After ten years of marriage, my husband still insists that my daughter and I report every single expense.

Despite his immense wealth, he locked us in the basement for three days and nights without food—all because we didn’t report buying a pair of 1-dollar hair clips.

I once thought he was just emotionally detached.

Until the day his recently divorced first love came to stay with her son.

She accidentally ordered a hundred Prada hair ties online.

The bill, worth tens of thousands, arrived at our home. He signed and paid without hesitation.

Her son, curious, stole his Rolls-Royce, crashed it into a wall, and totaled the 1.1-million-dollar car.

My husband only worried if the boy was hurt, laughing as he said he’d buy him another one if he liked it.

When my daughter and I were finally released, we saw him casually spending 2,800 dollars on in-game skins for his first love’s son.

Seeing us, he frowned out of habit.

【Do you know what you did wrong? Remember to report your spending next time.】

【What if I don’t? Will you threaten divorce again?】 For ten years, divorce had been his sharpest weapon against us.

He paused briefly. “Yes.”

“Then let’s get a divorce.”

——

“Divorce, over something so trivial?”

“Yes.” Seeing my firm expression, Michael Harrison waved impatiently.

“I don’t have time for your games.”

“Take our daughter for a bath. She hasn’t been cleaned in three days—it’s embarrassing.” He seemed to forget he was the one who locked us up.

Watching his back as he walked away, my heart ached.

“Mommy, I’m hungry. Why does that brother get to eat so much every day?” My daughter clutched my clothes with her thin arms, licking her lips as she watched Victoria Reynolds’s son feasting in his room.

That boy’s room was filled with steak, pizza, and snacks.

He was only a year older than Lily, but twice her size.

Looking at my daughter’s pale face and hungry eyes, pain surged through me.

Michael had detained us for three days.

Those three days extinguished whatever affection I still had for him.

I called my former teacher, Ms. Harper. She was silent after hearing my situation.

I panicked, thinking there was no hope.

Then she spoke again. “I have another job for you. Bring Lily. There’s a place for you to stay. The pay isn’t much, but it’ll be enough for you both to survive.”

Tears welled up. “Thank you, Ms. Harper! I’ll definitely come!”

I had let her down before—giving up on design, refusing the job she offered from a big company, and becoming a housewife.

Now, penniless and desperate to take Lily away, she was the one giving me a chance to live again.

She’s still abroad.

She’ll return in a month. Then I can finally leave this house with Lily.

For now, I just need to find her something to eat.

We haven’t eaten for three days. Both of us are weak with hunger.

I found the housekeeper.

“Please give me 28 million dollars. I need to take Lily out to eat. She’s fainted several times from hunger already.”

The housekeeper didn’t even look at me, replying slowly,

“Have you reported the expense to the master?”

“Without his signature, I can’t pay.”

My face turned pale. I looked around frantically, but Michael wasn’t home.

When I called him, he didn’t answer.

I pleaded with the housekeeper, “Even a piece of bread would do.”

Lily, starving and frail, suddenly collapsed to the floor.

I held her tightly, begging the housekeeper.

But he didn’t even glance at me.

“I’m sorry, Madam, I can’t pay without the master’s permission.” Desperate, I held Lily and asked around until a maid finally said,

“Mr. Harrison went out with Ms. Reynolds and her son.”

“Lily, hold on, don’t fall asleep.” I cried, clutching my daughter while frantically searching on my phone.

As the richest man in China, he was always trailed by paparazzi.

Sure enough, it was right there on social media.

A headline from ten minutes ago read:

[CEO Harrison splurges, books entire luxury restaurant for his first love’s son’s birthday!]

The window was open, and a cold gust of wind pierced through me.

I felt frozen to the core.

So Michael wasn’t forgetful after all.

He remembered his first love’s son’s birthday—but forgot that three days ago was Lily’s.

I had only bought her a pair of cheap hair clips from a roadside stall and forgot to report it. Because of that, Lily and I were locked in the basement.

Michael always claimed he feared poverty and was strict about money management.

Aside from control, he gave us everything—mansions, cars, and the best schools.

But without a report, we couldn’t spend a cent.

My daughter was so hungry she began to foam in her mouth.

Looking at this enormous mansion and the servants whispering among themselves, I felt like we were trapped in a beautiful gilded cage—beautiful, yet starving to death inside.

Rain began to pour outside,

and Lily’s condition worsened.

Clenching my teeth, I carried her and ran for half an hour before reaching the hotel.

After explaining that I was Michael’s wife,

the lobby manager gave me a strange look but still led us upstairs.

