My mom loves running all sorts of tests on me, her adult daughter. She knows I have insomnia, so she'll bomb my phone in the middle of the night, demanding large sums of money. After scaring me half to death and I transfer the money, she'll berate me for being stupid, saying it's to teach me a lesson so I won't just send money to anyone. She'll sneak my phone out of my pocket while we're on a family walk, making sure the entire neighborhood can hear her scolding me for being brainless. I was seriously suffocating. But my mom still wouldn't let me go. She would tell anyone who would listen in the neighborhood, "If she doesn't get married, I can't even hold my head up." I snapped. The next time she repeated this to an acquaintance in our complex, I pushed her head down like playing Whac-A-Mole and loudly announced to the person, "My mom can't hold her head up! Because I'm not married, she's too ashamed to show her face!" Dearest Mother, now it's my turn to run a compliance test on you. 1 At 3 AM, I had just fallen asleep. The frantic ringing of my phone suddenly pierced the room, sounding like the Grim Reaper's bell coming to claim my soul. It scared me so much my eyes flew open, a cold sweat breaking out on my back. Seeing it was my own phone ringing, I swallowed hard and reached for it on the nightstand with a trembling hand. The caller ID showed "Mom." My heart lurched, and I quickly answered. "Hello?" As soon as the call connected, a barrage of roaring erupted from the speaker. "Why did it take you so long to answer? Are you trying to kill your mother!" "Cut the crap and transfer me a thousand dollars, now!" My heart skipped a beat, thinking something had happened back home. I quickly asked, "What happened? Are Dad and Mia okay?" Before I could finish, my mom started screaming like a maniac. "Transfer the money! Immediately! Right now!" "Are you trying to drive us to death? You unfilial daughter!" "You ungrateful wretch! I raised you all these years for nothing, aahhhhh—" Her shrill voice pierced my heart like a needle. With shaking hands, I transferred the thousand dollars to her. "Mom, don't panic, the money is sent." Upon receiving the money, my mom instantly regained her composure. She let out a scoff and began to lecture me triumphantly. "How are you still so stupid? I tell you to transfer money and you just do it? Your uncle's dog is more obedient than you." "Experience is the best teacher. Let this be a lesson to you, otherwise next time your stupid face will be on some true crime show." "I'll hold onto this money for you for now. Just consider it your contribution to household expenses." The phone was still pressed against my ear. My brain, originally muddled from insomnia, was now throbbing with pain, and my stiff limbs felt freezing cold. My mom knew perfectly well that I've been suffering from insomnia recently, and that I have a crucial meeting with a major client tomorrow. Before hanging up, I could even hear my mom bragging to my dad, who was scrolling through TikTok. "I told you she'd transfer the money! She's still so stupid!" "So what if she moved out? So what if she's an executive? If I don't teach her, she'll still get scammed!" I heard my dad let out a snort of amusement, roll over, and continue playing on his phone. "Mom..." My throat was incredibly dry; I could only manage to force out one pale, powerless syllable. My mom panicked for a second, cursed at me, and then smack, hung up the phone. "You damn brat, hang up already! Are you paying the phone bill? You have too much money to burn!" Beep— 2 I stood frozen by the bed like a block of wood, holding my phone. I hadn't even turned on the light. The darkness was like a whirlpool, threatening to swallow me whole. I can't even remember how many times she's pulled this kind of humiliating "test," always under the guise of "doing it for my own good." It was somewhat bearable before I became an adult and started working; she'd just call me stupid and say I couldn't compare to my younger sister. But after I landed a good job and moved out, it was like she hit menopause. She started running all sorts of tests on me out of nowhere, using the beautiful excuse that she was afraid I'd get scammed out in the real world. But I am a fully functional, sound-minded adult. After this stunt from my mom, sleep was completely out of the question. I numbly moved my limbs and grabbed a bottle of ice water from the fridge. I twisted off the cap and took a gulp, temporarily freezing my throbbing head. I exhausted covered my face with my hands, feeling the soreness in my eyes and the dampness on my palms. When did my mom start escalating this behavior? It was last month, when I told the family I got promoted. I took them out to dinner and bought them gifts. During the meal, my dad happily praised me for growing up and making something of myself, saying I'd bring him pride during the holidays. My high school sister kept looking at me with adoring eyes, dropping hints that she wanted me to buy her an iPhone. My mom, however, sat there with a stinking face, radiating cold energy. When I paid the bill, she kept staring at my phone, as if it rightfully belonged to her. After dinner, my mom suggested our family of four take a walk in our apartment