After they took me in, they even started to ask me to pay for their children's school tuition.

I thought to myself—they're my own grandchildren after all. How could I stand by and do nothing? So I gritted my teeth and gave them the money.

Since my pension was not enough to cover the household expenses, I had to collect cardboard around the neighborhood and sell it at the recycling station.

Frank and Ivy thought I embarrassed them, so they made me collect them in the middle of the night.

But the night wind was bitterly cold, so even though my body was strong all my life, I began to have a fever.

And now, just because I was using the air conditioner for a few hours, I was suddenly dragging them down?

How heartless they are!

I took a deep breath and told them, “I won’t argue with you anymore. I’m packing my things and going home.”

My son stopped me, frowning. “Mom, can you stop making a fuss? Ivy is only being diligent and good at managing the household. What's wrong with that?”

“Can’t you be a little more understanding? Don’t blow this out of proportion.”

Ivy covered her face and sobbed. "I know, you just want to set rules for me. You used whatever excuses to teach me a lesson, so you can be the boss of this house.”

“I shouldn't be too kind-hearted by taking you in to take care of you in your old age.”

“Fine, you're the elder. From now on, whatever you say goes, okay?”

My son sighed repeatedly and shifted weight uneasily. “Mom, look at what you've done. You were the one who turned on the AC in the first place. Now you're using this as an excuse to say you won't sell the house.”

“This family was doing fine, but now you're making up all this conflict.”

“Anyway, I think you should apologize to Ivy.”

I stared straight at him. “Are you sure you think I should apologize to her?”

Seeing my stern expression, Frank lost his courage.

But then, he gritted his teeth and said, “Mom, right is right, wrong is wrong. I'm judging the situation, not the person. I'll stand by what's right, not just family ties. So, I think you should apologize."

I raised my arm and slapped him hard across the face.

Stunned, he clutched his face and stammered, “M-mom, why did you hit me?”

Meanwhile, Ivy was crying and making a ruckus. She then lunged at me, ready to claw me.

Without paying any attention to them, I opened the door and left. I refused to stay here any longer.

Sitting alone on a bench at the train station, tears silently streamed down my face.

Did Frank and Ivy really take me in to care for me in my old age?

Clearly, they just want me to be their free servant.

Every day, I cooked three meals, took my grandson to and from school and still went out at night to collect cardboard. But in their eyes, I was just a jobless woman who lived off them.

Were they really frugal and hardworking people?

Well, they went shopping every few days. Once, when I wanted to buy a pair of pants, they refused to take me, saying I was too old and shopping would tire me out.

Every weekend, they went out for lavish dinners. But Frank had never invited me. Not only that, he said my diet was too bland and eating oily food would be bad for my health.

However, weren't Frank's computer games, Ivy's cosmetics and Tom Wright, my grandson's tutoring classes, all paid by me?

And now, just because I turned on the air conditioner for a few hours, I had turned into the family’s biggest burden.

The more I thought about it, the more wronged and heartbroken I felt. Unable to hold back, I buried my face in my hands and started to sob.

Then I felt a pair of small, warm arms wrap around me.

I heard my grandson Tom's voice. “Grandma, Grandma, don't go. I don't want you to leave.”

When I looked up, I saw Tom cling to me. He sobbed so hard that he could barely catch his breath.

Meanwhile, Frank and Ivy stood awkwardly on the side.

With tears streaming down his face, Tom asked, “Did Mom and Dad bully Grandma? Don't be angry, Grandma. I'll teach them a lesson.”

He actually stood up and kicked Frank.

Frank and Ivy knelt before me, looking ashamed. “Mom, we were wrong,” they pleaded. “Please don’t be angry.”

Frank also cried. "Mom, your slap woke me up. On the way here, I thought about a lot of things.”

“You’ve worked so hard your entire life to raise me. After I got married, I was a little selfish. I didn't see your dedication. I'm such a jerk."

“Mom, hit me.”

He grabbed my hand and slapped himself across the face.

Ivy's voice was full of guilt. "Frank had already scolded me."

"He's right. If my mom were here, I would've turned on the AC long ago. I shouldn't have let you get sick from the cold.”

"As your daughter-in-law, I'm too stingy. I’m sorry. I know I was wrong, Mom. Please don’t hold it against us.”

Frank and Ivy pleaded sincerely to me. And Tom clung tightly to my neck. “Grandma, I beg you—please don't leave, okay?”

Then he planted a big kiss on my cheek.

Looking at my lovely grandson, I nodded.

Tom immediately cheered.

Ivy beamed with joy and took the train ticket from my hand. “Mom, wait here. I’ll go refund your ticket.”

Not long after she left, Tom said he wanted to go to the toilet, so Frank took him there.

I waited in the chair for a while, but they didn't come back, so I got up and went to find them.

Unexpectedly, at the restroom door, I saw the three of them.

