Chapter 6 When Will This End?

• "Mom, seriously, what are you doing?"
• Luna snapped at Lana, who had just returned home.
• She was starving, barely having had a few bites of her meal, and now the whole table was flipped over, food scattered everywhere. It was driving her crazy.
• She could handle not having food, maybe just whip up some instant noodles.
• But seeing all of Mike's hard work from the past hour go down the drain, and knowing it would take him another hour to clean up this mess, was just too much.
• She knew her mom envied and resented Hannah's family, but Mike was innocent. He had also been called by the geomancy master to marry her with her grandmother's consent to bring joy to her grandfather.
• What has he done wrong?
• Why is everyone targeting him?
• At that moment, she felt particularly sorry for Mike.
• He used to be poor but incredibly hardworking. Every day, he'd rise early to fix breakfast, then dash off to deliver takeout. By ten, he'd whip up lunch before hitting the road again for more deliveries. Come four, he'd rustle up dinner and head out for another round. Despite his toil, he only pocketed 750 dollars monthly. Yet, every payday, my mom seized most of it, leaving him just 30 dollars for cigarettes. With a two-pack-a-day habit, that 30 dollars barely covered his cravings, so he settled for the cheap cigarettes. Never once did he grumble. Sometimes, I'd buy him a pack of more expensive ones, but Mom always accused him of stashing his wages.
• She felt like Mike was being treated like a workhorse in the Winters, all that hard work and never getting any credit for it. Even though she was so angry at him for what he did to her life, thinking about how he worked so hard and quietly supported the family, she couldn't bring herself to divorce him and hurt him.
• But …
• Her mom's attitude towards her was just too heartbreaking, and it made her feel so sorry for Mike!
• "What?"
• Lana was fuming. "All because of this useless guy, I'm constantly being mocked by your Aunt Gwen's family. That's why we fell out with them. Now that Hannah has made it big and become the wife of Nation's Protector, receiving so many engagement gifts. Tony is going to spend 1.5 million to buy a Lamborghini, and he's also taking 180 kg of gold and 1.33 million in cash to the Petersons for the engagement gifts. We are so jealous!
• "Never mind. It's because you don't have the achievements Hannah has. You can only cling to her and bask in her glory. At least, as the elder sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law of Nation's Protector, both you and Frank can be favoured by rich second-gens. You can also receive a hefty engagement gift, and Frank can also pursue relationships with rich family daughters. It's not bad.
• "Your Aunt Gwen has gone nuts. She won't even let us hitch a ride on her success train anymore, and your grandma's turned a blind eye to us. Thank goodness Tony still has a shred of conscience, letting your mom and dad do his bidding like servants. Maybe then we'll get a little something out of it.
• "I felt aggrieved, you know? If it weren't for that useless guy, I wouldn't be feuding with your grandma or arguing with your aunt. Our relationship wouldn't be so strained that they won't even let us tag along anymore."
• She was so furious that she erupted into a tirade against Mike. "You damn useless piece of garbage! Divorce Luna tomorrow. Just seeing you makes me want to kill you!"
• Upon hearing this, Mike finally understood what was going on and immediately felt annoyed. "The engagement tokens were meant for Luna as a surprise. Hannah has some nerve, huh? She should take a good look at herself before thinking she's worthy of being the wife of Nation's Protector. I'm going to get those gifts back. They're meant for Luna, and not a single cent will be left in their hands."
• After saying that, Mike was about to leave.
• "Hey, get back here!"
• Luna yelled, "I don't know if that engagement gift is for Hannah, but it's not for me. We've been married for three years, and there's no way Nation's Protector would marry someone who's already married. And I don't even know who this person is. So don't go stirring up trouble. If you dare to go take that engagement gift, you'll see what I'll do to you!"
• She turned to Lana. "Before Mike came into our lives, you and Aunt Gwen were at each other's throats every day. That's why Grandma kicked us out, and we had to buy this apartment. Even if Mike wasn't around, Aunt Gwen's family wouldn't have helped us. So why blame Mike? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for constantly arguing with her, not Mike!"
• Her words hit a nerve with Lana.
• "Wow, such a great daughter you are, huh? Blaming your mom just for that useless guy. I raised you and cared for you for nothing!"
• With that, she slapped Luna across the face.
• Smack!
• Luna's head turned to the side.
• "What's wrong with you?"
• Mike stormed over, shielding Luna and facing Lana angrily. "I've said it before, if you have any grievances, come at me. Why do you keep hitting Luna?
• "She's my wife. She's meant to be cherished, not beaten. If you hit her again, don't blame me … Don't blame me for hitting you!"
• He was truly furious.
• Luna, such a sweetheart, had parents who skipped work to play poker and fish all day. Her younger brother even asked her for pocket money. Her mom demanded money when she lost at poker, and her dad asked for money when he couldn't afford cigarettes. Even the monthly mortgage payments were her responsibility.
• She was juggling everything, running a company all by herself to keep the family afloat. It was exhausting, but she still getting hit now and then!
• "Fine, you dare to threaten me, I'll chop you to pieces today!"
• Furious, Lana stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and hurled it towards Mike.
• Whoosh!
• The knife flew through the air.
• "My goodness!"
• Terrified, the younger brother hid in the corner, fearing he might get hit.
• Luna shouted, "Mike, quick, dodge!"
• Mike didn't dodge because if he did, the knife would hit Luna, and the consequences would be unthinkable. Besides, he had been through gunfire; what was a mere kitchen knife to him?
• As the knife drew near, he swung his arm and knocked it off, making a loud clang as it hit the wall.
• "Mike, are you okay?"
• Luna was scared out of her wits, but she immediately grabbed Mike's arm to check on him. Seeing that he was fine, she let out a sigh of relief. Then she turned angrily to Lana and said, "Mom, you're insane! Throwing knives around like that, what if it hit Mike's head? Aren't you afraid of ending up in jail?"
• "Scared my foot! He's caused me trouble. I'm going to kill him today!"
• As Lana ranted, she moved to grab the knife. Worried about things escalating into a murder, Anton pulled her into the room, leaving with a parting shot, "Get a divorce tomorrow, or else, if you get killed, don't expect me to save you!"
• With a loud slam, the door shut.
• "Sob … sob … "
• Luna sank to the ground, clutching her head and crying uncontrollably.
• When will this nightmare ever end?