Fake Lottery Ticket Scandal

After the party, I returned home. Maddox was still on a business trip, so there was only me at home. I closed the curtains and, feeling dizzy after drinking, went to bed early.

Early the next morning, the doorbell rang abruptly, and the sound was sharp and piercing.

The dazzling sunlight shone through the gap between the curtains and fell on my face.

I turned over, but the doorbell kept ringing nonstop. I half-opened my eyes, yawned, got up reluctantly, and walked to the door slowly.

As I walked, I pondered with doubts and confusion.

After opening the door, I saw a thin face with high cheekbones, narrow eyes, and a faintly cold smile at the corners of her mouth.

When she saw me, she forced a smile, with a hint of flattery.

I was a little surprised because she was my mother-in-law, Martha Kuhn.

In my memories, Martha had always been arrogant and never showed me any warm smiles. So, now, her weird smile with a hint of flattery really surprised me.

I stood still in a daze, not knowing how to respond for a while. Martha's smile seemed to also carry a hint of embarrassment, looking like she was trying to break the barrier between us.

After a while, I reluctantly showed a smile and asked softly, "Mom, why are you here?"

When Martha heard my question, a hint of imperceptible panic flashed across her eyes. She coughed lightly and then said, "I just came to check on you, and I also brought you something."

I looked down and found that Martha was actually carrying a live chicken, which was obviously carefully chosen by her. Before I could figure out what was going on, Martha hurriedly entered my apartment.

Right after she came in, she threw the things in her hand to the side and stared at me sharply.

She snapped, "You changed the password without telling me first. What's wrong with you?"

Facing Martha's sudden accusation, I explained helplessly, "No, Mom, there have been too many thieves recently, so I changed the password to make me feel safer."

Martha's face flushed with anger, and she frowned and snapped sharply, "You changed the password to prevent thieves? Then why didn't you tell me before you did it? Am I also a thief?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. Then, I looked at Martha and said, "Mom, it was not my idea. It was your son who wanted to change it." As I spoke, I stared at Martha's face without blinking, wanting to see her reaction.

As I expected, a trace of embarrassment flickered in her eyes. She immediately turned her head away, not looking at me or speaking.

When I was about to take the chicken to the kitchen, Martha suddenly stopped me, saying, "I'll stew the chicken. My son loves my cooking the most."

I looked over and saw Martha tilting her head slightly, with a hint of imperceptible pride at the corner of her mouth. It looked like she was showing off her cooking skills and her importance in her son's heart.

I felt a little puzzled, wondering, Isn't Maddox on a business trip now?