I asked my brother to buy me a pack of tampons. When his girlfriend found out, she immediately cursed me out in our family group chat. "How do you have the nerve to ask your brother to buy something as intimate as tampons? Don't you know boundaries? You're shameless! Are you so terrified of dying alone that you're trying to seduce your own brother?" The next day, not only did she show up at our house to mark her territory, but she also tried to set me up on a blind date with an old creep. When we rejected him, she threw a tantrum and threatened to abort the baby in her belly. My parents just shrugged calmly. "We aren't the Royal Family. We don't have a throne to pass down. Do whatever you want!" 1 Aunt Flo arrived early, I had run out of tampons, and my cramps were killing me. I had no choice but to text my brother, Liam, who happened to be at the grocery store downstairs, to pick up a box for me. Who knew that half an hour later, Liam's girlfriend, Emma, would send a barrage of explosive texts to our family group chat? [Do people have absolutely zero sense of boundaries nowadays? Asking your brother to buy something as intimate as tampons? You're completely shameless!] [You're almost thirty and you don't even have a boyfriend. Are you trying to seduce your own brother because you can't get a man?] [Even animals know not to mate with their own kin! If you're that desperate and thirsty, I can introduce you to some guys.] [I haven't even married into this family yet, and there's already a pick-me trying to steal my boyfriend.] Staring at the wall of text attacking me, I was stunned. I admit, asking Liam—who had a girlfriend—to buy tampons might have been a slight oversight on my part, and I made a mental note to be more mindful. But if she minded that much, she could have just communicated it calmly. Was it really necessary to hurl abuse at me? After all, we hadn't even met in person yet. We had only exchanged a few polite greetings two days ago when Liam added her to the family group chat. I hadn't done anything to offend her. Why was she suddenly firing off like a loose cannon? Was there something wrong with her brain? And cursing at me was one thing, but accusing me of seducing Liam? That was crossing a massive line. I was adopted, so I shared no blood with Liam, but we had grown up together. Our bond was exactly like real siblings. How could her mind be so filthy? After thinking it over, I forwarded the screenshots to Liam. I hoped he would handle the situation appropriately. But Liam didn't reply. Seeing my silence in the group chat, Emma probably thought I was scared. Feeling emboldened, she fired off a few more vicious insults. I couldn't hold back anymore. I replied directly in the chat. [I suggest you go to the doctor and get tested for a stomach infection.] Emma replied instantly: [What is that supposed to mean?] [Because your breath stinks!] Furious, she immediately tagged Liam. [Look at your sister! I haven't even walked through your door yet, and she's already bullying me! They say a sister-in-law is just a second monster-in-law. They weren't wrong!] I was typing out a scathing reply when Liam's message finally popped up. 2 [Alright, both of you say a little less. It's late, Mom and Dad are sleeping. Stop arguing in the chat.] Only then did Emma back down, and the group chat finally went quiet. A little while later, Liam came home. He handed me the tampons and explained what happened. Apparently, he had been on FaceTime with Emma while checking out. Eagle-eyed Emma spotted the tampons in his cart and immediately interrogated him. He explained they were for me, and without noticing the shift in her mood, he hung up to pay for his groceries. By the time he checked his phone again, we were already at each other's throats. "Sis, I apologize on Emma's behalf. Don't take it to heart." I took a deep breath, patted his shoulder, and gave him a subtle warning. "You might want to evaluate your girlfriend's character a bit more closely." Liam pushed his glasses up and quickly defended her. "Sis, Emma is actually a really sweet person. It's just because she recently got pregnant. Her hormones are making her unstable and extra sensitive. That's why she blurted out all that nonsense. Don't hold it against her. I'm actually bringing her over tomorrow to meet Mom and Dad. Once you meet her, you'll see." Since Liam put it that way, I didn't say anything else. My cramps were agonizing anyway, so I didn't dwell on the drama. I washed up and went straight to sleep. I didn't expect to be woken up the next morning by frantic, aggressive knocking on my door. I checked the time. It was barely 7:00 AM. Groggy, I opened the door and saw a girl in a tube top and a tight mini-skirt, standing with her arms crossed, glaring at me. "Who are you?" I asked, confused. The girl's face instantly dropped. She rolled her eyes at me and barged straight into the living room. That's when it clicked. This was Emma. Wow. Coming over as a guest and acting like this right off the bat? And Liam said she was a "sweet person"? I rolled my eyes, walked into the bathroom, and started brushing my teeth. Through the door, I overheard Emma complaining to Liam. "She knew I was visiting your family for the first