Chapter 40 Shameless Family Members

Chapter 40 Shameless Family Members

Monica's head buzzed. She tried hard to recall, but only a vague memory flashed through her mind - it seemed that before she completely lost consciousness, Shane had leaned down to her ear and said in an extremely suppressed voice, "I'm not him, I won't take advantage of someone."

So that was it.

She had mistaken him for someone else, which was why he got so angry. And he, in the end, still held his ground.

A feeling that was hard to tell whether it was relief or disappointment welled up in her heart. Monica quietly breathed a sigh of relief, attributing last night's out-of-control intimacy to an absurd drunken farce.

"Anyway, thank you," she said in a low voice.

This polite yet distant thanks made Shane's expression even colder.

He said nothing more, and the atmosphere between them dropped to freezing point again.

The breakfast ended in deathly silence.

After finishing her meal, Monica was about to go back to her room to change for work. Just as she walked downstairs to the apartment building, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of a familiar figure anxiously looking around at the lobby entrance.

It was Linda Hart.

How did she find this place?

Monica's heart sank. Almost instinctively, she turned and took the safety passage on the other side, quickly walking into a quiet alley, leaving her mother's figure far behind.

For three days straight, Monica acted like a thief, leaving early and returning late, deliberately avoiding any time when she might run into her mother.

She thought that as long as she didn't show up, Linda would give up after waiting in vain.

Until Violet called, her tone full of helplessness and annoyance: "My Monica, what's going on with your mom? She just sent me a text message, crying her eyes out about being broke, saying your brother urgently needs money for his wedding and wants to borrow fifty thousand from me. It looked like a scam, I almost called the police!"

Monica's face turned completely cold. "Don't pay attention to her, and definitely don't lend her money."

"Of course I won't lend it," Violet snorted on the other end, "but if she's even coming to me, she's probably harassed all your relatives and friends."

Not long after hanging up, Ryan's WhatsApp also popped up with similar content, except with a few more appropriately concerned words: [Monica, your mom just contacted me. Is something wrong at home? If you need help, just say the word.]

Looking at that line of fake text, Monica felt disgusted and coldly replied with four words: [No need, stay out.]

She thought her firm attitude would make her mother back off.

But she still underestimated Linda's persistence and that family's shamelessness.

A week later, after working overtime, Monica dragged her exhausted body back to the entrance of her residential complex, only to be blocked by two unexpected people.

Linda stood there, eyes red and swollen, looking haggard, with the pitiful appearance of someone abandoned. And beside her stood a man in a suit, his face plastered with a fake smile - Derek.

The moment she saw Derek, all the blood in Monica's body went cold.

"Monica, you're finally back!" As soon as Linda saw her, she immediately rushed over, grabbed her arm, her voice carrying a sob and uncontrollable accusation. "What's wrong with you, child? You moved to such a nice place and don't even want your family anymore? Mom called you so many times and you didn't answer. Are you trying to make me die of anger?"

Derek also stepped forward at the right time, playing the peacemaker, his tone gentle as he advised: "Auntie, don't get upset. Monica's busy with work, she probably didn't see the messages. Monica, look how worried your aunt is. Can't you talk things out nicely?"

Monica looked at this clumsy performance in front of her and found it both absurd and laughable. She pulled away her arm that her mother was gripping painfully, her gaze coldly sweeping over Derek's disgusting face.

"My business is none of Mr. Morrison's concern." Her tone was distant, then she looked at Linda, her voice without a trace of warmth. "Mom, I told you very clearly, I don't have money."

"No money?!" Linda was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly raising her voice, pointing incredulously at the luxury apartment building behind her. "You live in such a nice house and tell me you have no money? Monica, now that you're a big lawyer with your wings grown, you don't even care if your own brother lives or dies?"

Her voice was shrill, drawing the attention of passing neighbors.

Monica only felt a bone-deep exhaustion and embarrassment.

"I raised you all these years, gave you good food and drink, sent you to school, to college, hoping you'd make something of yourself and repay me! And what happened? Is this how you repay me? Your brother's getting married, and you as his sister won't help out, you even hide from us. What are you thinking?"

Linda got more and more worked up, tears falling like broken beads, every word accusing her like she was some unforgivable criminal.

"I raised you for nothing! You ungrateful wretch!"

Derek stood to the side playing peacemaker hypocritically, his face showing just the right amount of concern, gently patting Linda's back. "Auntie, calm down, let's talk nicely. Monica doesn't mean it that way, she's just under work pressure and has a stubborn personality."

Linda clearly ate this up. She leaned on Derek's arm as if she'd found her backbone, then turned and changed her expression, grateful to Derek. "Derek, you're so understanding, so much better than this ungrateful wretch in our family! If you hadn't told me Monica lives here, I would never have seen her in my lifetime!"

This intimate gesture made Monica's stomach churn with nausea.

Monica didn't want to watch this disgusting performance anymore, the impatience in her tone almost overflowing: "Are you done? If you're done, I'm going upstairs."

"What kind of attitude is that!" Seeing her unmoved appearance, Linda's anger flared up again. She shook off Derek and resumed her motherly posture, hands on hips, starting to count on her fingers.

"I won't waste words with you! Your brother's getting married, the wedding, raising kids - everything costs money. As his sister, you need to come up with at least four hundred thousand! This money, you must get it together for us!" She rattled off a string of numbers confidently, her tone not asking but informing Monica to go to the bank and withdraw money that supposedly already belonged to her.

Each number was like a slap, hitting Monica hard in the face.

Looking at her mother's face twisted with greed, the last trace of warmth in Monica's heart was worn away.

"His wedding," Monica spoke calmly, her voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone present, "I'll give ten thousand dollars."