The cold wind hit me and cut through my thoughts.

I looked down at the old coat I had worn for three years. The cuffs were worn through, and fuzz spilled out of the holes. It was ugly.

The coat reminded me of my life. It was worn-out, broken, and far from respectable.

Last month, I ran to meet a client with a high fever of 102 °F just to earn a little commission to cover my in-laws’ medical check-up.

Whitney Parker, my mother-in-law, pocketed the money and looked at me with disgust.

“What’s this tiny bit of money even for? Mr. Watson’s daughter-in-law got him a full high-end health check.”

She took my whole paycheck and only gave me $300 a month for pocket money.

Last week, I tried to buy a $30 lipstick. She glared at me and said, “Why do you need so much money? Supporting the family is your responsibility!”

Later, I found out that she had used my salary to buy liquor for Johnson and the latest phone for Phoebe.

A chill ran through me. Light snow began to fall.

The flakes landed on my old coat and melted instantly.

The convenience store owner watched me through the glass. Her eyes shone with pity.

I stood up and brushed the snow off my coat. I needed to find a place to stay for the night.

Since they had taken my ID, I had no choice but to cancel the hotel I had just booked.

Finally, I called Jane Langley, my best friend.

“Mindy?” she asked right away. “Where are you? Why are you breathing so hard?”

“Jane, can I stay at your place tonight?”

Half an hour later, she arrived to pick me up.

When she saw me standing in the snow in my worn-out coat, her eyes filled with tears.

“Get in the car!”

The heater was on full blast. My frozen fingers slowly began to feel warm again.

“I always told you that Johnson’s useless! When you married him, I told you he was unreliable!”

I froze. “Why are you saying this now?”

“Don’t you know? Your family has been tearing you apart on social media!”

She handed me her phone.

Several posts from the Clark family were on display.

[What a disaster! My daughter-in-law ran off with the money and spent the holiday with some random man!]

[Some people don’t deserve to be mothers! She didn’t get a single cent of the year-end bonus and still acts like she owns the place. From now on, I have no mom!]

[Mindy ran off with all the money! A woman like that doesn’t deserve to be a wife or a mother!]

“How dare they say that?! They were the ones who kicked me out!”

Jane sighed. “They did this first. They made you look bad so that no one will pay attention to what they actually did.”

I was about to speak when my phone rang.

It was the company’s HR.

“Ms. Zimmerman, I’m sorry to call so late. Your family contacted me through the recruitment app to ask about you. They even mentioned details about your private life.

“While the company trusts your character, this doesn’t reflect well on you.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to contain the anger building inside me.

“Mr. Lane, that’s all slander! My family kicked me out of the house! They’re taking revenge on me.”

“I understand. But for the sake of the company’s image, please don’t come to work after the holiday until this matter is resolved.”

After the call ended, I leaned back in my seat and felt completely drained.

“What good does it do them to make me lose my job?”

It was ridiculous.

I had planned to use the fact that I did not get a year-end bonus as a setup to surprise my family with a promotion after the holidays.

I had not only been promoted to the post of director, but I was also going to receive a $1 million bonus.

My careful plan had turned into a complete joke.

Jane parked the car under her building but did not unbuckle her seatbelt right away.

“Mindy, there’s something I have to tell you.”

She turned to me with a serious expression.

“Last week, I was at our company, and I saw your husband.”

I frowned. Jane worked at a high-end insurance and healthcare company.

“What was Johnson doing at your company?”

“I looked into it. He bought a high-value accident insurance policy in your name. The beneficiaries are himself and your daughter.”

It felt like I had been thrown back into the freezing snow.

“How much coverage?”

“$2 million. Mindy, why would he suddenly buy a large accident policy in your name?”

The heat in the car felt suffocating.

I recalled Johnson’s strange behavior recently. He had been unusually attentive. He served me soup and said I worked too hard. He even offered to take me on a trip.

“Mindy,” Jane said and touched my hand in concern, “are you okay?”

I looked out at the swirling snow and slowly lifted my head.

“Jane, can you help me find a lawyer? I’m going to get a divorce. I can’t believe people can be so cruel.”

After I went back to Jane’s place with her, I had just sat down on the couch when my phone buzzed.

It was a voice note from Johnson.

“Mindy, come home. Let’s talk. We’re family. There’s nothing we can’t sit down and sort out.”

I stopped the voice message and tossed my phone aside.

Jane handed me a cup of hot tea with her brows furrowed.

“He still has the nerve to act like that?”

“They realized they can’t get any more money out of me. Now, they’re panicking.”

I took a sip of tea. The heat stung my throat, but it cleared my mind.

“No year-end bonus. The supplementary cards are locked. The online loans are only a few tens of thousands. It’s nowhere near enough for them.”

Over the next few days, I replaced my ID and checked into a hotel.

Johnson kept sending me messages. At first, he sounded apologetic. Then, he became impatient and hostile.

[Honey, where are you? Can we meet and talk?]

[Mindy, don’t test me.]

[Transfer the money, or I’ll make sure you won’t like what happens next!]

I did not respond to any of them until he sent his final warning.

[I know which hotel you’re staying at. If you don’t come home, we’ll come get you.]

Of course, I knew he would do it. That same afternoon, I went to see a lawyer.

I showed him everything. My bank transfer records, a copy of the insurance policy, and the online loan applications.

When I left the law firm, it was almost dark.

