in her heart, but her mouth insisting she didn't care. I didn't argue with her. After all, over the years, the time I spent with her could be counted on one hand. I raised my hand, instinctively wanting to pat her head, but was deterred by the prickly dreadlocks. I patted her shoulder instead. "Okay, okay. That was my mistake. I'll pay more attention next time." My tone was unusually gentle. Maya seemed a bit stunned, not expecting me to be so agreeable, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Her cheeks puffed out, and she popped a gum bubble with a loud smack. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the sign-in desk. "Let's go, Your Highness the Little Demon. Let's see which brave production team dared to invite you to wreak havoc." As soon as my words fell, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the head director frantically making hand gestures to the cameraman. On the giant screen in the center of the studio, the live comments were rolling continuously. One longer comment stood out conspicuously. [Feeling so sorry for our boy Ethan, having to film a show with a capitalist who reeks of money. I hope the production team protects him and his auntie, don't let them be corrupted by someone with no class.] I shook my head helplessly. Fame really does bring a lot of trouble. Of course, I was referring to this "boy" Best Actor. The show officially started recording. The studio lights were blinding. The host held his cue cards and announced the start of the first segment with an incredibly hyped-up tone. "Our first segment is called 'Shout Out Your Love'!" "To all the parents and children here today, if there's anything you've always wanted to say but were too embarrassed to, or if you have any grievances with each other, today, right here, shout it out loud!" I leaned back in the sofa, expressionless. Maya sat next to me, slouching in her seat, boredly picking at the rips in her jeans. The host scanned the room, his gaze finally landing on Ethan. "In terms of seniority, Ethan is a veteran in the industry. Why don't you start us off, Ethan?" The cameras instantly focused on him. Ethan straightened his back, a perfectly polite, slightly shy smile on his face. He didn't speak immediately, instead falling into a long silence. The longer he remained silent, the crazier the live comments became. [Awww, look at his expression. You can tell how good his relationship with his mom is.] [Yeah, Ethan's dad passed away early, and he and his mom went through so much hardship together. How could he have any complaints about her?] [Do you even have to ask? He's definitely reminiscing about their difficult journey and is too moved to speak.] [Filial, hardworking, zero scandals. This is a true, quality idol!] Amidst the chorus of praise, Ethan finally looked up, faced the camera, and gently shook his head. His eyes were slightly red, his voice carrying a warm hint of a choke. "I don't have a single complaint about my mother. She gave her all for me, and I only have gratitude." A perfect answer. Flawless. I could almost hear the director sighing in disappointment backstage. The host, clearly afraid the segment would fall flat and lose ratings, quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "Wow, Ethan truly is a model of filial piety!" "However, the goal of this segment is to encourage more communication within families." "Sometimes, speaking out about harmless little issues can actually make the relationship stronger!" "After all, you're family. It's not like a little friction is going to tear you apart, right?" 3 His words seemed to flip a switch. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brenda, who had been sitting nervously on the side, suddenly light up. As if receiving some kind of permission and encouragement, she nodded vigorously and snatched the conversation. "The host is right! That's exactly what I think!" Everyone's eyes immediately focused on her. She completely ignored the warning look her son was shooting her, turned her body, and looked straight at Ethan. She paused for two seconds, and then, like a dam breaking, years of accumulated resentment poured out. "Ethan! Tell me the truth. I worked my fingers to the bone to raise you until you were eighteen, and paid for your college. Is that true or not?" Ethan's face froze, and he could only manage a stiff nod for the cameras. "Yes." "And now that you're successful, a big star making all this money, why don't you know to bring more money home?" "Didn't your cousin just ask you to help him find a job on a movie set?" "You won't even help your own uncle's kids! Where am I supposed to put my face?!" Ethan's face went from red to white. His lips moved, but he couldn't get a single word out. Brenda, however, was gaining momentum, completely oblivious to the host sweating profusely and frantically giving her signals. "Also, last time I told you to buy me a gold bracelet, what did you buy me? What brand was it... Tiffany? It was silver!" "With just a tiny, little crushed diamond embedded in it. It was incredibly expensive, but when I wore it out, people thought it was fake!" "I told you I wanted solid gold! Gold holds its value, don't you understand?" "Are you just embarrassed by your country bumpkin mother? Afraid I'll make you lose face, is that it?" "You say you're busy with work. You come home maybe twice a year, stay for one day, and leave