The video went on for more than ten minutes, capturing every single moment of me being beaten and harassed.

Mom's text continued, "Don't think I'm being cruel now. I just hired some guys to scare her a bit. They didn't hit her that hard. Only when parents are willing to be ruthless can their children truly grow. Honestly, I think you should try this with your son, too."

I clutched my phone and laughed out loud. I tasted blood.

No wonder trouble had followed me like a shadow over the last three years of hustle. Entitled customers always chose my shifts to throw tantrums, and the dishes I handled were constantly getting sent back with complaints.

Every time I managed to save a little cash, I'd end up paying it out in damages. I had genuinely thought I was just cursed with bad luck.

It turned out that it was all just Mom's "tests".

When I remained silent, Connor walked over and nudged me with his foot. "What are you laughing at? Don't think playing dumb gets you out of paying.

"And don't bother looking for security footage either. The cameras broke ages ago. We can't find the guys, so this is on you. Otherwise, you can kiss the rest of your paycheck goodbye!"

Back when I was drowning in debt, my biggest fear was getting fired or having my wages withheld. But that leverage didn't work on me anymore.

Gasping for air, I forced myself up and stared dead into Connor's eyes. "What if I say I can find them?"

My expression rattled him, and his eyes darted away nervously. "Cut the crap. If you actually had that kind of pull, you wouldn't have been slaving away here for three years."

I shot him a sideways glance. "The walls have ears. Some people think they've covered their tracks perfectly, never realizing they tipped their hand long ago."

He froze.

I walked past him, scooped up the kitten, and headed straight for the police station.

Mom probably never dreamed that the chat logs she used to brag to others would become my primary evidence.

The video was clear enough, and the police assured me that they could track the guys down using facial recognition.

Before leaving, I made sure to leave specific instructions. "When you arrest them, please don't let them see the video, and don't mention where the evidence came from. A young lady filmed it, and she's terrified of retaliation."

With that handled, I opened my alternate account and replied to Mom, "Thank you for the inspiration. You really are a wise woman. If I had met you sooner, I wouldn't have made so many missteps with my own family."

When she went live that night, I dropped the most expensive virtual gift every ten minutes.

The chat immediately erupted with speculation about our relationship.

"Something's going on here. This is a straight-up public confession!"

"I can't believe you actually snagged a big shot at your age! Look at you, about to marry into money!"

Mom twisted her body coyly in front of the camera. "Oh, stop it, you guys. The gentleman just appreciates my insights."

The moment she logged off, she messaged me. "Don't do that next time. I know you're rich, but the platform takes a massive cut. I hate seeing you waste your money on them. It hurts my heart."

A faint smirk touched my lips. "I wanted to send you something more practical, but I was worried that asking for your address right away would make me look like I had bad intentions."

She replied almost instantly. "I've met all kinds of people. Judging by your manners and mindset, you're definitely one of the good ones. My address is Unit 301, Building 5, Suncrest Mansions.

"Don't spend so much next time. Just sending me a cup of coffee or something is enough to show that you care."

I finally had her address, but I wasn't about to just storm over there.

Since she had meticulously engineered a scam back then just to call me stupid, I wanted to see if she could escape a romance scam tailored specifically for her.

I found a local florist. "I need you to deliver a bouquet of roses to this address. Include a card with some cheesy, AI-generated romantic lines. Deliver them at 10:00 am every morning, for five days straight."

The florist teased, "Trying to win her over in just five days? Aren't we moving a bit fast?"

I smiled. "Five days is exactly how long it takes to form a habit. When I abruptly vanish on the sixth, she'll be the one moving fast."

Over the next few days of flower deliveries, Mom's attitude toward me grew increasingly flirty.

She started sharing snippets of her daily life with me, and she was practically begging to meet up in person.

Using AI, I generated a photo of a successful businessman sitting in a business-class cabin and sent it to her.

"I'm actually abroad on a business trip right now. I'll come see you as soon as I get back."

To keep the illusion alive, I searched for scenic travel photos daily to send her, making sure to subtly feature luxury cars, high-end watches, and designer brands in the background of every shot.

No one understood Mom better than I did. She wasn't just vain. She craved emotional validation.

So every time we chatted, I pulled out all the stops, showering her with compliments and affection, leaving her absolutely thrilled.

At first, she tried to play hard to get, but it didn't take long for her messages to turn incredibly bold.

"My daughter has vanished into thin air these past few days. That kid is a lost cause. You and I both have great genes, and I'm still in excellent health. When the time comes, we can have a new baby to take care of us in our old age."

I let out a cold laugh. "You're absolutely right. You definitely can't count on your daughter."

By the afternoon of the fifth day, I stopped replying to her entirely and skipped her evening live stream.

That night, she was visibly rattled, spamming my inbox with several texts asking, "Are you busy?"

On the sixth day, her condition deteriorated even further. She spent her entire live stream staring anxiously at her phone.

When someone in the chat brought it up, Mom snapped with sheer impatience. "No flowers today. What kind of decent person throws money at that crap every day anyway? It's completely pointless."

Behind the scenes, she bombarded my alternate account with over 99 messages.

"Are you sick? Or are you on a flight with no signal?

"I'm getting so anxious waiting for you. Please talk to me."

I watched her spiral with a cold detachment, visualizing the moment I would finally pull the trap shut.

By the seventh day, she showed up on screen looking completely disheveled, launching into an angry tirade against scumbags.

"Some men seriously think too highly of themselves. If you want to date, say so. If you don't, make it clear. Is it really that hard? If you ask me, men who only know how to hide like cowards have zero accountability. They're just spineless jerks!"

Yet less than an hour after logging off, she privately crawled back to apologize.

"I was just projecting because I missed you so much. Please don't take it to heart. You don't actually want to break things off with me, do you? Just give me a straight answer. I haven't been able to sleep at all these past few days, and my blood pressure is through the roof."

On the eighth day, her eyes were bloodshot as she threw a weeping tantrum right in the middle of her live stream.

"I know you're watching my stream. I miss you so much that it hurts. What happened to you? Please, just come find me."

I knew it was time to reel her in.

At midnight that night, I sent her a message.

"I'm so sorry, Alaina. The truth is, my business ran into significant trouble recently, and I'm facing a cash deficit of one million dollars. All my capital is tied up in inventory and stocks, so my cash flow is completely frozen.

"I'm not telling you this to ask for money. I've already found a solution. My ex-wife said she was willing to help me, but only on the condition that I remarry her. Gosh, I can't bear to let you go, but…"

My fingers felt like ice as I typed those words. My eyes were glued to the chat interface.

The longer her silence stretched, the harder my heart pounded against my ribs.

Finally, she relented. "It's just money. I have it. Send me your bank account details. I'm not lending this to you for free, though. You have to pay me back double later."

The moment the transfer confirmation hit my phone, I let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Of course. Thank you, sweetheart. I'll come straight to you the second I land tomorrow. Let's announce our relationship together on your live stream."

The next day, timing my arrival perfectly, I knocked on Mom's front door.

She rushed over with a phone in her hand, her eyes full of delighted surprise. "My man is back from Uldoria! Everyone, come welcome him with me!"

The electronic lock gave a sharp beep and clicked open.

Mom and I stood eye to eye, and the ecstatic smile on her face instantly froze solid.