Michael was dining on the rooftop with Victoria and her son.

As the elevator doors opened,

Victoria’s son spotted us.

With a sneer, he raised his cola can and hurled it at Lily’s face.

“Where did this beggar come from!!” he shouted.

Cola splashed all over her; pale and trembling, she whispered, “Mommy, I want to go home.”

Seeing us, Michael frowned and strode over. “Who told you to come here? You’re filthy and disgraceful!”

“Yes,” I said bitterly, “we were locked up for three days. We needed permission even to take a shower. But you weren’t home.”

He didn’t even notice Lily’s pallor; his face was filled with disgust.

“Go home now, don’t embarrass me here!”

“I’ll go. I won’t disturb you three again. But before I leave, please sign a note for the housekeeper so I can buy food for Lily.”

His face darkened. “What family of three? We’re not—”

I cut him off. “I just want a cake, some pork belly Lily loves, and glucose.”

Before he could respond, Victoria’s son suddenly lunged forward,

smashing the remaining cake onto the table with a loud crash!

It splattered across Lily’s face.

“You filthy beggar! Who do you think you are, eating Uncle Harrison’s cake!”

My daughter, already weak, was cut on the forehead by a shard from the cake plate.

After three days of hunger, she collapsed completely.

“Lily!” I cried, scooping her into my arms, my heart breaking.

Looking at Michael, who stood frozen, fury surged through me like fire.

“Bastard! How dare you eat like that!” I screamed, overturning their table!

Victoria, who had been watching the scene unfold, suddenly screamed. Her eyes reddened, her voice trembling with tears.

“Michael, look at her! My son and I have never eaten such good food, and she’s wasting it like this!”

Michael rushed over to shield her, shouting at me,

“Emily Carter! Have you lost your mind as a rich wife?! Victoria and Ethan Reynolds have suffered enough at her ex-husband’s house. I just wanted to treat them to a nice meal! How dare you flip the table?”

“Don’t blame her, Michael,” Victoria sobbed softly. “It’s not that I deserve good food.”

The more she spoke, the more distressed Michael became.

His face turned dark as he called over the manager and pointed at us.

“Take them both to the kitchen. Make them hand-wash every dish used today! They’re not leaving until it’s done! If you let them go, I won’t pay for this private event!”

The private event costs at least 70,000 dollars. Hearing that, the manager nervously surrounded me and Lily with his staff.

I looked up, eyes full of hatred.

“Michael, are you insane?! Lily has low blood sugar! At least let her eat something!”

Lily lay limp on the ground, too weak from hunger to move.

But Michael shoved me aside and, still protecting Victoria, said coldly,

“Why are you wasting food like this? When you finish washing, you can pick from the trash if you want to eat.”

He seemed about to say more, but I had already lifted Lily, her forehead still bleeding, and turned to follow the manager.

Michael called after me, “If you apologize to Victoria and Ethan—”

“No need.” We wouldn’t be family much longer anyway.

I finished that thought silently and left without looking back.

In the kitchen, I washed dishes alone with my unconscious daughter on my back.

Perhaps out of spite, Victoria kept ordering dish after dish—huge platters that required countless bowls and utensils. There had already been two or three hundred plates, but she continued all night.

I washed from 6 p.m. until midnight, Lily clinging weakly to me.

Then another large basket of dishes was brought in.

The manager, pitying me, whispered, “That lady treated all the restaurant staff to a bowl of birthday noodles.”

We didn’t finish until 3 a.m.

The restaurant owner, unable to stand seeing my misery, stopped me as he was leaving.

He packed a lunchbox and handed it over. “Thank you for your hard work. Give this to the child.”

All day, the only person who showed us kindness was a stranger.

I swallowed my tears and thanked him.

Outside by the flowerbed, I opened the lunchbox and fed Lily spoonful by spoonful.

After eating, her pale face regained a hint of color, though she was still weak.

Her small head rested against my shoulder as she whispered,

“I’m sorry, Mommy. I made you suffer. I don’t want that hair clip anymore.”

She was only five, yet she understood everything.

Hearing her soft apology felt like my heart was soaked in acid.

“It’s okay, Lily. It’s not your fault.” I comforted her and carried her all the way home.

As soon as I opened the door, Michael, who had been sitting on the sofa with his head propped up, stood abruptly.

“Why are you only coming back now?” He approached, holding a cake, a trace of regret on his face.

“It was our daughter’s birthday the day before yesterday. Why didn’t you tell me? The housekeeper mentioned it.”

I lowered my eyes.

What else was there to say?