After cutting ties with my family, I'm doing better than all of you

On the eve of my engagement, I handed over a payroll card with $300,000 in savings to my family with both hands.

Mom counted the zeros without even lifting her eyelids, then let out a snort of laughter.

"You've calculated this pretty precisely."

My chest tightened. "What do you mean?"

"You bring back this little bit of money and want to play the hero. Retirement, medical bills—are you planning to just dump all that and never care again?"

She flung the card into my face, eyes full of wariness and disgust.

"Not like your sister. She didn't want a single dollar and just went with someone—that's real character. Not like your cold-blooded scheming, using money to buy out family ties. Stop always throwing money at people like it proves how capable you are. You reek of it."

The sharp edge sliced the corner of my eye. Blood ran down my cheek.

I covered the wound and slowly bent to pick up the card.

It wasn't like that.

The truth was, I had severe depression. That $300,000 was the retirement money I was leaving them—because I wasn't planning to live past this winter.

1.

"Georgia Coleman, cut it out with the pathetic act. Three hundred thousand? Who are you trying to brush off, a beggar?" She crossed her arms. "Isn't that Colin Delgado running a company? I heard the bride price he gave was several times this number. You've climbed up to a high branch yourself, and you bring back this little bit—are you trying to buy off us poor relatives?"

Pain shot through the top of my foot. My chest twisted tight. Blood smeared my vision as it ran along my eyelids.

"Mom, this is everything I saved from five years of work… and part of it is from Colin too. It's all here. For your retirement…"

"Pah!"

Spit landed by my foot.

"Retirement? Your dad and I aren't dead yet! Already cursing us to need coffin money?" She grabbed my collar, the smell of kitchen grease hitting my face. "Your sister is still drifting around out there, and you're the one who's great—locking the money under 'retirement.' You're just guarding against her, afraid she'll benefit from you even a little!"

"Mom! Georgia's back?"

The front door slammed open. Caroline rushed in wearing a hip-hop coat, carrying two bags of fruit. Her face was frozen bright red. Behind her trailed a man with bleached yellow hair.

Mom's expression transformed instantly. She released me and kicked the bank card across the floor.

"Oh, my sweetheart! It's so cold—why are you wearing so little? Get inside!"

Caroline tossed the fruit onto the shoe cabinet without glancing at me and threw herself into Mom's arms.

"Mom, I missed you to death! I came back to spend the New Year with you guys." She gestured behind her. "This is Dylan. He does music—super talented!"

Dylan grinned, flashing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Hello, Auntie. Came in a hurry, didn't bring any gifts. How about I sing you a song?"

I stood in the living room, blood running down my face, gripping the bank card that had been stepped on and cracked. Across the room, the whole family fussed over warmth and cold. No one asked about my injury. No one even looked at the card.

At dinner, Mom kept piling braised pork into Caroline's bowl until it formed a little mountain.

"Eat more. Look how skinny you got out there." She nodded at Dylan. "You too."

Dad opened a bottle of good liquor and clinked glasses with Dylan, his face glowing red as they chatted. In front of me sat only a bowl of white rice. I had to get my own chopsticks from the kitchen.

"Georgia, I heard you're getting engaged?"

Caroline had her mouth stuffed with meat, her eyes circling the cashmere coat on me.

"Colin's pretty generous, right? Have your brother-in-law introduce a rich guy to me too. Or get him to invest in a record for Dylan?"

My grip tightened on the chopsticks.

"He doesn't do charity."