before you even unpack." "I asked you to take me to one of those... those galas, to see the world, and you always say it's 'inconvenient'." "What's so inconvenient about it? Are you afraid that bringing a mom from a small town will humiliate you?" This rapid-fire string of accusations was like a machine gun going off, plunging the entire studio into a deathly silence. Ethan's face went from white to a sickly green. His knuckles were white from gripping his knees so tightly. The host had beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his smile barely hanging on. He waved his hands repeatedly, trying to interrupt this out-of-control family trial. "Ma'am, Ma'am, please calm down a little. We're... we're mostly talking about small things in life, little things..." "How is this a small thing?" Brenda's voice grew even louder. "You raise a son so he can take care of you when you're old! Now his wings are fully grown, and he doesn't care about his old mother anymore! Is that a small thing?!" The live comments paused for three seconds, and then erupted, covering the entire screen at an explosive rate. [Holy shit? What did I just hear?] [Scripted? This has to be scripted, right? What real mom would say that about her own son in front of a national audience?] [Making him find a job for his cousin? This is the 'enabling relatives' 2.0 version. Enabling nephews?] [Complaining that Tiffany is silver... My god. Is this the kind of life the Best Actor has been living?] [I'm shattered. What happened to 'loving mother and devoted son'? This is completely different from all his PR articles!] [I suddenly feel a bit sorry for Ethan. This mom is too... suffocating.] I watched this farce coldly, picked up the teacup next to me, and gently blew on the hot liquid. Family ties. Sometimes it's just a messy, confusing ledger. It might look glamorous on the outside, but on the inside, it's long been corroded and riddled with holes by trivialities, conflicting interests, and resentment. 4 The farce between Ethan and his mother came to an abrupt end. The host used every ounce of his professional skill to steer the conversation back on track, sweating more than Ethan under the spotlights. Clearly terrified of engaging with that mother-son duo again, he quickly shifted his gaze to Maya and me. "Next up, let's hear the story of our new generation cool girl, Maya, and her mom!" The host forcefully hyped up the atmosphere. "Maya, you always seem so cool and edgy. Is there anything you want to say to your mom?" Maya lazily lifted her eyelids, chewed her bubblegum, blew a pink bubble, and let it pop with a smack. She didn't look at me, instead speaking directly to the camera: "If we're talking about complaints, I have a ton. Mostly, I think my mom is way too hypocritical and strict. She totally doesn't understand kids at all." The live comments instantly revived. [Here we go! The main event is starting!] [Hypocritical? Tell us more, I love this!] [I knew it. A strong, successful woman like Ms. Vance is definitely super strict with her kids. No warmth at all...] Maya glanced at the screen, the smirk on her face growing wider. "When I was little, I used dish soap to blow bubbles for fun, and my mom gave me a brutal beating as soon as she got home." "Is our family so broke we can't even afford dish soap?" The live comments clearly empathized with her immediately. [Do rich families also do the 'suffering builds character' kind of parenting?] [My mom is exactly like that. Even now, I feel like breaking a bowl or wasting a little water is the end of the world.] [So annoying. It's one thing not to buy a bubble machine, but getting yelled at for making homemade ones?] Seeing everyone rallying against me, I searched my memory for this incident. Did that happen? It seems... it actually did! After thinking deeply for a long time, I finally remembered the entire context of the event. I definitely spanked her that day, and I hit her pretty hard. The damn kid had a pair of lungs on her. She cried so loud my hearing was slightly muffled for days afterward, and I constantly had to ask my secretary to repeat things. So, I shot her a look of utter disdain. "You were inhaling bug spray. You passed out, and I had to rush you to the ER to get your stomach pumped." "..." [...] [...HUH?????] [WHAT?????] Maya was clearly just as stunned in disbelief. A million grievances choked in her throat. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, unable to make a sound. But she clearly wasn't ready to give up. After darting her eyes around, she spoke up again: "Then what about the time I kindly put lip balm on my cousin, and Dad wanted to hit me too? My cousin didn't even complain! You guys just discipline me first!" I rubbed my forehead. "You used Super Glue. How was your cousin supposed to speak?" [HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA the cousin really didn't say anything, because she literally couldn't!] [Help me! Maya, you need to be seated at the same table as those medical examiners who deal with crazy patients!] After a moment of silence, she still wouldn't let it go and asked me: "Well, Grandpa hitting me had no justification, right?" I was already feeling exhausted. "You grabbed a live eel and swung it around like a lasso. You hit your grandpa with it, and he got bitten." Seeing she was about to speak again, I remembered everything and decided to just shut her down