Ivy said, “Who would've thought that this old woman really buys a ticket home?”

“What are we going to do if she leaves? Who’ll clean the house? Who’ll pick up the kid?”

“And what about the mortgage, the car payments and the tuition? Is she not going to pay for any of it anymore?”

Frank replied, "So, let her turn on the air conditioner for the next few days."

“Once the house sells, we'll figure out the rest. You’ve got to give up something to get what you want.”

Tom looked disgusted. “You guys insist on making me hug Grandma. I hate hugging old people. You have to buy me candy.”

Frank ruffled his hair. “If you can keep Grandma happy these few days, I’ll buy you candy every day.”

Tom beamed. “Great! Flattering Grandma is easy—she's so gullible. I just give her a hug and she thinks I adore her.”

The family of three laughed heartily, while my heart sank to the bottom.

My train was about to depart. Without hesitation, I bought a new ticket and boarded at the last moment.

On my way home, Frank and Lily kept calling me, but I immediately blocked them.

Four hours later, I returned to my own home. Lying on my familiar bed, I slept more soundly than I had in half a year.

Early the next morning, I got up to cook. I cooked my favorite dishes, without having to worry about my son's family's preferences.

At this time, there was a rough pounding on the door outside that startled me.

I barely cracked the door open before Frank and Ivy barged in, followed by a large group of relatives.

Each had a grim expression and it seemed they were ready to confront me.

Frank sat on the sofa, arms crossed, scowling. “Mom, what's going on?”

“You promised to come back home with us — how could you just get on the train without saying anything?”

"Do you have any idea how sad Tom is? He was crying for his grandmother in the middle of the night."

I let out a cold laugh.

Before I could respond, Ivy's mother approached me and sighed. "In-law, no matter how upset you are, you shouldn't abandon your child and run back like this. That's terribly irresponsible.”

“In other families, parents and elders do everything they can to support their children. But you? You just throw tantrums and drag them down.”

“In-law, I must say, I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

I replied coldly, “Do you want to support them? So, why haven't I seen you washing clothes, cooking meals, or caring for the children at their home?”

Ivy's mother immediately became anxious and shouted, “What? Do you need others to watch your grandson while you care for him?”

“In-laws, is that how you show affection to your grandson?”

Frank's second uncle stepped over, pulled me aside and sighed helplessly. “Sister-in-law, you really did handle this poorly.”

"Frank had kindly brought you to stay with him in your old age. But you beat him and refused to do anything. How could you act like this?”

My anger flared. “Did he say why I hit him?”

Frank's uncle replied, “Yes, he did. Wasn't it just about the air conditioner?”

“Actually, it's your fault. How can you turn on the air conditioner in autumn? You're being too wasteful. I, myself, have never turned on the air conditioner in autumn all my life.”

“No wonder the young couple had issues. Aren't you just looking for trouble and wasting electricity?”

I suppressed my anger. “They live in the north. Do you think it's the same as in the south?”

Frank's second uncle chuckled. “Sister-in-law, it doesn't matter whether it's north or south. When we were kids, didn’t we live through all kinds of hardships?”

“There was no air conditioning back then and we still managed to eat three meals a day.”

“Now that you've moved in with your son, but suddenly can't bear to live without AC? That's just being overly sensitive.”

From the crowd, a young distant relative muttered, “Exactly. Sure, children are supposed to take care of their parents in old age, but that doesn't mean they should be treated like suckers.”

This remark unexpectedly drew nods of agreement from many.

I retorted angrily, “What do you know? Go on, try living it."

Just then, an elderly man stepped forward. According to seniority, I have to call him uncle.

Acting the role of a peacemaker, he said to me, “Alright, enough. Stop arguing. We’re family after all. This is just making us a laughingstock."

“Let me, as the elder, settle this matter once and for all.”

"Frank … will take you back in and continue to care for you. From now on, no one’s allowed to complain about water, electricity, or gas bills.”

"Do you and your wife agree, Frank?"

Frank and Ivy nodded vigorously.

Uncle smiled in satisfaction and said to me, “You too need to compromise.”

“The child is really under a lot of pressure. Since they’re taking care of you, you should show some consideration.”

“I've made the decision. Today, you'll transfer the house to Frank.”

“Whether he rents it out or sells it is entirely up to him. It'll lighten his load a bit. After all, the place is just sitting empty. There is no point in letting it go to waste.”

I looked at my uncle, then at the room full of relatives and my heart sank. Suddenly, I understood.

Frank had gathered them here to force me to hand over the house.

I stared at my uncle in disappointment. “How much did Frank pay you to come here?”

My uncle's old face turned red and his gaze shifted nervously.

But soon, he coldly retorted, "Harriet Thornton, don't argue with me. This house belongs to the Wright Family's name, so it's the Wright Family's property, not the Thornton Family's."