Bounty for Broken Bonds
Malignant uterine sarcoma. Surgery must be done as soon as possible. The doctor's words struck my heart like a block of ice.
My name is Miley Waltz, I'm twenty-eight. Until now, I never imagined death could be so close.
When I got home and checked my bankbook, I panicked.
One hundred and twenty thousand—that was my life-saving money, saved over five years, and it was gone.
My hands trembled as I called my mother, Paris Fey.
"Where's the money? It's the money I need for surgery!"
There was a pause on the other end before my brother James Waltz's voice came through: "Sis, mom gave me the money to invest. It'll double soon."
My mind buzzed as if it had gone blank.
Investment? James still hasn't finished paying off the gambling debts from last year. Where would he get the money to invest?
I rushed out of the house, determined to go to my mother Paris?Fey's home and get some answers.
As I reached the stairs, I overheard voices coming from the second floor.
It was my mother Paris' voice: "Once she's gone, we'll find a deceased person from a wealthy family to arrange a posthumous marriage—that'll bring in at least two hundred thousand to help you pay off the mortgage."
James laughed, "Mom, you've thought of everything! By doing this, she won't be holding onto the house, either."
I froze in place, feeling the blood drain from my entire body.
So in their eyes, my life wasn't even worth as much as the money from a posthumous marriage.
Despair crashed over me like a tidal wave; I leaned against the wall, tears flowing uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang in my mind: "Extreme family oppression detected. Cut-off family ties system successfully bound."
"First mission: expose Paris Fey for stealing the life-saving money. Reward: ten thousand dollars."
I froze for a moment, then wiped away my tears.
Expose them? Yes, I can't just let this go.
I pulled out my cell phone, recorded the conversation between them, then posted it to the family group chat.
Not long after, my phone chimed with a notification.
"Mission complete. Ten thousand dollars has been credited to your account."
Staring at the bank card balance, I gripped the cell phone tightly.
This is only the beginning.
The next day, Paris came to the hospital carrying a thermos.
"Miley, I made you chicken soup to help you recover." She smiled, her face full of tenderness.
I stared at the thick layer of grease floating on the soup inside the thermos, and my stomach churned.
I remember I said to her that I don't like greasy soup since I was a child.
While she ignored my expression and pulled a document out of her bag.
"Miley, if you sign this, the insurance company will pay out five million dollars, and James's business can be saved."
It's a critical illness insurance policy, and the beneficiary is James Waltz.
I picked up the policy and tore it to pieces without even glancing at it.
"Mom, stop dreaming."
Paris's face instantly darkened. "Miley, are you crazy? That's five million!"
"My life is not a tool for you to trade for money with James." I stared at her. "By the way, the gold bracelet and necklace I gave you last year—you'd better return them to me now."
That set of gold jewelry was bought with three months' worth of my salary. At the time, she smiled so widely she couldn't close her mouth.
"You gave them to me! It's impossible for you to take them back now." Paris took a step back.
I stood up and walked over to her. "Either you hand it over yourself, or I'll call the police and report you for embezzling the patient's property."
Paris glared at me, but in the end, she pulled the gold jewelry out of her bag.
I took the gold jewelry, weighed it in my hand for a moment, then slipped it into my bag.
The mechanical voice rang in my mind again: "Recovered personal property. Reward: 30,000 dollars. Current account balance: 40,000 dollars."
I'm still 90,000 short. I will get it all back, no matter what.
Paris stormed off in a huff. At the hospital ward door, she turned and glared at me. "You'll regret this."
I watched her retreating figure and shook my head.
I had long since regretted it—regretted not seeing their true colors sooner.
Three days later, I called my mother Paris to let her return the remaining ninety thousand dollars to me.
"What are you saying?" Her tone was impatient. "James is at a critical point in his business. Without the money, it's all over. Is your life more important than his business?"
Those words stabbed into my chest like an ice pick.
To her, my life was worthless.
I took a deep breath, forcing down my anger. "Mom, that money is my life-saving money. You have to return it."
"I have no money!" Paris said, then hung up.
I stared at the dark screen and sneered coldly.
No money? James just bought a new cellphone last month, and Paris also got a gold ring.
I opened my contacts and called a moving specialist I knew.
"Hello, can you help me move some stuff from H Complex? I'll send you the address and pay double."
"Sure, I'll be there soon."
Half an hour later, I arrived at Paris 's house with the moving specialist.
James and Paris weren't at home; only my sister-in-law, Tina Renner, was watching TV in the living room.
"Miley? What are you doing here?" Tina stood up, her face guarded.