time today, and she didn't even wait at the door to greet me. She's actually sleeping in? Is she a lazy pig?" Standing there with a mouth full of toothpaste, I really wanted to march out and slap her across the face. Wait at the door to greet her? Who did she think she was? The Queen of England? Did her arrival bring glory to our humble home? If that wasn't enough, she called me a pig. Did she have zero social filter? But she didn't seem to realize how rude she was being, and just kept running her mouth. "And your parents! They're nowhere to be seen. It's obvious your family doesn't respect me at all." "Who said that? It's just because you came over so early!" Liam coaxed her while peeling a lychee for her. "And my sister wasn't feeling well, so she slept in. As for my parents, they knew you were coming, so they woke up at the crack of dawn to go to the farmers market to buy fresh seafood for you. They just aren't back yet." Emma happily ate the fruit. By the time I changed my clothes and walked out, my parents had returned. Seeing Emma, they gave a simple, polite greeting and went straight to the kitchen to prep the food. I could tell their attitude was cold. They were early risers, which meant they had definitely seen Emma's unhinged texts in the group chat from last night. They clearly didn't have a good impression of her. But for Liam's sake, they didn't make it too obvious. I didn't want to look at her either, so I headed toward the kitchen to help. Surprisingly, Emma grabbed my arm, acting incredibly sweet and affectionate. 3 "Sis, I noticed your bedroom is way bigger than Liam's, and the interior design is totally my vibe. How about you give it to me starting today?" She smiled ingratiatingly, acting as if her cursing me out last night had never happened. But I wasn't about to let it slide. Disgusted, I yanked my arm away and gave her a fake smile. "We only have three bedrooms. If I give mine to you, where am I supposed to sleep?" She casually pointed toward the storage room, speaking as if she were granting me a favor. "That room is a bit small, but if you clean it out, it's perfectly livable. Besides, it won't be an inconvenience for long. Once you finally get married, you'll have to move out anyway." Heh. She hadn't even married into the family yet, and she was already acting like the lady of the house, barking orders and trying to evict me. Her audacity was off the charts. To avoid embarrassing Liam, I swallowed my anger and looked pointedly at him. If he had any sense, he would shut down Emma's ridiculous demand himself. To my shock, even though he clearly heard her, he just kept his head down, peeling his lychee, not daring to utter a single word. Instead, it was my mom, who had just walked out carrying a plate, who pushed back with a polite smile. "The storage room can't even fit a twin bed. How is anyone supposed to sleep there? Besides, when you and Liam get married, you'll be sharing his room. Why would a married couple sleep in separate rooms?" Emma looked displeased. She pouted her lips. "Auntie, I'm pregnant! Liam tosses and turns in his sleep. I wanted separate rooms because I'm afraid he'll hurt the baby." "Well, that's the house we have. Liam will just have to be more careful," my mom said with a helpless shrug. Failing to get her way, Emma's face darkened. She looked like she was fuming. I pressed my lips together, smiling silently. Nice try. Did you really think being pregnant gave you a free pass to act like a tyrant? You clearly didn't know who you were dealing with. My mom definitely didn't subscribe to the archaic "favor boys over girls" mentality. Just then, my cat smelled the food and darted out, accidentally brushing against Emma's leg. She shrieked, dramatically jumping into Liam's arms, and began bossing him around. "Why is there a cat in this house?! I'm terrified of those things. Liam, hurry up and throw it out!" She aggressively nudged Liam to take action. Liam stood there looking incredibly awkward. As he hesitated, the cat jumped into my arms. I stroked its fur and smiled at Emma. "Sorry about that. She's mine." Emma sneered in dissatisfaction. "Those things carry so many parasites. It's incredibly dangerous for a pregnant woman. I don't want to see it ever again. You need to send it away immediately." Listen to her commanding tone. If I didn't put her in her place, I was going to give myself an ulcer. "Then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. My cat is a member of this family. We value her very much, and we won't be sending her anywhere." Emma stamped her foot in a panic and yelled at my mom, "I'm carrying the eldest grandson of the Liam family! Do you value a cat more than you value me?!" Using her pregnancy to pressure my mom again. But my mom wasn't buying it. 4 "If you truly feel Chloe's cat is a risk to you, you and Liam can always move out and get your own place. Wouldn't you prefer to enjoy some privacy as a couple anyway?" Digging a hole and almost burying herself in it, Emma completely panicked. She knew full well that our current house was located downtown and worth millions. She was terrified that if Liam moved out, the house would go entirely to me. Desperate, she shot a frantic look at Liam. Liam finally