Chapter 3: Family Lies, Deadly Ties

But she never told me. She took it all on herself.

She’d come home, smile, and say everything was fine. She never wanted to be a burden.

Even the teachers sided with the other kids and never told me what was happening.

I tried reaching out, but they brushed me off, saying kids would be kids. No one cared.

My mother-in-law told me to focus on making money and promised to take care of my daughter, but in reality, she locked her in a dark room and didn’t give her food.

I found out too late. She’d hide my daughter’s meals, claiming she was saving money. My daughter lost weight, her eyes grew hollow.

I had no clue what they were doing. I just kept working myself to the bone for this family. Looking back, I wish I’d seen it sooner.

Every day was a blur—work, gamble, bring home cash, repeat. I barely saw my daughter awake.

I earned more and more money for them.

Stacks of bills, but less and less happiness. My house felt colder, emptier. Like the life was being sucked out of it.

But weirdly, my health failed and I grew uglier by the day.

My reflection became a stranger—sunken cheeks, thinning hair, age spots. People stopped recognizing me. Sometimes I didn’t even recognize myself.

Neighbors and friends were disgusted when they saw me:

They’d cross the street to avoid me, whispering behind their hands. Even my old friends stopped calling.

“This is karma!”

One neighbor spat on the sidewalk as I passed. I felt like a ghost in my own town.

“God, just looking at him gives me the creeps!”

People would stare, then look away quickly, like I was contagious.

“He’s aging so fast!”

Rumors spread—some said I was on drugs, others claimed I’d made a deal with the devil.

My daughter was the first to collapse.

She fainted in the living room, her lips blue. I’ll never forget the sound of her hitting the floor. My heart nearly stopped.

After she was rushed to the hospital, we learned her body was aging like a ninety-year-old’s.

The doctors ran every test, but nothing made sense. They looked at me like I was hiding something.

She looked normal on the outside, but her organs were all old and weak. My heart broke seeing her like that.

Her heart, her lungs—everything was shutting down. It was like watching her fade away, day by day.

No expert could find the cause.

We went from hospital to hospital, but no one had answers. Each visit left us more hopeless.

I confided in my brother, only to discover by accident that he was cruising around in my wife’s BMW, decked out in designer brands.

I spotted him at a stoplight, sunglasses on, laughing with my wife in the passenger seat. My stomach dropped. I felt sick.

I knew something was up and tried to investigate.

I started following them, digging through receipts, looking for anything that would explain the lies.

But on my way to the truth, I suddenly had a stroke and was bedridden from then on. My world shrank to a hospital bed, the ceiling my only view.

One moment I was on their trail, the next I was on the ground, paralyzed. It was like the universe didn’t want me to find out.

Just half a year earlier, I’d been perfectly healthy!

I used to run five miles every morning. Now, I couldn’t even wiggle my toes.

I’ll never forget how smug they were at my bedside!

They didn’t even bother pretending to care. Their true faces finally came out.

Connor kissed my wife like they were the only two people in the world.

Their laughter echoed in the sterile hospital room. I felt like a ghost, invisible and powerless. I wanted to vanish.

My mother-in-law counted my money nearby:

She fanned out the bills, stacking them neatly. “Son, thanks to you, those two burdens are gone. All the money is ours.”

She smirked, her eyes glinting with greed.

My wife smiled wickedly. “Mom, your fake illness act was so convincing! Ha, all those years pretending to be broke and sick were worth it. Our suffering is finally over.”

She clinked glasses with her mom, toasting their good fortune. I wanted to scream. God, how I hated them.

Now I know—my mother-in-law’s illness and my wife’s poverty were all fake! Liars. Every last one.

Every doctor’s note, every late bill—it was all staged. They’d played me for a fool.

All the money I gave them to care for my daughter was secretly stashed away.

They had hidden accounts, secret safes. I found the statements after it was too late. The betrayal stung.

They even signed the paperwork to give up on my daughter’s treatment and watched her die with their own eyes.

I saw the forms, their signatures. They let her slip away, all for a few extra dollars.

