After My Vicious Sister-in-law Bullied Me

During my university years, I was always engaged in social media.

After graduation, I didn't go out to work.

I set up a studio and worked from home.

But after staying at home for two months, my brother's wife, Jessica, started giving me a hard time.

"I've never seen anyone graduate and then stay at home sponging off their parents. Aren't you ashamed?"

I ignored her and heard her call me out by name. "Lydia, if you want to stay here, that's fine. From next month, the rent is 1,500 dollars, the food cost is 2,000 dollars, and utilities are extra."

I sneered.

She lived off me, yet she dared to act high and mighty!

The day I returned from a trip, I found all my belongings piled messily in the yard.

Jessica, walked out of the house and rolled her eyes at me.

I looked at my scattered things, including a vintage lamp I had painstakingly collected, now shattered.

I shouted, "Mom, who threw my things out?"

My mom, Mary, peeked out from the second floor and, seeing me in the yard, hurried down.

"Lydia, no one threw out your things."

I frowned, puzzled by the mess in front of me.

"If no one threw out my things, then what is this?

"They were perfectly fine in my room. Why are they here?"

Mary looked at the house and then back at me, hesitantly saying, "No one threw them out... We just... needed to clear a room."

"Clear a room? Clear my room?"

Mary looked away and nodded reluctantly.

"Jessica's sister is coming to attend college here. She won't stay in the dorm; she'll stay with us."

I laughed in disbelief. "So you want to clear out my room for her?"

Mary stayed silent, not saying a word.

I was trembling with anger.

Seeing my mom like this, I held back my frustration.

"There is another room. Why can't she stay there? Why does she have to kick me out?"

Mary just lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes.

It seemed like I was the one being unreasonable, like she was the one being kicked out, not me.

Jessica stood by the door, scoffing and sarcastically saying, "I've never seen anyone graduate and then stay at home sponging off their parents. Aren't you ashamed?"

I bit my tongue and didn't respond. She was not my real sister; conflicts were hard to resolve.

Seeing that I ignored her, she shouted aggressively, "Lydia, I'm talking to you."

"If you want to stay here, that's fine. From next month, the rent is 1,500 dollars, the food cost is 2,000 dollars, and utilities are extra."

I've heard her sarcasm many times before and couldn't be bothered to respond.

But this time, she had the nerve to point at my nose and say it.

"Which eye of yours saw me sponging off anyone?

"Even if I am, so what? Am I sponging off you?

"Am I eating your food or using your things? What gives you the right to criticize?"

Since marrying into the family, Jessica hadn't worked a single day. My brother, Tony, a man of little resolve, couldn't hold a job for more than three months, always complaining about stupid colleagues or bosses.

Under the pretense of cleaning up the workplace, he resigned so many times that no one would hire him now.

They both relied almost entirely on my parents' support.

And where did my parents get their money from? Isn't it all from me?

Jessica might not know, but Tony had seen me give money to Mary many times and even joked about my filial piety.

I wanted harmony in the family because they were my family.

I had no complaints when my parents used my money to support Tony and Jessica.

I bought a villa and renovated it; they moved in with Tony, and I said nothing.

They forget this was my house after living here for a few years.

They forget I was supporting this family.

Jessica looked at me with disdain, as if my righteous indignation was laughable to her.

She glanced at my mom, sarcastically saying, "Mary, say something. Isn't this a decision the whole family agreed on? Why does it seem like I'm the only bad guy now?"

The whole family agreed on this decision?

On a hot summer afternoon, under the scorching sun, I felt like I had fallen into an ice cellar.

The whole family... agreed on this decision...

I looked at Mary in disbelief. "Is that true? Did the whole family agree on this?

"Am I not part of this family?"

Mary avoided my gaze, and I suddenly felt overwhelmed, shouting, "Answer me!"

Startled by my outburst, my mom looked up, teary-eyed.