: Divorce

My parents got a divorce.

Leo Sutton sided with Mr. Sutton without a moment's hesitation. His reason: Mr. Sutton was rich.

I scoffed.

'What an idiot. And blind, too. It was my mother who worked her fingers to the bone for this family.'

'And on top of that, I'm the one with the Koi's Blessing. The only reason Mr. Sutton's business thrived was because of me.'

But since they had made their decision, I had no intention of trying to make them stay.

So I stood in the living room with my heartbroken mother and pointed toward the front door.

"Since the divorce is final, all irrelevant parties can get the hell out!"

1

My parents getting a divorce wasn't exactly a surprise.

After all, they had been fighting for as long as I could remember.

I'd seen enough of Mr. Sutton's mistresses with my own eyes to form a women's volleyball team.

So rather than them torturing each other, it was better to just split up and get it over with.

I couldn't say I didn't have a hand in pushing them toward divorce, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it all happened.

In any case, they had decided to divorce and had already settled on the division of assets.

All real estate would go to my mother, while the company shares would go to Mr. Sutton.

As soon as that was decided, Leo Sutton announced he would go with Mr. Sutton without a second thought.

I wasn't the least bit surprised. The choice seemed perfectly suited to his level of intelligence.

My brother, Leo Sutton, was a textbook spoiled rich kid.

Ever since he was born, Mr. Sutton had spoiled him rotten, treating him like the heir to his throne.

Over the years, Leo Sutton hadn't learned a single useful skill, but he had certainly mastered squandering money and chasing women.

In Leo Sutton's eyes, Mr. Sutton was his idol, the role model he would follow for the rest of his life.

But he had no idea that, aside from himself, the most useless person in this family was Mr. Sutton.

My mother was still feeling melancholy about the end of her twenty-year marriage and was sighing on the sofa.

I sat beside her, talking to her, but my eyes were fixed on Mr. Sutton and Leo Sutton as they packed their things.

According to my parents' agreement, the house now belonged to my mother.

Mr. Sutton and Leo Sutton were packing up to move out, and I was keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't take anything that wasn't theirs.

Sure enough, Leo Sutton didn't disappoint.

I watched as he reached out to pack up a Jade Statuette we had on display. I immediately shot to my feet and snapped,

"Leo Sutton, don't you dare touch what isn't yours!"

Leo Sutton's hand froze mid-air. Then he shot back irritably, "You think I give a damn about this junk? Lillian Sutton, don't you accuse me!"

I scoffed, crossing my arms and looking at him with disdain.

"You know perfectly well whether I'm falsely accusing you or not. It's hardly news to anyone that you have sticky fingers."

I paused, glanced at the suitcase on the floor he'd been packing for what felt like an eternity, and said bluntly, "You've been packing that one suitcase all day. You're a grown man. Don't tell me you don't even know how to fold clothes?"

Leo Sutton glanced down at his clothes, which were all wadded into a ball, and his face turned beet red.

He retorted stubbornly, "None of your business!"

I rolled my eyes, speechless. "I don't care. Just hurry it up. You're not welcome here."

I had barely finished speaking when Mr. Sutton came downstairs, suitcase in hand. He immediately roared at me, "Lillian Sutton, what is this attitude?!"

He walked over to Leo Sutton, shielding him. Then, just like he'd done countless times before, he pointed a finger at me and started yelling without even bothering to find out what happened:

"He's your older brother! It's bad enough that you, his younger sister, don't speak to him respectfully, but what's with that tone of yours?"

He lectured me condescendingly, putting on the air of a father. After he was done with me, he didn't forget to throw a jab at my mother:

"It takes a useless mother like you to raise such an ill-mannered child! Women truly are all short-sighted shrews. What a disgrace."

Leo Sutton, as if he'd finally found his champion, nodded along enthusiastically.

I was so angry I actually laughed.

'This father of mine is completely delusional.'

Any discerning person could see that his company only got to where it is today because of my mother.

But he refused to see it, convinced he was some unparalleled business genius who always looked down his nose at everyone.

Besides, my Koi's Blessing played an indispensable role in our family achieving its current status.

But since Mr. Sutton is a raging misogynist, it's no surprise he never knew about my ability.

In the past, for my mother's sake, I usually just endured it whenever he lashed out at me.

Now that they were divorced, I had no reason to keep enduring his casual insults.

My eyes went cold, my lips twisting into a smile. I pointed at the front door, looked at them, and said coolly,

"Since you look down on women so much, then we two women certainly won't be keeping you."

"The divorce is final. Now get the hell out of here!"

: Sweeping Them Out

2.

"You actually dare to curse at me?"

Mr. Sutton looked at me in utter disbelief, his expression a mix of shock and fury. "Lillian Sutton, do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

I certainly did.

I had put up with him for years, and I was more than fed up.

"I'm telling you two to get the hell out."

I pointed toward the front door, my gaze ice-cold. "If there's nothing wrong, don't come here and disturb my mom and me. And if there *is* something wrong, then stay away even more."

'These two losers, always acting like they're the greatest in the world. Just looking at them is annoying.'

"Lillian Sutton, you've really gotten bold, haven't you!"

My brother, Leo Sutton, yelled and shrieked, flailing his arms behind Mr. Sutton. "You remember what you said! Don't you come looking for us when you need something!"

'Hah, as if I'd ever need to go looking for those two.'

My gaze swept contemptuously over their furious faces, and I went straight to find a broom.

"Dad, look at her!"

