Chapter 2

The danmaku in the live stream was already nothing but curses.

"And here I was calling Sunda our hometown pride. How can they squeeze their workers like this?"

"Their execs probably don't have mothers. Come on, everybody, cut the orphans some slack for not knowing how to act human."

Manager Walker's face went dark.

So he opened his own live stream.

"Our company has always put its employees' interests first. Scarlett never even came to me to ask for leave!"

"I'm granting Scarlett three days of paid leave, effective right now!"

"Scarlett, go home and take care of your mother, immediately!"

He waved the driver over. "Jonathan Finch, take Scarlett to the Sunnyside apartment complex!"

I stepped back without thinking.

The danmaku boiled over.

"Just go home already, what's the holdup, the company gave you the time off!"

"Look at that face, she doesn't want to go. She has no intention of taking care of her own mother, does she?"

Manager Walker hurried to explain to the camera.

"You all saw it. I gave her the leave, and she still won't go."

"Scarlett, you've got no sense of duty and you're smearing the company on top of it. I'm sending HR to process your paperwork right now. You can clear out!"

The live stream erupted in cheers.

"Nicely done, someone like that deserves to get fired!"

"And to think her brother was blaming the company just now. Turns out she's the unfilial one."

HR brought the paperwork over fast.

【No. Even if you're let go, you can't leave the office!】

【There's a stretch of road between your company and the Sunnyside complex with no cameras. Tony's going to claim you slipped back home along that road.】

【You have to stay at the office to keep the chain of evidence intact.】

I took the paperwork and stayed in my seat, not moving.

【Tony called your company's front desk. He knows you haven't left yet.】

Sure enough, Tony's message came through.

"Sis, what's your deal? You lied to me before and said the company wouldn't give you leave, and now you've been fired, so why aren't you home yet?"

I replied, "You seem awfully eager to get me home."

"I told you I'm not feeling well and I need to go to the hospital for a checkup!"

"I've lost my job and I'm not feeling well either. I can't leave right now."

【He's getting ready to stream again. The drug's about to take effect, and he's panicking!】

【Your mother's struggling on the bed, saying she can't die for nothing.】

A bleak feeling spread through me.

Ever since I was little, Mom had favored Tony.

He got the meat. I got the leftover vegetable leaves.

He wore new clothes. I wore the old hand-me-downs relatives passed on.

When I got into college, I had to earn every cent of my tuition and living expenses myself.

Tony dropped out of high school, and instead of pushing him to find work, she handed him three thousand a month in spending money.

I'd always talked myself into it. Mom was old-fashioned, sons over daughters, it wasn't her fault, blame the era that brainwashed her.

But now, for Tony's sake, she was willing to turn me into a murderer.

My heart died completely.

I closed the chat with Tony and clicked into his live stream.

On camera he wore that wronged, pitiful look.

"My mom's been sick this whole year, and I've been the one taking care of her the whole time. My sister does nothing."

"She says caring for a parent is a son's job, that a daughter has no such obligation, she just waits around to collect her inheritance."

"I don't mind carrying more of the load most days, but I'm sick today. I don't get what's so wrong with her coming back to cover for me for one hour."

"Sis, I know you've always seen Mom as a burden. Sometimes you even wished, you even wished Mom would die... but she's still our mom!"

"Just come back and help me this once, and I promise I'll never bother you again, all right?"