I was in the middle of a meeting at work when Jimmy's frantic call came through.

"Gwyneth, you have to come quickly, mom got hit by a car!"

My husband, Jimmy Helberg, sounded urgent, tears evident in his voice. His mother, Amanda Helberg, must have been seriously injured in the accident.

I immediately left my work and rushed to the hospital. Upon reaching the ward, I heard a commotion inside.

As I opened the door, the room fell silent, with four people staring at me in unison.

Amanda was lying pallid in the bed, looking surprisingly alert despite her condition.

Jimmy sat by her side while his sister Kristen Helberg and her boyfriend Hugh Bloom leaned against the foot of the bed.

Their reactions made it clear they were visibly agitated upon seeing me.

Kristen ran towards me. "Gwyneth, you're here. The doctor said mom has a compound fracture and needs surgery urgently. Let's go pay the fees right away."

Kristen began pulling me towards the door, but I was a bit perplexed, thinking, "Wasn't this about a car accident? What about the driver who caused it?"

I calmly interjected, "Did the driver flee the scene of the accident? Have you called the authorities?"

Amanda grew increasingly impatient upon hearing my question.

"I'm in excruciating pain, who cares about the driver fleeing? The doctor said I need surgery urgently, Gwyneth, hurry and make the payment."

Despite Amanda's urgency and apparent injury, I could discern a hint of unease on her face.

I approached her bed, gazing at her wan complexion, and whispered, "Mom, it's a crime for the driver to leave the scene. Surveillance cameras are everywhere now; they won't get away with it."

Amanda seemed flustered as I persisted in questioning the hit-and-run driver, frantically signaling Kristen. Kristen came over, insistently pulling me to pay the fees.

"Gwyneth, forget about the driver, mom's leg is crucial. We can't delay any longer."

Observing their secretive exchanges, I grew increasingly suspicious.

With no one willing to divulge the truth, I nodded affirmatively.

"If you won't tell me the whole story, then I'll take my leave. Sort this out yourselves."

Grabbing my bag, I was ready to exit. Hugh suddenly said, "Gwyneth, don't go. It was when we were picking up the car this morning, that we accidentally bumped into her..."

Before he could finish, Kristen rushed towards him, trying to cover his mouth.

As I saw Kristen's evasive behavior, a sinking feeling settled in my gut.

Feeling more perplexed, I asked Jimmy, "Jimmy, what really happened?"

Unable to keep up the charade, Jimmy hesitated before explaining, "You know Kristen is getting married soon, and Mom wanted to gift her a car as part of the dowry. They just bought it this morning, and Kristen accidentally knocked Mom down while test driving."

As Jimmy walked over to me, holding me, he added, "Kristen didn't mean it, she was just too excited."

I had a sudden realization. I thought to myself, "No wonder Kristen's been dodging. It turns out she was the one who hit her mom.

The unregistered car parked downstairs must be Kristen's.

But how could mom afford to buy her a car?"

Frowning, I soon figured it out. Jimmy and I had been married for five years, and Amanda had been living with us for the same period.

Despite her not working, I had been giving her a considerable allowance every month. Over the years, it was quite plausible that she could afford the sedan downstairs, priced at over 300 thousand dollars.

A cold smile crept onto my face as I connected the dots. I thought, "So, Amanda was taking money from me to buy Kristen a marriage gift?"

I was far from pleased, so I confronted them then and there.

"Mom, where did you get the money to buy Kristen the car?"

Upon hearing my words, Jimmy got angry. "Gwyneth, my mom definitely used her own money to buy Kristen that car. She didn't ask you for a dime, what are you implying?"

Seeing my dearest husband playing dumb with me, I got angry, too.

"I've supported your mom for five years! Given her hundreds of thousands, I thought her frugal lifestyle was for our future children, turns out it's all for her daughter."

Kristen and Hugh stayed silent on the sidelines as Amanda raised her voice.

"You gave me the money, so it's mine to spend as I please. I'm happy to buy my daughter a car. If you have the guts, get your mom to buy you one too!"

Amanda knew about my parents' divorce years ago and how I hadn't spoken to my mom in years. Her words were meant to embarrass me.

I thought to myself, "I've realized it now. I've poured my heart and soul into this family for five years, taking care of Amanda, only to end up making it convenient for someone else.

I always thought that if I treated Amanda like my real mom, she would treat me like her real daughter, filling the void of not having my own mother.

But in these five years, no matter how much money I gave her, she never contributed a dime to this family.

And now, when Kristen is getting married, she empties her pockets. I was foolish to think her son's wife could ever compare to her own daughter. It's a pity I'm only realizing this now!"

Seeing us at an impasse, Kristen finally stepped out from behind Hugh.

"Gwyneth, what's the point of all this now? Mom's leg is in trouble, the surgery costs 80 thousand, let's go pay it quickly."

Jimmy chimed in, "Yeah, if something happens to my mom's leg, you won't be able to bear it."

Their audacity in treating me like a fool made me want to laugh.

"I didn't hit anyone, so why should I be responsible? Whoever caused the accident should take responsibility!"

I stared directly at Kristen, who started shedding tears.

"Gwyneth, I didn't mean it. Please help our mom."

Seeing Kristen cry, Jimmy shot me a fierce look, and Amanda pushed me to go pay the fees.

After a moment of contemplation, I said, "You didn't mean it, then it must be the car doing it intentionally, right?"

The room fell silent; Kristen stopped crying, just staring at me in disbelief.

Jimmy was incredulous.

Hugh was the first to react.

"Gwyneth, technically, I'm not involved in your family matters since Kristen and I aren't married yet. But today, I've seen enough. Gwyneth, you've handled this poorly. If Kristen's family is like this, I need to reconsider our marriage."

Hugh's words hit like thunder, causing chaos in the room.

Jimmy was furious. "Gwyneth, don't push it. If my sister's marriage is in trouble, I won't spare you!"

Amanda, frantic, said incoherently, "Gwyneth, stop this. What benefit do you have from making things like this?"

I chuckled, thinking, "Hugh is already trying to high road me before marriage. Is he going to blame me if he can't marry Kristen now?"

Looking at Hugh, I said slowly, "What are you talking about? You've already been deemed Kristen's husband, and now that mom's leg is hurt, I won't argue with you. It's a chance for you to show your devotion. You wouldn't be so heartless to your future wife's mother over this small amount of money, would you?"

My flattery left Hugh green-faced, and Kristen pointed at me, cursing, "Gwyneth, I never thought you'd be this shameless. Even if Hugh marries me, he's just my husband. He can't be expected to pay. My mom has served you well for five years, and this is how you repay her? You don't pay for my mom, I'll make my brother kick you out!"

Her words made my eyes light up.

"Hugh is your husband, and I'm just your brother's wife. I'm an outsider when it comes to the Helberg family matters. If you're envious of how your mom serves me, just bring her to your place and let her take care of you for the rest of her life. I wouldn't mind at all!"