Chapter 2

"Mom, let Uncle Liam sit next to you, and Grandma and I will make a heart behind you..."

As I opened the door, my wife, daughter, and mother-in-law were taking a family photo on the couch with a stranger.

They were all huddled together, grinning widely at the camera.

When they heard the door, they finally noticed me.

Their smiles froze.

The atmosphere was tense for a moment.

Then, the laughter continued, as if I were invisible. They changed positions and kept taking photos.

Not a single person acknowledged me.

It wasn't until they finished taking photos that my mother-in-law gave me a disdainful look and said:

"Oh, Ethan, you have legs, you can walk back, can't you?"

"I thought you got laid off and forgot how to walk, and that Olivia had to pick you up."

I was drenched and my hands and feet were numb from the cold.

After being laid off today, a storm hit. My wife had promised to pick me up after work, but she never showed up, even late at night.

I walked ten kilometers in the rain to get home.

Before I entered, I heard their disdain and ridicule behind my back.

I just didn't expect that even after I returned home, they would still ignore me and laugh with another man.

A bitter feeling arose in my heart, I opened my mouth to speak.

Suddenly a cake was thrown at me!

Splat!

My face was covered in cream. I looked up.

My daughter, Ava, was hiding behind the man, looking at me with disdain:

"Dad is lazy! He doesn't work hard to earn money for me and mom, such a loser!"

"Not even worth Uncle Liam's toe!"

My heart was suddenly pierced with pain.

This was the daughter I had loved for ten years.

Facing her mother's first love, Liam, she was full of admiration and joy, but for me, there was only sarcasm and ridicule.

At this moment, my silent wife finally spoke, frowning as she scolded our daughter:

"Ava, how can you talk to your dad like that? You're being too rude!"

She acted like she was defending me, even bringing me a towel and gently saying:

"Ethan, don't take the child's words to heart. Go change your clothes, we can talk later."

As I took the towel, I noticed the undisguised disdain in her eyes.

I felt even more desolate inside.

Just as I was about to head to my room, Liam suddenly walked over to greet me:

"Are you Ethan? I just got back from abroad, Olivia insisted on throwing me a welcome party, I couldn't refuse, so I came."

"I heard you just lost your job? It's okay, the current economic climate is tough, I might be able to help you find work."

His friendly demeanor only made me feel more pathetic.

Before I could respond, my mother-in-law impatiently pushed me:

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Liam!"

"You’re over thirty, and still getting laid off, you're embarrassing Olivia!"

I was almost knocked over by the push.

Yet, my beloved wife and daughter seemed oblivious, their attention entirely on the other man.

This was clearly my home, yet I felt like an outsider.

In the end, I didn't say anything and went to my room to wash up.

When I came back out, they were already seated at the dining table, eating. No one called me over.

There wasn't even a place set for me at the table.

Olivia finally stopped eating and glanced at our daughter:

"Ava, go get your dad some dishes."

My daughter rolled her eyes at me, "I'm not going. He doesn't even have a job to support me, mom, and grandma anymore, why should I?"

"Dad, don't you have hands? Are you planning to be a useless bum forever?"

Such sharp and cutting words, coming from my daughter's mouth.

Inside, I felt nothing but bitterness and self-mockery.

Olivia glanced disapprovingly at our daughter, softly saying to me:

"Ethan, you've spoiled this girl too much. Go get some dishes from the kitchen, come sit next to me. We'll squeeze in..."

Before she finished, my mother-in-law suddenly stood up.

I thought she was going to help me get dishes, since she used to do that when I was the one earning for the family.

But instead, she took the dog's bowl and shoved it into my hands.

"There are no dishes in the kitchen, wash this and use it."

At that moment, I felt deeply mocked.

This was the family I had worked hard to support for ten years...

"No need, I'm not eating."

I turned to leave, but Liam spoke up in surprise:

"Ethan, you're not angry, are you?"

"I just asked around for you, my company is looking for a janitor, five thousand a month."

"It's not very glamorous, but if you do well, there's a chance to get promoted to supervisor."

I knew very well that he was trying to show off his capabilities to Olivia by belittling me.

Just as I said "no need," my mother-in-law suddenly stood up and slammed the table!

She yelled at me:

"Someone's offering you a job and you're being picky?"

"Are you not going to support your wife and child? Planning to live off my daughter’s money, huh?"

At that moment, I couldn't contain my anger anymore.

When we first got married, my mother-in-law had a stroke and was paralyzed, Olivia couldn't work while taking care of her, so I supported the family.

After my mother-in-law recovered, Olivia wanted to start her own studio, and I used my hard-earned savings to invest in her.

But she never contributed a penny to household expenses.

Now Olivia finally spoke, frowning as she reminded me:

"Ethan, you’ve lost your job!"

"As the breadwinner of this family, you must take responsibility."

"And by the way, Liam just returned to the country, he'll be staying in your room for now. He’ll pay rent, which will help ease our financial pressure. You can move into the small storage room."

Her words seemed so reasonable, as if refusing was irresponsible.

It finally dawned on me.

They were taking advantage of my jobless and penniless situation, forcing me to accept Liam's presence.

In that moment, any last attachment I had to this family vanished.

Thinking of the two hundred million about to be in my hands, I no longer held back and said coldly:

"No need to worry, I'm moving out!"