Chapter 21 — A Debt of Filial Duty

Some people claimed she was merely chasing views. Others questioned whether she was a relative. A few even hurled abuses at me. I did not bother reading those words. I knew full well that the faceless masses behind the screens had no use for the truth. All they craved was a noisy spectacle they could chew on for a moment. When the police finally arrived, the cousin-in-law panicked at last. She hurriedly cut the live stream. However, the screen recording had already been safely secured by lawyer Tan's team. The police instructed her to cooperate with the investigation. As she was being led away, she shrieked hysterically.

"I was merely speaking up for the elderly!"

"You cannot bully me simply because she has money!"

I watched her retreating figure, feeling not a single ripple of emotion in my chest. What truly chilled me to the bone were the subsequent chat logs extracted from her phone. Mother had sent her a barrage of voice messages, every single one of them soaked in poison.

"Just tell everyone she refuses to let the old folks see their grandchild."

"Tell them she swallowed up all those houses."

"It would be best to make a huge scene right at the school gates."

"What she fears most is people gossiping about the child."

The final message had been sent late last night.

"As long as little Nyan cannot hold her head up high at school, she will definitely yield."

I listened to that recording twice. When the second playback ended, I pressed pause. A sudden realization struck me: Mother understood me far better than I had ever imagined. She knew precisely what I feared most. She knew I could endure her endless scolding directed at me, but I could never bear to see little Nyan hurt. Therefore, she willingly handed a razor-sharp blade straight to the child's tormentors. That very noon, the school administration reported the incident to the relevant authorities, and the parents' chat group was restricted by the moderators. My daughter's homeroom teacher pulled me aside to tell me that Nyan's mood had been relatively stable that morning, but during recess, a classmate had asked her if the online rumors about the six houses were true. Nyan had not uttered a word in response. She simply fled to the restroom and stayed in there for a long time. Hearing this, a searing pain pierced my eyes. After thanking the teacher, I sat alone in my car for a long time without turning the ignition. My phone rang; it was lawyer Tan.

"The live-streaming platform has already taken down the content."

"The cousin-in-law's account will be restricted."

"We can pursue legal liability against her and her parents simultaneously."

I replied, "Do it." Lawyer Tan paused for a moment.

"Your mother's voice messages are crucial evidence."

"It is not that she was unaware of the harm it would cause the child."

"Rather, she knew full well it would inflict pain and deliberately chose to exploit it anyway."

I closed my eyes.

"Then I shall leave them no way out."

In the afternoon, I went to the police station to supplement our documentation. Mother had also been summoned to appear. When she arrived, her complexion was haggard, yet her gaze remained stubbornly unyielding. Upon seeing me, her very first words were not an explanation, but an accusation.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"You've dragged all your own relatives into this mess, are you happy?"

I looked straight at her.

"I did not drag anyone into anything."

"They walked into this trap of their own accord."

She clutched her chest, her voice trembling.

"All I wanted was for you to acknowledge your younger brother."

"All I wanted was to ensure Peng Peng had something to lean on in the future."

I said, "If you want him to have support, provide it yourself."

"Stop trampling on my child to achieve it."

A fleeting flash of panic finally crossed her eyes. It was not out of remorse. It was the sudden realization that my tears would no longer be used as a leash to pull me back. Father had remained silent throughout. Before I left, he intercepted me at the far end of the hallway.

"Your mother is getting old."

"Must you pursue every harsh word she uttered to the bitter end?"

I stared at him.

"She explicitly stated she wanted to make little Nyan unable to lift her head."

"That was not merely a harsh word."

"That was pure malice."

Father's face darkened.

"Do not use such ugly language."

"She is your mother."

I retorted, "She is also a grown adult."

"Adults must bear the consequences of what they say."

He fixed his gaze on me.

"You will live to regret this."

I did not answer. At that exact moment, my phone vibrated. It was a notification from the court. My parents had filed an additional motion. They were requesting an injunction to freeze the disposition of the real estate registered under little Nyan's name. Their pretext was that I was maliciously dissipating assets and infringing upon their statutory right to be supported by their children. Attached to the filing was a list of newly proposed witnesses. The final name on that list was my ex-husband. I stared at those two characters, and my heart slowly sank into an abyss. They had finally played their absolute dirtiest card.

I stared at my ex-husband's name on the legal notice for a long time. I had once believed that, aside from matters concerning little Nyan, I would never cross paths with him again for the rest of my life. Back in the year of our divorce, he was the one who had committed infidelity, yet when it came to dividing our assets, he wailed and played the destitute victim. I refused to entangle myself in a protracted battle, taking only custody of little Nyan and my rightful share of the property. Over the years, his monthly child support payments arrived erratically at best. When Nyan's birthday came around, he was too lazy to even send her a greeting. Now, driven by their greed for the houses, my parents had dragged him back into the fray. After reviewing the documents, lawyer Tan wore a grim expression.

"They intend to have him testify that your mental state was unstable following the divorce, and that the transfer of the properties was merely an impulsive act."

I let out a cold laugh.

"On what grounds does he claim to prove that?"

"On the grounds that he is the child's father."

Lawyer Tan folded the documents neatly.

"If he is willing to commit perjury, we will simply force him to explain first why he failed to pay child support on time over all these years."

I nodded.

"Not to mention the divorce settlement agreement we signed."