Chapter 2

I left the two kids right there in the town community center and told the staff that their parents had abandoned them.

I explained that we were too old and sick to take care of them.

The newly appointed town administrator, Tommy, was shocked. He immediately called the police.

Before my sons' cars could even reach the highway, their phones were blowing up with calls from the precinct.

The community office also called them, warning that if they didn't turn around, the staff would show up at their workplaces the next day.

Helpless, the two sons had to drive back.

Seeing their children being held and comforted by the police while Arthur and I sat peacefully on the side, ignoring them, the two sons were absolutely livid.

"Mom, you are so heartless! These are your own grandsons!"

"You were the one who kept telling us to have kids early! Now that we have them, you refuse to help!"

"I told you to have kids early for the sake of your health! You two were drinking and smoking constantly. I was worried you’d have fertility issues later. That’s why I told you to plan early!"

"It was about healthy family planning. I never once said I would raise them for you!"

In my past life, I had worked like an absolute slave for them. Not only did I do all the labor, but Arthur and I also spent all our savings on their living expenses.

To make ends meet, Arthur used to sweep the streets in the freezing winter before dawn. His entire monthly salary of $1,200 went directly to them.

One winter, he slipped on the icy road, which triggered his stroke and left him half-paralyzed.

Even then, they didn't spare me. They wanted to buy me a scooter just so I could rush through my chores faster. I am made of flesh and blood, not iron!

Looking at them now, I felt nothing but disgust.

After hearing our side of the story, the police officers gave the young couples a harsh lecture.

The two daughters-in-law were so embarrassed they didn't even get out of the car. They just grabbed the kids and pulled them inside.

Before leaving, they threw a threat at us: "You two will regret this!"

I knew I wouldn't regret a thing. The only thing I regretted was listening to them in my past life, which led to a miserable end for both Arthur and me.

I wasn't going to be that stupid again.

Once they left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I immediately took Arthur to the city hospital for a full medical checkup.

Arthur had chronic cardiovascular issues, but with insurance, his medication only cost about $100 a month.

We organized our backyard, set up a small greenhouse, and planted some vegetables.

For heavy chores, we hired local helpers. We had a decent amount of savings anyway.

When we were young, I ran a small grocery stall and Arthur worked as a carpenter on construction sites. That was how we made enough money to buy houses for our two sons.

We also had our social security pensions—about $1,000 a month each.

For two seniors living in the countryside, this was more than enough. Plus, growing our own food saved us a lot of money, and we raised some chickens and ducks.

The countryside wasn't isolated anymore. A local butcher truck came by every week, and delivery vans brought groceries right to our door.

Arthur and I had a great life. We didn't have to worry about being taken advantage of anymore.

My sons thought we would break under the pressure. They tried to turn our relatives against us by telling lies. But I beat them to it. I sat with our relatives, crying and telling them how unfilial my sons were.

"They gave $10,000 to their mother-in-law, but they gave us rotten Walmart apples!" I sobbed.

Hearing my side, the relatives turned around and gave my sons a piece of their minds.

My eldest son, James, called me in a rage. "Mom! Why are you spreading rumors? Why are you telling everyone I'm unfilial?"