stepped up to smooth things over. "Mom, Emma is just joking with you! Please don't take it seriously." For Liam's sake, my mom didn't push the issue. Emma sensibly kept her mouth shut, but she started checking her phone obsessively, furiously typing away as if arguing with someone. A while later, my dad finished cooking. Just as we were about to sit down to eat, the doorbell rang. When we opened the door, we were greeted by a balding, greasy, middle-aged man with a massive beer belly. He looked to be about the same age as my dad. He was holding two gift boxes, smiling widely at us. We had no idea who this man was. While we stood there bewildered, Emma hurried over, beaming as she introduced him. "Uncle, Auntie, this is my cousin, Richard!" I finally understood why she had been checking her phone so aggressively. She was rushing her "cousin." My parents assumed Richard was here as a family representative to check out Liam's background. They warmly invited him to the table. But the second Richard sat down... Emma delivered a fatal blow. "Uncle, Auntie, Richard is the blind date I set up for Chloe." I literally felt my soul leave my body. Was she out of her mind? Who brings a blind date for their future sister-in-law to the very first meet-the-parents dinner? We didn't know anything about this. We didn't even know this guy. If she wasn't embarrassed, we were embarrassed for her. My parents' faces darkened, but Emma remained completely oblivious to the shift in the room. She kept proudly hyping Richard up. "Uncle, Auntie, Richard has a Ph.D. Honestly, if he wasn't divorced with a kid, a woman with Chloe's older age and lower education wouldn't even deserve him. "He only agreed to come today as a favor to me, his cousin. Otherwise, he has a long line of young girls chasing after him. He'd never usually settle for leftover goods like Chloe." Elevating him while stomping all over me. If she wasn't pregnant, I would have slapped her across the face twice. But what left me truly speechless was Richard himself. He proudly adjusted his glasses, looking me up and down with arrogant disdain, and chimed in. "Your age is definitely a bit on the high side, but your face and figure aren't bad. I can make a compromise and we can try dating." Barf. Does anyone understand how insane this is? A man twenty years older than me was acting like he was settling for me. Where did he get this unearned confidence? I fought the urge to flip the dining table, watching Emma excitedly fish for compliments from my parents. "Uncle, Auntie, see how capable I am? I solved two major unmarried-children problems for your family in one day! Since it's convenient, we might as well use this dinner to discuss Chloe and Richard's wedding plans too!" My dad didn't say a word. He just gripped his chopsticks tightly, staring at Liam. He clearly wanted Liam to stop Emma's manic episode and save her some face before things got ugly. But instead of appreciating the lifeline, Liam actually agreed with Emma. "I think Emma is right. We should strike while the iron is hot. After all, Chloe isn't getting any younger." Liam's words chilled me to the bone. I had been holding back my temper this entire time purely to save his dignity. I didn't expect him to be such a scumbag. Not only did he waste my good intentions, but he was actively enabling Emma's delusions. Since they both wanted to act like clowns, fine. I had no choice but to go completely unhinged. 5 I slowly picked up a steak knife, dragging it back and forth across my empty plate. I pretended to look incredibly casual as I spoke. "Mr. Richard, your cousin is absolutely right. I don't just lack education... I also have a mental illness." The moment those words left my mouth, the smug satisfaction on Richard's face morphed into panic. Trying to keep his composure, he asked, "What illness?" I let out a creepy, hollow laugh. It sounded genuinely deranged. Richard and Emma stared at me in horror. I twisted my body unnaturally, sliding my chair right next to Richard's. I raised the steak knife and began waving it wildly, pointing it directly toward his crotch. "I don't know why, but whenever I see a man's junk, I just get this overwhelming urge to slice it right off." As my voice dropped, I shook my head tragically, letting out a heartbroken sigh. "I guess my first love cheating on me really broke my psyche beyond repair!" That little performance nearly gave Richard a heart attack. He stared at me, trembling, and swallowed hard in absolute terror. "You... you're not sick... I-I'm the one who isn't good enough for you! I'm leaving!" Before the words were even fully out of his mouth, he leaped out of his chair, shot Emma a furious glare, and sprinted out the front door as fast as his legs could carry him. "Richard, wait! She's lying!" Emma tried to call after him. My dad finally snapped. He roared at her, "Get out!" Emma froze, then pointed toward the door in confusion. "He already ran out." My dad snatched the knife from my hand and pointed a shaking finger directly at Emma. "I mean YOU should get out! Act like a decent human being for once! Yesterday you cursed Chloe out in the group chat, and we let it go for Liam's sake. Today, without our permission, you bring a freak