After inheriting my foster parents' property, my biological mother and brother, who abandoned me, came to find me. "Mom had no choice but to send you away back then. From now on, we'll move in and live with you, taking care of you." "Mom knows you're twenty-six and still unmarried, and it's been keeping her awake at night worrying about you. She even entrusted someone to help find you a good match. You should meet him today and get married soon." "My brother's house is being renovated, and he needs some money. Could you help with that?" "Once you're married, that house will be of no use to you, so just transfer it to your brother." I sneered, "Why should I? Just because of this bag of salted fish you're holding?"
Chapter 1
After inheriting my adoptive parents' estate, my biological mother Lisa Holland and brother Tim Holland, who had abandoned me, showed up at my door.
"Mom had no choice but to send you away. We couldn't even afford food. From now on, we'll move in with you and take care of you. Also, Mom knows you're twenty-six and still not married. She's so worried that she can't even sleep. She's found a good family for you to marry into. You should meet them today and get the wedding sorted out soon."
Then it was Liza's turn, "Tim's house is being renovated, and he's short on money. Can you help out? After all, once you're married, this house will be useless to you. Transfer it to your brother will be better."
I sneered, "And why should I? Because of that salmon you're holding?"
After buying Christmas goods, I returned home only to be swarmed by strangers at my doorstep.
Before I could react, they had me in a tight embrace.
"My beloved Nina, you've grown so much. I've missed you so much."
"Nina, it's me, your brother Tim."
Through their tearful and accented words, I finally gathered the crucial information.
"So, you're the biological parents who abandoned me when I was just over a month old."
My cold demeanor made them uncomfortable.
Lisa suddenly lunged at me, hugging me tightly. "Nina, my dear. I didn't mean to send you away. We couldn't even make ends meet If you stayed, we'd all starve. Sending you away broke my heart. Please forgive me."
"Yes, Nina, Mom has been looking for you all these years. She loves you the most and couldn't bear to see you suffer, so she sent you away from poverty."
He raised a transparent plastic bag, pointing to the charred, unidentifiable object inside. "Look, Mom made this smoked dried fished just for you. Open the door and let Mom cook it for you. You'll definitely love it."
"Nina, our family finally reunite. You're living alone without support. We should move in together. It's better for the family to be together."
Only then did I notice several large bags of luggage piled at the door.
Next to them was a snacking mess left behind.
"Wow, you bought so many snacks. I love these chips."
The boy, acting like he owned the place, grabbed a bag from my Christmas purchases and tore it open to eat.
I gasped and snatched the bag back.
"Sorry, I don't know you, and I am not interested in acknowledging any parents. Since you didn't want me back then, I don't need you now. So please leave immediately."
I pushed their luggage aside to open the door, but they crowded around, pulling at me.
I couldn't handle them all alone and feared they'd follow me inside, so I didn't dare open the door. I called the property management for help to get them to leave.
When the security guards arrived, they refused to go and started shouting.
"I'm here to see my girl. That's not illegal. Who are you to kick me out? Then Lisa said to me. "How can you do this to us, you ungrateful shit. We're your family, and you won't even let us into your house?" Tim said to the guards "This is my sister's house! So it's ours too! We're not leaving!"
Tim sat down at the doorstep, and the guards looked at me, implying there was nothing they could do.
"This is my house, left to me by my adoptive parents who raised me. Also, I bear their surname. I don't even know who you are. Just because claiming to be my parents, you expect me to believe it? If you keep causing trouble, I'll call the police."
I was speechless. They were completely unreasonable!
"Go ahead, call the police. You're such an ungrateful shit. Do you think the cops will arrest your mother and brother?"
Lisa slapped her thigh, crying and making a scene.
When the police arrived, they were full of excuses. In the end, the police could only mediate a bit in this family dispute.
They refused to leave, and I refused to let them into my home, resulting in a standoff until midnight.
The police, at their wit's end, suggested taking us all to the police station. Only then did they relent, saying they'd find a place to stay and try to bond with me.
I hadn't walked far from the station when they caught up with me again.
"What do you want now?"
"Give us some money. We need a place to stay, and that costs money. Book us three rooms at a hotel near your complex. Not a cheap motel, a proper hotel."
Quite particular, aren't they?
"Why should I pay for your accommodation?"
"Oh, we came all this way to see you, didn't we? We spent hours on the road, and my back is sore from the long journey. You heartless daughter, don't you care about your family? You won't even let us in. Do you really want to see your own mother sleeping on the streets?"
She grabbed my arm, her teeth gritted in anger.
"Don't twist the facts! I didn't ask you to come. You came uninvited, and now you expect me to foot the bill?"
I shook off her hand and tried to leave, but they held onto me.
"You're not going anywhere. If you won't pay for a hotel, then let us stay at your place. I gave birth to you! Without me, you wouldn't be able to have a chance to live and enjoy this world! You ungrateful thing! And you're supposed to be a college graduate. Didn't your teachers teach you any manners?"