The Gift That Wasn't

As I left that cursed neighborhood that was my in-laws’ place, I checked into a cheap, low-profile express hotel. I did not rush to make a scene, and I did not rush to find a lawyer either.

I worked in construction management. If I wanted a building to collapse completely, I needed to first identify the load-bearing walls, then take them out with precision. For Kevin and Alina, what they cared about most was their fake respectable image.

I logged into all my online banking accounts and pulled three years of transaction records. Each line of transfers felt like a thousand cuts to my heart.

Kevin transferred the 10,000 dollars to another account like clockwork every year. The recipient was Alina’s younger brother, who ran a nail salon.

Then, I checked my savings account. I rarely paid attention to it, so I had always assumed it was steadily growing.

However, to my shock, there was a withdrawal of 20,000 dollars six months ago! The reference note listed that it was for a vehicle's down payment. I had never bought any cars!

I followed the trail through a friend at the vehicle registry office and found that Alina had recently registered a brand-new Audi A4L. The purchase date was just three days after my savings account withdrawal.

Oh, nice. That was a really slick move. He used my savings to buy a car for his mistress to show off. This was no longer simple cheating. It was outright theft and fraud!

I stood by the window, watching the city lights and listening to distant firecrackers. Tomorrow would be the second day of the new year.

Kevin had never allowed me to visit his family for the holidays. I would like to give them a proper gift this year.

The next day at noon, I showed up at their door carrying the cases of whiskey I had brought from home. Before I even knocked, I heard laughter inside.

“Oh wow, Alina’s alcohol tolerance is amazing! Come on, here’s another toast!”

“Kevin, you really hit the jackpot for finding such a caring and wealthy wife like Alina.”

I took a deep breath and knocked. The laughter inside stopped instantly.

“Who is it at this time?” My mother-in-law’s booming voice rang out. Then came the sound of slippers shuffling.

The door opened. She was wearing a bright red festive jacket. Her face still carried a flattering smile that had not fully faded. The moment she saw me, that smile froze.

“W-Why are you here?” Her voice cracked like a strangled chicken, sharp and panicked.

I ignored her attempt to block me and pushed the door open, walking straight in. “Mom, it’s the holidays. Your daughter-in-law came to pay a visit. Am I not welcome?”

My voice was calm but cold enough to cut through the room. The living room was packed with relatives. The noise instantly died. The air seemed to freeze. Every eye turned to me.

At the main seats were Kevin and Alina. They were practically glued together as they held wine glasses. The moment Kevin saw me carrying the fake liquor. His hand shook and the glass spilled all over Alina’s dress.

His face went ghost-white, peanut shells scattering everywhere as panic filled his eyes.

Alina reacted quickly, jumping up and pointing at me. “Who are you? How dare you just barge into someone’s house? Get out!”

I did not even look at her. I calmly pulled out a chair and sat down. Then, I slammed the cases of fake liquor onto the table.

“Who am I?” I looked around at the relatives, finally landing on my mother-in-law’s ashen face. “Mom, it looks like your memory’s not too good. It’s only been a few days and you don’t even recognize your own official daughter-in-law?”

Her face flushed red, then pale, then red again. She slammed the table. “Zeena! You’ve got some nerve showing up here! Since you’re already divorced, why are you still clinging to us? It’s the holidays. Don’t bring us bad luck! Take your things and get out!”

Divorced? I put on a playful, mocking smile.

Kevin had really gone all out to maintain his lie, even fabricating something this ridiculous.

The relatives around started whispering, pointing at me.

“So, that’s Kevin’s ex-wife? She looks decent. Why is she so shameless?”

“I heard she delivers food. She’s probably broke and trying to freeload a meal.”

“Such bad luck. She just ruined the holidays.”

I actually found it a little amusing.

Without rushing, I unbuttoned my coat and took out a thick stack of documents, slamming them onto the table one by one.

“Divorced? When did I get divorced?” I stared straight at Kevin’s pale face, and uttered word after word, “Honey, when exactly did we go to the civil affairs bureau and get that divorce certificate? I don’t remember it at all. Since everyone’s here today, why don’t we talk this through properly? Especially you, Alina.”