entirely. "Your grandma spanked you because you stole funeral wreaths, arranged them in a circle on her bed, and lay in the middle. Your grandma was bedridden for three days after she found out." "Your aunt hit you because you dragged a prop dead baby from a haunted house all the way home. That bloody blanket it was wrapped in was a limited edition, and it was completely ruined." "As for your uncle—he was driving, and you insisted on playing 'Guess Who?' by covering his eyes." The live comments, which had been buzzing moments ago, were hit with a pause button, freezing for a full five seconds. Then, an even crazier explosion. [?????? What did I just hear?] [The real Monster Child is right here.] [I take back what I said earlier. This isn't an evil mother, this is a savior, a bodhisattva!] [If it weren't for Ms. Vance, Maya might not have lived to see another day.] [And the rest of her family too.] The host was also stunned by this shocking reversal. He turned to Maya, stammering, trying to salvage the situation. "Maya... is what your mom saying... true?" "Why... why is what you remember so different from your mom?" This seemed to snap Maya back to reality. "I... I don't remember! Everything I said, I wrote it down in my diary when I was little!" Her words didn't save the situation; instead, they made the atmosphere in the studio even more bizarre. The tone of the live comments shifted from shock to uncontrollable laughter. [Hahahaha I'm sorry, I laughed out loud. A diary?] [Isn't that what all little kids do when they write in their diaries? 'Mom hit me today, I hate her.' They definitely wouldn't write, 'Because I almost threw my brother out the window today, Mom hit me.'] [Is this cooking the books? Selective recording, only writing what benefits you.] [LMAO, hammering yourself with your own diary. Maya, you're a true talent.] [She was too young then. She probably didn't even know what she did was wrong, she only knew she got hit.] 5 Seeing my daughter so embarrassed she looked ready to crawl into a hole, the annoyance I felt dissipated. This kid had always been sensitive and cared deeply about her pride since she was little. I didn't press the issue, leaving her with a shred of dignity. Seeing this, the host quickly signaled the director to cut the shot and threw the topic to the final group of guests, the siblings Sarah and Leo. "Alright, alright! It's normal to have some bumps and friction in a family. It's good to talk it out!" "Let's hear from Sarah and Leo. You guys have been voted 'The Sibling Duo Everyone Wants' by netizens. Do you have any grievances with each other?" The camera shifted to the siblings. The older sister, Sarah, wore a sleek, functional windbreaker. She had a healthy, tanned complexion and a bright, hearty laugh. The younger brother, Leo, was tall and handsome. His features resembled his sister's, but with a touch of a sunny, bad-boy charm. The two looked at each other and almost burst out laughing at the same time. Sarah playfully slapped Leo on the shoulder. "Grievances? Of course! Every time this guy goes exploring, he stuffs his dirty socks in my backpack, and then denies it to the death when we get back!" Leo immediately fired back. "You have the nerve to talk about me? Last time we were in the rainforest, who started singing in the middle of the night and attracted the wolves?" "If I wasn't a fast runner, we would have been wolf snacks!" "What do you know? That's the power of music!" "Give it a rest. Even a monkey would run for the hills if it heard your singing." The two bickered back and forth. There was no script, no acting—just the most authentic, natural sibling dynamic. That kind of intimacy and synergy, deeply ingrained in their bones, couldn't be faked. The live comments were flooded with envious "Hahahaha"s and people wishing they had that kind of relationship. [This is the correct way to do sibling dynamics!] [So jealous. Great relationship, good-looking, and they get to adventure around the world together. What a dream life!] [Compared to the first two families, this is basically a healing anime.] [Having ability and having a loving family—this is true wealth.] Watching them wrap up their segment with playful banter, I actually felt a tinge of envy. I turned my head. Maya was looking down, her fingers unconsciously twisting together. Even her pink dreadlocks seemed to have wilted a little. The farce of the first segment finally concluded. The host wiped his sweat and announced the start of the second segment. "Next up is our cozy segment—'Kitchen of Love'! Each family will work together to complete a dish, and our staff will taste and score them!" As soon as he finished speaking, I raised my hand. The host paused for a second: "Ms. Vance, do you have a question?" "I don't cook." I stated the simple truth. "For the safety of everyone here, I'd like to request outside help for this segment." The live comments started buzzing again. [??? Outside help? This is a family reality show, not a corporate negotiation!] [So precious, too precious. Won't even cook a meal. How did Maya even grow up?] [Classic capitalist, trying to solve everything with money.] I looked at the scrolling comments, feeling a bit confused. If there's a better solution, why not use it? A head chef from a five-star hotel is a hundred times better than me, a certified kitchen hazard. However, Maya beside me suddenly stood