: 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!

: Cutting Ties

4.

I'd scratched Leo Sutton's face to ribbons, and Ozzy Shaw didn't even dare step forward to break up the fight.

In the end, the dorm supervisor had to run over and pull me away. Only then did a visibly shaken Ozzy Shaw hurry to help Leo Sutton up and flee.

"Lillian Sutton, you're a total bitch!"

He didn't dare turn back to curse at me until he was a safe distance away. "I must have been fucking blind to have ever liked you!"

"Fuck off!"

I'd taken some cheap shots from Leo Sutton, too. My hair was a mess, and my body was aching all over.

But I still spat hard on the ground. "Meeting you two was the worst fucking luck of my life!"

'If I had the choice, I'd rather not be human at all than have Leo Sutton for a brother!'

"Fine, fine, fine! You just wait!"

Blood beaded on the scratches covering Leo Sutton's face as he spat a vicious threat at me. "In the future, even if you get on your knees and beg me, I won't so much as glance your way!"

'Him? I'm supposed to get on my knees and beg him?'

I burst out laughing, so hard that tears came to my eyes.

'With Leo Sutton's worthless personality—useless at everything except for partying—where did he get the audacity to spout such nonsense?'

"Perfect. Let's get this straight right now."

I smiled coldly. "From this day forward, I, Lillian Sutton, am cutting all ties with you, Leo Sutton. We'll go our separate ways. And if either of us ever goes back on this and begs the other for help, they're a dog!"

'My mom and I finally have some peace and quiet. Who would want to get tangled up with a scumbag like him again?'

'He can get the hell away from me and stay there!'

Leo Sutton and Ozzy Shaw walked off, muttering curses, while I headed back to my dorm feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

The girls who had been watching the spectacle crowded around me. "Wow, Lillian, you were so fierce! You're an inspiration to us all!"

"You can't be polite with shameless men like that!"

"That was so satisfying! We're with you, Lillian!"

The girls all chattered at once. I just smiled, returned to my room, shut the door, and went back to working on my resume.

'Even though I don't need the money, it's still important to have a real job.'

'Otherwise, what's the point of it all?'

My mom called to ask what was going on. "Lillian, your brother just called me. Did you embarrass him at school?"

"Yeah, he brought Ozzy Shaw over, saying something about how he was going to teach me a lesson."

I briefly explained what had happened and gave my mom a preemptive warning. "You know what kind of person Leo Sutton is. From now on, no matter what he tells you, don't believe him, okay?"

"But he's my son…"

"Mom, he's your ex-husband's son. After all these years, don't you still see that?"

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and said in a heavy tone, "Leo Sutton has been close with Mr. Sutton since he was a child. Their tempers and personalities are cut from the same cloth. When have you ever been able to control him?"

"When the family split, he went with Mr. Sutton without a moment's hesitation. You think of him as your son, but does he think of you as his mother?"

"He only knows how to run and tattle to you after I put him in his place. Otherwise, have you ever received a single word of concern from him?"

Leo Sutton's filial piety was reserved exclusively for Mr. Sutton.

My mom and Mr. Sutton argued for twenty years. It was one thing when we were little, but after Leo Sutton grew up, he never once defended his own mother. Instead, whenever they fought, he would get all sullen and blame my mom for not knowing how to pacify a man, for provoking Mr. Sutton.

Sometimes, when he was in a bad mood, he would even join Mr. Sutton in yelling at her.

'What's the use of having a son like that?'

My mom fell silent.

I sighed. "Mom, this home belongs to just the two of us now. Those two couldn't care less if we live or die. Do you understand that?"

"Don't tell me you're thinking of dragging me along to shamelessly beg Mr. Sutton to take you back."

'In any case, I would rather die than go back to the way things were.'

"Never!"

This time, my mom's voice was resolute. "From now on, Mom's only going to live with you. Nothing anyone says will change that!"

"That's right. We'll live a good life, just the two of us. And nothing anyone says will change that."

Hearing her firm resolve, I finally broke into a relieved and gratified smile.

'All my careful planning hadn't been for nothing.'