into our home to set her up? What normal person does something like this?!" Emma flinched, then immediately burst into tears, playing the victim. "You're calling me abnormal? Ha... I poured my heart into helping your family, and this is how you treat me." As she cried, she suddenly let out a bitter sneer. "You have the nerve to despise my cousin? How is Chloe any better? If she keeps being so picky, even old men won't want her anymore. Is she planning on staying home and leeching off you for the rest of her life?" My mom couldn't take it anymore either. She slammed her hand on the table. "Even if she stays unmarried for the rest of her life, we'd gladly let her leech off us. What's it to you?!" Emma looked shocked, which quickly turned into furious indignation. "Your money and property are supposed to go to me and Liam! What gives you the right to waste it on her? Did you ask for our permission? "Besides, if you spend all your money on her, what about the baby in my belly? Don't forget, this is the eldest grandson of this family! If you don't marry her off, I'll abort the baby!" Emma threatened us triumphantly, assuming my parents would immediately cave for the sake of their grandchild. But she miscalculated drastically. My parents delivered a fatal blow. 6 "We aren't the Royal Family. We don't have a throne to pass down. Do whatever you want!" Emma stared at my parents in utter disbelief. It took her a long moment to snap out of it, and then she turned around and started hitting Liam. "Did you hear that?! That's your parents' attitude toward me! Just to protect their adopted daughter, they don't even care if their own grandchild dies! Liam, do you see this clearly? To them, the three of us combined aren't as important as an adopted kid." Liam was already upset by my parents' words, and with Emma throwing fuel on the fire, his anger reached its boiling point. "Mom, Dad, I truly didn't expect you to be this biased. Don't forget, I am your biological son." Facing their seething accusations, I almost laughed out loud. His girlfriend showed zero respect for human life, using an unborn child as a bargaining chip to threaten his parents. And instead of correcting his toxic girlfriend, he was blaming my parents? What kind of twisted moral compass was that? "Liam, your brain is rotting from this relationship. Have you lost all sense of right and wrong? Apologize to Mom and Dad right now." But Emma was even more frantic than Liam. She lunged forward and screamed at me. "Did Liam say anything that wasn't a fact?! Why should he apologize? You're just thick-skinned! You're thirty years old and still living at home, trying to steal your brother's house. Let me tell you right now, everything in this house belongs to us. If you know what's good for you, pack your bags and get the hell out. Otherwise, when we get married, you'll never be allowed to visit your family again." Before I even had a chance to retort, my mom slapped Emma hard across the face. "Don't even mention the fact that you aren't married to Liam yet. Even if you were, you do not run this house. Who gave you the right to speak like that?!" "You dared to hit me?!" Emma clutched her burning cheek and raised her hand, ready to hit my mom back. My instincts kicked in. I grabbed her wrist in an iron grip, my face dark with warning. "Try touching my mom. See what happens." Liam rushed forward and pulled her back, and only then did Emma fiercely rip her hand out of my grasp. My dad had reached his limit. He pointed at the door and roared, "Get out... our family does not welcome people like you." Emma was so enraged she violently knocked over a dining chair, pointing her finger at us as she screamed. "You just wait! You want to play favorites, right? One day I'll make you taste what it's like to be treated this way!" With that, ignoring Liam's attempts to calm her down, she stormed out. Having no other choice, Liam shot us a look of pure hatred and chased after her. My parents didn't stop them. After all, Emma was pregnant. No matter how twisted her morals were, or how utterly lacking in manners she was, they couldn't bring themselves to force Liam to break up with her. With all that chaos, no one had the appetite to eat. After comforting my parents, I started cleaning up the mess Emma had left behind. Not long after, I got a text from my boyfriend, Noah. [When does the ugly son-in-law finally get to meet the parents?] My mood instantly brightened. I subconsciously replied: [In a few days!] My grandma's birthday was coming up in a few days. My family still didn't know I had a boyfriend. Since the whole family would be gathered together, I figured I would just officially announce it then. It would finally stop my relatives from relentlessly trying to set me up on dates. Seeing that I had finally agreed, Noah was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to take me out shopping to prepare gifts for my family. Unable to talk him out of it, I agreed. But I never expected that while we were out shopping, I would accidentally bump into Emma. She was walking arm-in-arm with a man. And that man wasn't Liam. It was her "cousin." The creepy older man she had set me up with.
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