"I'm moving my things." I pointed to the sofa and coffee table in the living room, and the wardrobe and bed in the bedroom. "I paid for all of these before, for James's wedding. Now I'm taking them back."
Tina panicked. "Those were for our family! You can't take them!"
"Yours?" I took out my cell phone and pulled up the transfer records from back then. "Here's the proof I sent the money to James to buy the furniture. Want to take a look?"
Tina stared at the records, her face draining of color. She didn't say another word.
The moving specialist worked quickly; in less than an hour, all the furniture and appliances were moved out.
I stared at the empty living room, feeling a sharp pang of satisfaction.
Just as I stepped out of the neighborhood, the System Notification Sound rang: "Reclaimed personal property purchased, triggered family conflict, reward 50,000 dollars, current account balance 90,000 dollars."
My cell phone suddenly buzzed. It was a message from Tina: "Paris has gone too far. She claimed the furniture was bought by her, but it was all paid for by you!"
I raised an eyebrow.
The conflict between Tina and Paris finally exploded.
I sold the furniture and got thirty thousand dollars. With the System Rewards, it was just enough to cover the initial surgery costs.
But I had no intention of letting Pairs and James off that easily.
I retrieved the recording where Paris said she planned to arrange a posthumous marriage for me and posted it in the family group chat.
The chat blew up instantly.
Jerry, my aunt: "Paris, how can you say something like that? Miley is your daughter!"
Henry, my uncle: "James, you need to have a word with your mom! Miley is about to have surgery, and you're still plotting to profit from this cruel scheme?"
My mother Paris quickly replied in the group: "I was just joking. Miley is overreacting!"
"Are you joking?" I sent a bitter smile emoji. "Paris, yesterday you said my life isn't even as important as James's business. Was that also a joke?"
I repeated everything in detail about Paris pushing me to sign the insurance policy and transfer the life-saving money.
The relatives in the group chat all erupted.
Selena, my grandmother, sent a voice message to the group, her voice trembling with anger: "Paris Fey, I don't have a daughter like you! From today on, you're no longer part of our family!"
Immediately after, Grandma kicked Paris out of the Family group chat.
Watching the relatives' accusations in the group, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
System Notification Sound: "Family ties severed successfully. Reward of 80,000 dollars granted. Current account balance: 170,000 dollars."
One hundred seventy thousand—enough to cover the initial medical expenses.
With the money in hand, I went to the hospital and paid the surgery deposit.
The doctor told me the surgery could be scheduled for next Monday.
Stepping out of the hospital, sunlight warmed me—I felt, for the first time, that the future held hope.
The day before the surgery, Paris came to the hospital with Tina.
"Miley, you emptied our furniture! How are we supposed to live? I need you to buy me new ones!" Pairs shouted in the hospital ward, hands on her hips.
Tina stood behind Pairs, looking pale but still spoke up, "Miley, those pieces of furniture belong to my family. You'd better return them."
I leaned back against the hospital bed and pulled out my cell phone. "I have a recording here. Want to hear it?"
I pressed play, and Pairs 's voice echoed: "That useless Tina can't even have a son. If it weren't for her family's money, I would have told James to divorce her long ago."
"And that necklace she bought last time? Clearly fake. And she still had the nerve to wear it out."
Tina's face instantly turned pale. She spun around and glared at Pairs, "Mom, how could you say that about me?"
Paris panicked, "I didn't! It was Miley who forged the recording!"
"Forged?" I pulled out another recording. "Then what about this one? You said Tina's daughter was a burden, and if you hadn't stopped him, James would have sent the child away long ago."
This recording was secretly made last time when Tina was complaining to me.
Tina's tears fell instantly. "Paris! How can you be so cruel! What's wrong with my daughter? You actually wanted to send her away!"
Pairs tried to argue again, but I interrupted, "And do you remember three years ago when Tina was giving birth to her daughter? You said the baby's crying was too loud and smothered her with a pillow. If the nurse hadn't arrived quickly, the baby would have died."
Those words sounded like thunderclaps in the hospital ward.
Tina sprang up suddenly, grabbing a fruit knife nearby and pointing it at Pairs. "You actually tried to kill my daughter? I won't let you get away with this!"
Pairs stumbled backward in fear, almost falling. "I didn't! Miley, don't say such things!"
The hospital ward was in chaos as nurses and doctors rushed in, pulling Tina away.
Seizing the chance, the Paris ran off. Tina sat on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Watching this unfold, I felt not a shred of sympathy.
They got exactly what they deserved.
A System Notification Sound rang out: "Triggered the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, exposed a malicious incident, rewarded 100,000 dollars. Current account balance: 270,000 dollars."
Family ties were utterly shattered. Good. I'll never be dragged down by them again.
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