The lawyer’s words kept repeating in my head.

“Ms. Zimmerman, the evidence you have right now is not strong enough.”

What was I supposed to do?

I walked back to the hotel and was lost in thought. I did not notice the three men standing in the shadows at the corner.

“You’re Mindy, right?” The man in the front had a cigarette in his mouth. He walked toward me with a lazy swagger. “Your husband wants you home.”

My chest tightened. I stepped back and gripped the pepper spray that was in my bag.

“I don’t know you. Move!”

“Don’t push your luck.”

The man behind him suddenly grabbed my arm.

I yanked out the spray and sprayed him in the face.

He let out a scream and covered his eyes.

But there were too many of them. Someone shoved me hard, and I hit the ground.

A foot lifted and was about to come down on me.

“Stop! I called the police!”

Jane’s voice came from a distance away.

The three men cursed and ran into the alley.

Jane rushed over and helped me up. Her voice was shaking.

“Mindy, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

She helped me up. My whole body was trembling.

I was not shaking in fear but in anger.

As I stared at the corner where they had disappeared, the last bit of hope I had about my family fell apart.

They truly wanted me dead.

Back at her place, Jane helped clean my wounds.

The alcohol pad pressed against my scraped skin. I sucked in a sharp breath from the sting.

Then, I laughed bitterly.

“You’re laughing?”

Jane’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m laughing at myself. Even after everything, a small part of me thought maybe I was overthinking things.”

I picked up my phone and called Johnson.

“Mindy, you finally picked up—”

“Johnson, just stop! I’m tired.”

I cut him off. My voice was calm and steady.

There was a pause on the other end. He clearly had not expected that reaction.

I continued as I softened my voice and pretended to give in, “I got promoted. I’ll receive a $1 million dividend bonus after the New Year.

“Let’s get along from now on, okay?”

He went quiet for a few seconds. I could hear him whispering to someone beside him.

After a moment, he said, “Fine. Come home tomorrow night. We’ll settle everything.”

After I hung up, Jane looked at me in worry.

“You’re really going back? That’s dangerous.”

Of course, I was going back.

If I did not go back, how would they carry out their plan?

The next evening, I walked up to the familiar door as promised.

I took a deep breath and pushed it open. A thick, suffocating smell of alcohol hit me right away.

Four people sat on the couch. The lights were off, and the only glow came from their phone screens.

The pale light from below made their faces look twisted and cruel.

When they saw me, Johnson jumped up and walked toward me.

He held a thick rope in his hand.

“Where’s the money?”

He stepped closer. His eyes shone dangerously.

“Don’t try anything. $50,000. Transfer it now!”

I stood my ground and looked at him coldly.

“Johnson, are you trying to kill me or just rob me?”

“Stop talking! You forced us into this! No year-end bonus, supplementary cards locked, and not even enough from the loans! How do you expect us to survive?”

“Survive?” I almost laughed. “I supported you all these years. Without me, you wouldn’t have survived at all!”

“You supported us?”

Phoebe suddenly stood up and snapped loudly, “Besides giving a little money, what have you ever done? Other moms take their kids shopping or on trips. You just work overtime every day. You’re not fit to be my mother!”

“Not fit, am I?”

I stared at her. My heart turned to ice.

“The clothes you wear and the food you eat… I earned them all with my overtime! Now you’re upset I didn’t spend time with you?”

“That’s enough!”

Whitney suddenly cut in and pointed angrily at the floor.

“Look at this floor and this window. We’ve set everything up! If you don’t give us the money today, don’t expect to leave this place in one piece.”

I stared at the slippery soap on the floor, the wide-open window, and the icy balcony. I could hardly believe it.

“So, the $2 million accident insurance is for today?”

I let out a cold laugh. I was thinking about how to push them over the edge.

Then, I saw Johnson’s face twist with rage. His calm facade completely vanished.

“So? What does it matter if that’s true? Mindy, you’d better act smart. Hand over the money, and we might spare you!”

“Spare me?”

I stepped closer and stared at him.

“When you sent people to ambush me, did you think about letting me go? When you spread lies online to ruin me, did you think about letting me go? Johnson, tell me. How do you plan to ‘spare me’ this time?”

He went silent for a moment, and his face grew darker.

“Stop wasting my time!”

My father-in-law, Benjamin Clark, shouted impatiently, “Just take the money and deal with her later!”

Johnson grabbed my hair and yanked with terrifying force. It felt like he was trying to tear my scalp off.

“Since you won’t do as we said, you’ll be punished!”

Pain shot through me, and tears threatened to spill over. I fought back and scratched his arm.

“Let go of me! Johnson, you jerk!”

But he was incredibly strong. He pinned my shoulders and dragged me toward the balcony.

Looking down at the concrete floor a dozen meters below made my stomach drop.

Phoebe grabbed a small stool nearby and slammed it at my feet.

There was a loud crash, and I felt a sharp pain in my feet.

“Mindy!” she screamed, and her face twisted in wild satisfaction.

“Don’t push us! Give us the money or die! You’re a waste of air!”

Johnson took advantage of the moment and shoved me hard toward the balcony.

My back slammed against the icy railing. I was bent over the edge.

“Die! If you die, we get the money! Then, we can have a good life!” Johnson yelled like a madman. He pressed his hand against my back and forced me down.

Just when I thought I was about to die, the door burst open with a loud bang. A strong, commanding voice shouted, “Stop!”