complex. My dad and sister didn't object, and I actually felt pleasantly surprised. After all, they usually said my sister was still young and needed exercise, while I, burdened with studies, should stay in my room and study hard. I was overwhelmed by this unexpected favor, feeling incredibly joyful—so joyful I forgot to ask why my sister, who was currently burdened with studies, wasn't staying in her room to study hard. Along the way, my dad's face was wrinkled into a smile like a blooming flower, constantly bragging to passing acquaintances about how sensible and filial I was, and how I could finally help the family out. My mom squeezed me in the middle like the filling of an Oreo, staring at me like a hawk, her body pressed tightly against mine. To be honest, her glare gave me the creeps, making me feel uncomfortable all over. Right after my dad bragged to another neighbor about my success, my mom suddenly fired a question at me. "Where is your phone?" I met her gaze, which was intense and resolute, and patted my pockets, completely confused. "Isn't it right here in my pocket?" I grabbed empty air. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. My phone contained the presentation for tomorrow's report. I had just been promoted; I couldn't afford any mistakes at this crucial juncture. I frantically searched my pockets inside and out, breaking out in a cold sweat, but still couldn't find it. My dad's previously smug expression darkened instantly, as if the person who was just praising my success never existed. My mom wore a cold smirk, watching me with disdain as I started searching the bushes. "What's wrong with Chloe?" the neighbor, seeing my anxious face, asked kindly. "I lost my phone. I had it when we entered the complex," I replied, my hands trembling and covered in dirt, a hint of a sob escaping my voice. Almost a split second before the neighbor could offer help, my mom launched into a barrage of sarcastic mockery. "How can you be so useless? You just excel at failing! Are you trying to anger me to death?!" "Look at you, just got promoted and you lost your phone. It has company documents on it, right? How are you going to face the bosses who trusted you!" "Such a good company, such good bosses, all gone because of your stupidity, your carelessness! Tell me, what can you actually accomplish?" "Your dad and I don't expect you to strike it rich and buy us cars and mansions, but could you please just give us some peace of mind and be a little more reliable?" Cold sweat ran into my eyes, stinging them. My heart was in a panic. My mom's voice flooded my ears like a torrent, turning my brain into mush. Her shrill voice attracted nearby neighbors walking around. They watched the hysterical mother, the despairing older sister, the indifferent father, and the unconcerned younger sister. People's gazes scrutinized me like spotlights, their faces bearing intrigued expressions. I felt like I was in the deep sea, about to be crushed and suffocated. The initially kind neighbor looked horrified, being watched like a monkey in a circus. He wanted to leave but felt too embarrassed to just walk away. He carefully suggested, "Why don't we find a security guard? Didn't you say you were just holding it? It must have dropped somewhere in the complex." My brain cleared, and reason returned. I stood up, my eyes determined, and spat out two words, "Call 911." I looked around, a fighting spirit rising within me, my voice firm and resolute. "My phone was perfectly fine in my pocket. It must have been stolen by an experienced pickpocket without me noticing." "If I let this thief go and act like nothing happened, tomorrow they'll escalate and steal from other people with impunity." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, and the kind neighbor understandingly began dialing the police. And then, my mom lost her mind. "Why call the police? You're going to call the police over such a trivial matter? Can't you solve your own problems?" "Calling the police in the middle of the night, do you think they'll just agree? You think they only serve you?" I looked at my mom in confusion, unable to fathom any reason why she would forbid me, the victim, from calling the police. Questions also arose from the crowd. "Ma'am, if there's a thief in the complex, it's better to let the police investigate. It gives people peace of mind." "The police are here to serve the people! Maybe catching a thief will even get them a promotion or a raise!" "Chloe's mom, look how pale Chloe is. There must be important stuff on that phone. The priority should be getting the police to find it immediately. Why are you stopping her?" Even with people pointing fingers at her, my mom gritted her teeth and refused to relent. I frowned, acutely sensing that something was wrong, and spoke decisively to the kind neighbor. "Sir, call the police. I'll take responsibility if anything happens." The neighbor nodded and pressed the call button. Right at that moment, my mom started screaming and yelling like a lunatic, throwing something onto the ground as if venting her anger. "Don't call the police! Don't call! Your phone is right here!" We looked closely and discovered that what she threw was actually a phone. My eyes almost popped out of my