up, glaring at me fiercely. Her eyes quickly turned red, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion: "I've never eaten a meal you cooked." The aggrieved look on her face made it seem like I had committed some heinous crime. I was a bit speechless: "You did when you were little. The result was that it almost drove me to have a second child." Maya was choked by my words, tears welling in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to let them fall. [Oh my god, I suddenly feel like Maya's death-wish genes come from her mom.] [If it was severe enough to make her want a second child, yeah, probably best not to eat it.] 6 Just then, Brenda, who had been closely watching the situation, saw an opportunity and immediately hurried over. She grabbed Maya's hand, her face plastered with a maternal smile. "Oh, honey, it's okay! Auntie will cook for you! When Auntie was young, I worked as a prep cook in a restaurant. I'm a great cook!" Maya seemed to have found an outlet. Incredibly moved, she turned and threw herself into Brenda's arms. Sarah and Leo also walked over with smiles. "Ms. Vance, Maya, my brother and I are pretty good cooks too. Let's do it together, it'll be more fun with more people!" "Thank you all so much." I thanked them sincerely, then turned to the camera crew: "Excuse me, could I have my phone, please?" While I messaged my executive assistant, I watched them head enthusiastically toward the kitchen area prepared by the production team. The kitchen quickly divided into three camps. Brenda, as she claimed, looked the part. But her idea of "knowing how to cook" was very different from my understanding of it. The ingredients provided by the production team were incredibly lavish: fresh Wagyu beef, coral grouper, organic vegetables—everything you could want. She took one look around, clicking her tongue. Then, she swiftly started stuffing the most expensive ingredients—like whole blocks of Wagyu beef, dried scallops, and shiitake mushrooms—into the giant tote bag she brought with her. Ethan looked sick. He stepped forward to stop her quietly. "Mom, what are you doing? These belong to the show..." Brenda smacked his arm, her voice rising uncontrollably. "What do you know! Your Uncle Bob's kid is going to college and needs money! Your cousin's husband's business just went under!" "There are so many mouths to feed at home, and now that you have money, you're getting a big head? Forgetting your roots?" "Taking these things back will feed them for days!" Ethan, scolded into submission, couldn't lift his head. He could only silently wash the leftover scraps Brenda had discarded. On the other side, the siblings Sarah and Leo were a completely different picture. They chose a large amount of pork belly, potatoes, and chili peppers, and started clattering away, cooking a dish of potato and braised pork belly that looked like a calorie explosion. Smoke billowed, and the aroma filled the air, perfectly matching their persona as extreme sports influencers. Maya stood nearby, her eyes sparkling, looking so greedy she was about to drool. I looked at that high-fat, high-sodium carb bomb and sighed. Half an hour later, the dishes were brought to the table. Brenda had made a plate of stir-fried greens and a plate of minced meat with green beans. It was a very frugal approach; the minced meat was so sparse it could be ignored, and the greens looked unsalted, sitting limply in a watery puddle on the plate. I took one bite and expressionlessly put down my chopsticks. My cooking was a threat to life; her cooking simply killed any desire to eat. But Sarah and Leo's plate of potato and braised pork belly was glistening with oil, smelled amazing, and tasted genuinely good. Maya immediately grabbed a huge piece and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes crinkling in happiness. I warned her: "Eat less, it's too greasy." Her face immediately fell, and she slammed her chopsticks on the table. "What do you mean? Sarah and Leo worked so hard to make this. Why are you telling me not to eat it?" "You just don't respect other people's hard work!" The live comments echoed her sentiment. [Controlling everything, even what her daughter eats? Suffocating.] [Maya is so pitiful. She finally gets a hot meal, and her own mother ruins the mood.] [Exactly. People kindly cooked for your daughter, and you're just picking at it.] I couldn't be bothered to argue further, leaning back: "Suit yourself." So, Maya happily continued eating with the Cole siblings. Ethan sat there awkwardly, silently eating plain rice, occasionally picking at the watery stir-fry his mother made. A plate of meat quickly disappeared. Maya let out a satisfied burp, then her face suddenly went pale. She covered her mouth and bolted out of the studio. Sarah and Leo were startled and quickly followed her out. Only Brenda and Ethan, and I, were left in the studio. I sat perfectly still, expressionlessly watching the direction Maya disappeared, not even twitching an eyebrow. The live comments went silent for two seconds, and the tide began to turn. [...Threw up?] [Look at Ms. Vance's expression. Total deadpan, like she saw this coming a mile away.] [Could it be... Maya does this often?] [I think I get it now. Some kids just have sensitive stomachs and throw up if they eat something too greasy. Maybe we blamed Ms. Vance wrongly?]
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