Leo Sutton was about to cause more trouble, but I grabbed the broom and started swinging, sweeping both of them out the door. "Good riddance!"

Mr. Sutton's face was grim as he picked up his luggage and left. "Keep acting so arrogant. There'll come a time you'll regret it!"

"Get out!"

I threw the broom at them.

Leo Sutton couldn't dodge in time and howled in pain when it hit him. "Lillian Sutton, I'm not done with you!"

I rolled my eyes at him and slammed the door shut.

My mom was standing by the door, and she said worriedly, "Lillian, don't you think you went a little too far?"

"You're not thinking of getting back together with him, are you?"

I frowned at her. 'She can't be that muddle-headed, can she?'

"No, of course not. I just feel that they are still your father and brother. Making things this hostile won't do you any good."

"It's not like I need anything from them."

As long as my mom didn't want to get back with him, I wasn't afraid of those two causing a scene.

I helped her over to the sofa and sat her down, smiling. "Think about it. We have money and free time now. There's no one to argue with you, and no one to curse me out for no reason. We can live however we want. The best days are still ahead of us."

'Without those two around, I'm happy no matter how I think about it.'

"You're right."

My mom thought for a moment, and a smile appeared on her face. "Our Lillian won't have to take their abuse anymore."

"That's right. From now on, we'll live happily."

I smiled and hugged my mom's shoulders.

She used to argue with Mr. Sutton a lot over him scolding me for no reason. Now, she'd never have to put up with that kind of frustration again.

"Oh, right, Mom, we can't just sit around and burn through our savings."

I was a top student majoring in finance, so I immediately launched into a professional-level explanation for my mom. I finally got her to understand the principle that if you don't manage your money, your money won't take care of you.

Right now, all my mom's assets were in real estate. I sold off a portion to invest in the stock market and used the rest to invest in the smart technology industry.

As long as I managed it well, my mom and I would never have to worry about money for the rest of our lives.

And even though my mom didn't understand any of it, she supported every decision I made.

'The days to come... just thinking about them is awesome!'

: The Scoundrels

3.

I went back to school.

Senior year was all about internships, and I was no exception.

My dorm mates were already busy sending out résumés everywhere, but I had already set my sights on a publicly traded company in the city.

This time, my mom had finally decided to get a divorce, so I could free up some time to prepare for my internship.

But Leo Sutton found me at school.

"Lillian Sutton, your brother and your boyfriend are here. They're waiting for you outside the dorm."

A girl from my building passed on the message. I hurried downstairs, only to see those two lowlifes catcalling the girls who walked by.

The girls entering the dorm all gave me strange looks.

"Lillian, aren't you going to do something about them?"

The girls shook their heads and walked past with sighs of disapproval. My face burned red, a mixture of shame and fury. I wanted to tear those two apart.

This so-called boyfriend was some guy Leo Sutton had forced on me. I could count the number of times I'd met him on one hand.

"Lillian Sutton!"

As soon as I ran outside the dorm building, Leo Sutton yelled at me from under The Old Camphor Tree nearby, "Get over here, now!"

'Damn it,' I wished I could have "I don't know them" written all over my face.

Ozzy Shaw chimed in, shouting, "Get over here!"

"Do I know you two?"

Passing girls looked at me curiously. I gritted my teeth and stood about ten paces away from them. "Get lost!"

"Oh-ho, getting feisty with us, are you?"

Leo Sutton sneered and shoved Ozzy Shaw forward. "Let me tell you something. This is your future husband. It's one thing if you don't listen to me, but if you dare to disobey him, you'll get nine beatings in three days!"

"This woman just needs to be taught a lesson."

Ozzy Shaw looked me up and down contemptuously, then turned to Leo Sutton with a sycophantic grin. "Don't you worry, big brother-in-law. Once I get my hands on her, I'll train her to be more obedient than a dog. If you tell her to go east, she won't dare go west!"

I was so disgusted I could have puked.

But Leo Sutton was actually pleased. "Mm, you know how to train them. I can rest easy leaving Lillian Sutton in your hands."

Ozzy Shaw grinned cheekily and nodded eagerly.

I couldn't hide my disgust. "What does any of this have to do with me? If you've got no other business, then get lost, and don't you ever come looking for me again!"

Just seeing them once made me want to puke!

"Lillian Sutton, you—"

"You shut your mouth! Who gave you the right to say my name?"

I couldn't understand where Ozzy Shaw got the nerve to act all high and mighty in front of me. I looked away in disgust. "Get lost, now, or I'm calling the police!"

'What a bunch of creeps!'

"Lillian Sutton, are you fucking trying to cross me?"

A vicious glint appeared in Leo Sutton's eyes as he stared at me menacingly. "I haven't even settled the score with you for hitting me the other day, and now you dare to yell at me? You really think I won't teach you a lesson, huh!"

"Bring it on! Let's see what you've got!"

He rolled up his sleeves, but I took a few steps back, grabbed the Bamboo Broom from the corner, and started swinging it right at his head.

"Shit, this broad's gone crazy!"

Ozzy Shaw, caught off guard, took a couple of hits before quickly jumping away. My eyes were red with fury as I went after Leo Sutton. He grabbed the bamboo handle, and we struggled over it. I let go of the broom and just charged him, a flurry of tearing, scratching, and biting.

"This is for coming to my school and spouting your nonsense!"

"This is for bringing someone here to humiliate me!"

"From this day forward, you, Leo Sutton, are no longer my brother! You don't deserve to be my brother!"

I'll beat a scumbag like him every single time I see him!