head. Wasn't this cracked phone mine?! The kind neighbor's jaw dropped in shock, and he hastily ended the call. I picked up the phone like a slow-moving robot, my eyes full of disbelief as I looked at my mom. Before I could even ask, she pointed at me and scolded me indiscriminately. "I was just worried that you lack situational awareness when you're out. I stole your phone to train you, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?" "And you want to call the police? Fine, let the police arrest your mother and throw her in jail! I'll just pretend I never gave birth to you!" I stood frozen in place, doubting if my ears were working properly, actually hearing such absurd words. The surrounding people, however, enjoyed the spectacle fully, whispering and chuckling amongst themselves. "So she's the thief! She actually stole her own daughter's phone." "Her daughter was about to cry from anxiety. I bet if she hadn't mentioned calling the police, she wouldn't have brought the phone out." "She's really losing her mind, tormenting her own daughter like this!" "This is truly a case of a thief crying 'stop thief,' hard to guard against thieves in your own home." Hearing these sarcastic remarks, my mom's face turned shades of green and purple from anger. She cursed at the crowd, "What are you looking at? I'm disciplining my own daughter, mind your own business." "She's my daughter, I'm doing this all for her own good." "Enough!" A violent roar erupted in the darkness, stopping my mom. My dad appeared from nowhere, his face so dark it blended into the night, glaring fiercely at my mom. "Haven't you embarrassed us enough? Get home, now!" His forehead was creased so deeply it could crush a fly. He took the lead, heading towards home, not caring if his wife and daughters were following. My mom glared at me, then sheepishly trailed behind my dad's retreating figure. Then came my sister. She covered her face and jogged towards our parents with quick, small steps, muttering "So embarrassing" under her breath. With the spectacle over, the crowd gradually dispersed. Leaving me standing there alone, gripping the cracked phone, feeling a bone-chilling cold, as if I would plunge into the darkness behind me the next second. 3 My thoughts drifted back to my rented apartment. I was currently enveloped in a similar darkness, agonizing over what my mom had done to me. Sleep was impossible, so I turned on the news to have some semblance of human presence around me. "Recently, a 28-year-old female teacher, pressured into marriage, tragically fell from a building on her wedding day, fading away in the prime of her life." The news video reported on a female teacher who, after suffering 11 years of oppressive pressure to marry from her closest relatives, ultimately plummeted to her death from her bridal suite on her wedding day, using her life to pursue freedom beneath the blue sky. I stared at the anchor's moving lips, my head spinning, feeling like I had plunged into an endless nightmare. Even in civilized society, incidents of people "eating" others still occurred! In that moment, I felt a profound empathy for this woman I had never met, who used her life to resist oppression. The torment my mom inflicted on me over these many days, my dad and sister's apathetic disregard and exploitation of my pain—they were fundamentally no different from the actions of the female teacher's family. Relatives, assuming a position of superiority and using "gratitude" to oppress us, were simply torturing a soul. The comments below, sharing various experiences, also spoke of the injustices faced by women. "My parents always lived in a fantasy where they had 'the perfect son from another family', and their ultimate mission was to marry me off." "The year my parents drove me to depression, they were glowing with vitality. Later, I escaped that place called 'home,' and my depression vanished." "My mom always says she can't hold her head up if I don't get married. I recommended she get a plaster cast for her neck, then she'd be able to hold it up." "Attention all women: your body, your uterus, your soul, they all belong only to you. Anyone who tries to make decisions for these things is full of bullshit!" Hot tears fell from my eyes, and a fire ignited deep within my heart. Even if I only have a frail body and no one standing behind me, I still have to swing a massive sledgehammer and smash all the shackles that bind me to pieces. My alarm rang at that moment, like the bugle call of resistance. Morning light spilled through the window; the day had dawned. 