They were discussing how to plot against me, so I waited until they were done before I knocked.

When my mom, Helen, opened the door and saw me, her face showed surprise mixed with a bit of unease.

“Bella, when did you get back?” she asked, still looking a little nervous. I knew she was worried I might’ve overheard what she and my sister-in-law, Kate, were saying.

“Just now,” I replied as I walked in. “The company went bankrupt, and I’m deep in debt, so I figured I’d come back home.”

The mood in the room instantly soured. They probably assumed that even if my company went under, I’d still have some money left. But now, it seemed like not only did I lose the business, but I also owed a lot.

Kate jumped in, “You’re back, but there’s no space for you here! And your bankruptcy has nothing to do with us. These two set of houses were left to us by our parents; they’ve got nothing to do with you!”

I just smiled and said, “I bought these two sets of houses, and they’re in my name. So, how could they have nothing to do with me? I’m actually here to sell them to pay off my debt.”

The atmosphere in the room began to intensify after I said that.

“I don’t care, Mom. This house is reserved for your grandson’s school enrollment; those who live in a school district have rights to get their children enrolled,” Kate shouted.

“Bella, this house was meant for your nephew’s schooling,” my brother, Howard, chimed in. “Plus, you lost all that money; how can you think about selling our house?”

I looked at him and asked, “I bought this house with my own money, didn’t I?”

“What do you mean ‘your money’? I raised you all these years, so shouldn’t you contribute something?” my mom snapped. “How can you be so selfish? This house belongs to your brother now, don’t you get it?”

“I won’t sell this one for now, but what about the other house?” I said, “I’m really deep in debt, and I need to sell it.”

They all looked shocked.

“That other house was my dowry when I got married,” my sister-in-law blurted out. “Besides, my parents are living there—are you going to make them move out?”

“When did I ever say that house was your dowry?” I asked, my expression turning cold.

There were two houses—my mom had asked me to buy them. I originally planned to keep one for myself and give the other to my brother. But when I wasn’t around, they had already moved my sister-in-law’s parents into my house.

“Bella, your brother has had a tough time,” my mom said. “You should help him and his wife out. Just give them the house!”

I looked at my mom. Even though I’d known for a long time that she was scheming against me, hearing her say those words still made my heart sink.

“And you owe money, but our family isn’t responsible for paying off your debts. If you have any self-respect left, go handle it on your own. Don’t drag us down with you!” My sister-in-law’s words felt like a slap in the face.

Before I told my mom about the bankruptcy, she always acted like she cared so much whenever I visited. She’d ask about my life, and I’d always bring gifts and cosmetics for her, not to mention the money I sent my brother. Now, looking back, it all seems ridiculous.

“Bella you’re an adult now,” my mom said with a sigh. “You got yourself into this mess, so you need to deal with it. We can’t help you. You should just go.”

My brother didn’t waste any time. He grabbed my suitcase, threw it outside, and said, “Bella, you need to leave now!” Then he shoved me out the door, slamming it shut behind me.

Standing on the doorstep, I felt a chill deep in my heart. I never expected my brother would actually kick me out. But if that’s how they want it, then I won’t be polite either.

I took my luggage and found a hotel to stay in. The next day, I contacted a lawyer. Since both properties are in my registered ownership and the transfers haven’t been completed, reclaiming my houses should be straightforward.

I also dug through old chat records with my brother. Every time he asked for money, he’d always say he wanted to borrow some. It was his go-to line. Of course, he never paid any of it back. But now, that line would be working in my favor.

Going through the chats, I calculated that just from his “borrowing,” he owes me over 600,000 dollars! And that doesn’t even include all the money I’ve given to their family.

With all this evidence, I handed everything over to my lawyer. My only goal was to get back what’s rightfully mine. At the same time, I hired a private detector because my mom had said I wasn’t her biological child. Naturally, I wanted to find out the truth.

I also bought a villa in Rosewood Manor, the most exclusive neighborhood in the city. I moved in with my luggage and started enjoying a laid-back life.

One day, my mom called me out of the blue.

“Anabella, what’s the meaning of this? Are you seriously suing your brother, Howard?” Her voice was filled with anger. “You want to take those two houses and make him pay back over 600,000 dollars?”

“Why shouldn’t he pay it back? He borrowed the money, didn’t he?” I replied calmly. “Since you kicked me out, I’m not going to indulge you anymore.”

“Anabella, that’s your brother, Howard! How can you be so heartless and cruel?” she snapped.

“Am I your mother? Are you going to throw me out?” she demanded.

“No, you’re not my mother,” I said with a smile. “Mrs. Chen, you made it clear when you kicked me out—I’m not your daughter anymore. My debts have nothing to do with you, so if Howard owes me money, it’s none of your business.”

“You ungrateful girl! Do you really think you can get away with this? I’m your mother!” she yelled. “As long as I’m around, your money should go to me. I’ve already said it—your brother doesn’t need to repay that money, and those two houses are his! Not only that, but you also have to support me. I’ll tell your brother, and we’ll sue you!”

“Go ahead and sue me,” I replied, not backing down.

“Just wait until your brother finds you—you will be doomed!” she threatened, her voice full of fury.

I couldn’t listen to anymore, so I hung up the phone.

After I hung up, the private investigator contacted me.

“Ms. Elton, we’ve completed the investigation as you requested,” he said. “Your real parents passed away a long time ago. They left you an inheritance, but your aunt had her eyes on it. She and her family took the inheritance meant for you and adopted you.”

Hearing this, I was taken aback. So, the woman I had been calling “Mom” was my aunt. She only adopted me because my parents had left me a large inheritance. As for what happened to that inheritance, it’s obvious—she spent it all.

Growing up, I always had the worst food at home. From a young age, I was stuck doing all the chores while my mother doted on my brother, who barely lifted a finger. He was treated like a little prince, while I was more like the maid.

Not only did their family take the inheritance my parents left me, but they also never spent a dime of it on me. Instead, they treated me like a servant. Even when I went to college, they didn’t give me a cent. I had to rely on student loans and scholarships to get by.

It was only after I became successful that they started treating me better. Now I realize that it wasn’t me they cared about—it was my money. From the beginning, I was just a means to an end for them.

“Your parents left you a property, which your stepmother, Kate, sold out,” the private detector told me, handing me a document. “If you didn’t know about this, you can sue them for embezzling your property.”

I took the document and immediately forwarded it to my lawyer. I already had the upper hand legally, but this new evidence was a game-changer. It wasn’t just about getting back what they took from me—it was about reclaiming the inheritance they stole from my parents. With this proof, I could finally cut all ties with that family for good. They wouldn’t be able to claim me as part of their family or try to take advantage of me ever again.