4 Since then, I made up my mind not to give my mom any opportunity to torment me. I put her on "Do Not Disturb" on WeChat and ignored her messages. I didn't answer her calls or just hung up. If asked, I'd say I was busy. I had never felt the world to be so peaceful. Until I received a call from my sister. She cried, saying Dad and Mom were fighting, begging her sister to come home and check on her. My damn soft heart gave in. At the time, I thought my sister was still young, her worldview hadn't fully formed, and she shouldn't have to bear the consequences of our parents' mistakes. I rushed home in a taxi, burning with anxiety. When I walked in, the three of them were sitting on different sides of the room, looking exactly like a tribunal ready to judge me. My sister just gave me a fleeting glance, then held her hand out to my mom. "She's here. You said if I got her to come, you'd give me ten bucks." My mom gave her the money. After getting the cash, she headed straight to her room and slammed the door shut. That sound hit me right in the heart, shattering the image of the ignorant, innocent younger sister into pieces. "Chloe is back! Why are you standing there? Come over and sit!" My dad waved at me, wearing a smile like the Maitreya Buddha. I took a deep breath, warning myself: If it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, it can't be avoided. I sat down a bit further away from them, waiting to see what kind of trick they were playing. Since I walked in, my mom's gaze had been scanning my face like an X-ray, investigating how I had been doing lately. Seeing the radiant glow on my face, she couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks. "Well, look who it is! You don't even answer your phone, do you still remember us old folks?" I poured myself some water and said lightly, "Been busy lately." My mom wanted to say more but shut up after my dad glared at her. My dad cheerfully asked about my recent situation, and I responded with mild indifference. After asking about my food, clothing, housing, and transportation, my dad shifted the conversation and finally revealed the purpose of this setup. "You're not getting any younger, isn't it time to consider marriage?" "Do you remember Uncle Zhao? His son has good prospects, he's a civil servant too." I took a sip of water and said coldly, "I remember he's been married once before." My dad glanced at my mom, and my mom understood and started persuading me. "Older men know how to treat a woman better! Your Uncle Zhao's family is close to ours; marrying his son would make our families even closer!" "Besides, your Uncle Zhao said the bride price for our family would be at least twenty thousand dollars. Don't you want to show some filial piety and get your mom a new gold necklace or jade bracelet?" "Your sister's grades are just average, I don't think she'll get into a good college. As her older sister, don't you want to use this twenty thousand to pave a backup plan for her?" I almost laughed out loud. That Uncle Zhao, whose eyes are practically on top of his head, always coming to our house and ordering people around, and his greasy son who got divorced because of domestic violence—whoever wants to marry him can go right ahead! I pondered for a moment, pretending to agree with my mom. "I think you're right!" My parents' faces instantly lit up with joy, craning their necks for my next words. "Why don't we let Mia marry Uncle Zhao's son? That way, she'll have a backup plan when she fails her exams." "Marrying him will bring our families closer together; wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?" I smiled amidst my parents' shock, revealing my sharp canine teeth. My dad was the first to react, furiously slamming his hand on the table. "This is absolutely ridiculous!" "Your sister is still so young, how could she marry a divorced man in his thirties!" My sister's scream also came from her room. "I don't want to marry a divorced old man! If you make me marry him, I'd rather jump out the window right now!" My mom glared at me through gritted teeth, like a fierce mother wolf protecting her cub. "How can you be so vicious? You actually want your sister to marry a man so much older than her! Isn't that pushing her into a pit of fire?!" I blinked innocently. "Didn't you say it yourself, Mom? Older men know how to treat a woman better." "Besides, that man is also ten years older than me. If I marry him, wouldn't that be jumping into a pit of fire too?" "Or is it that you guys just have your eyes on the bride price they offered and want to sell your daughter? If that's really the case, aren't you afraid of drowning in other people's spit? Where will you hide your faces in the future?!" My parents choked, opening their mouths but not knowing what to say. Seeing they had nothing to say, I slowly scrolled on my phone. After all, I wasn't the one in a rush. From the corner of my eye, I saw my dad constantly kicking my mom under the table. I knew then that his "loving father" act was just for show. My mom couldn't take the kicking anymore. She suddenly stood up, pointed at me, and spoke without thinking. "Let me tell you, we've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! If you don't listen to us, you'll regret it one day, and don't come crying to us then." "You're already so old and still not married, I can't even hold my head up in the neighborhood." "Tell me, if you don't get married, people will gossip. You don't even live here anymore, aren't you destroying the harmony of our family of three?" Even knowing my mom's words were vicious, my heart still felt like it had a gaping hole, constantly leaking air. A family of three. My dad, my mom, my sister. Not including me. I curled my lips in a mocking smile, deciding to fight magic with magic. I sneered, "Mom, if we're talking about family, you're the one with a different last name, aren't you?"
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