It was all a long-planned scheme against me. I was nothing but a mark.

I realized I’d never been part of their family. I was just a means to an end. Useless.

Rage and regret flooded me.

It burned hotter than any fire. I swore if I ever got another chance, I’d never let them win. Never again.

Thank God I got another shot.

I gripped the pendant, feeling its heat, and made a silent promise to do things differently.

This time, I’ll make them pay for what they’ve done!

I steeled myself. No more being the sucker. No more playing by their rules.

When I got home, my wife immediately confronted me, furious.

She stormed in, heels clicking, face red with anger. "What’s wrong with you? Connor helped you win, and you just left him there!"

“You made him stay at the police station to give a statement!”

She tossed her purse on the counter, arms crossed, glaring at me like I was the villain.

“You’re so selfish! You never think about your family or friends!”

She raised her voice, making sure the whole block could hear. The neighbors probably loved the drama.

In my previous life, under this kind of emotional manipulation, I worked myself to the bone for the family, giving until there was nothing left of me.

I remembered every guilt trip, every tearful plea. They were experts at making me feel small. Never again.

I never even realized my wife was with my brother!

Looking back, the signs were all there—I just refused to see them.

I immediately put on a hurt expression.

I lowered my eyes, let my shoulders slump. "It’s not like that. I realized the pendant was missing and got so anxious my mind went blank. I couldn’t say it out loud—what if someone overheard?"

“I had to stall for time.”

I kept my voice low, adding just enough tremble to make it believable.

Hearing that the pendant was missing, my wife visibly tensed.

Her hand flew to her chest, eyes darting around the room. She looked ready to bolt. I watched her carefully.

“Did you find it?”

She leaned in, voice barely above a whisper. Her whole body was rigid with worry.

I nodded.

I kept my face blank, giving nothing away.

Only then did she relax, repeatedly reminding me,

She let out a shaky breath, fussing with her hair. "You must never take this pendant off, and no one else can know about it. Got it?"

I pretended to be obedient and nodded.

I put on my best puppy-dog eyes, just like she liked. "Of course, honey."

Only then was she satisfied and left the house.

She barely glanced back, already pulling out her phone to text Connor. I watched her go, my jaw clenched.

I knew she was in a hurry to comfort my brother, Connor.

They always thought they were so clever, sneaking around. Not this time. Not ever again.

I gripped the pendant tightly.

It felt like it was pulsing with energy, almost daring me to try something.

No matter what I tried, I couldn’t damage it at all.

I tried burning it, smashing it with a hammer—it stayed completely intact, glowing faintly green.

I even ran it over with my car in the driveway. Not a scratch. It just kept shining, mocking me.

I turned the pendant over and, to my surprise, found a line of words engraved inside:

“Another’s life for my fortune!”

The letters seemed to shift in the light, almost alive. My skin crawled.

Could it be that the pendant brings wealth by draining people’s lifespans?

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The pattern was too perfect to be coincidence. My hands shook.

If the pendant can affect my family, why does it only harm my daughter and not my mother-in-law?

I started to wonder if there was some way to shield yourself from its effects, some loophole I didn’t know about. Was I missing something?

Could they have found a way to block the pendant’s effects?

Maybe they had their own charms, or maybe they just knew how to avoid its reach. Either way, I needed answers.

I put the pendant away for now and took my daughter to the hospital for a full check-up.

We spent hours in waiting rooms, filling out forms. She held my hand the whole time, never once complaining. She was braver than I’d ever been.

My little girl didn’t really understand why, but she still cooperated sweetly.

She smiled at the nurses, even when they drew blood. "It’s okay, Daddy. I’m brave."

Thankfully, her condition was stable, and all her indicators were only slightly off. As long as we treated her actively, she could recover.

The doctor gave me a hopeful smile. "She’s tough, your girl. Just keep her away from stress."

When we got home, my sister-in-law was sprawled on the couch, hand out for cash.

She didn’t even look up from her phone, just waved her hand in my direction like I was the help.

Takeout trash sat beside her, waiting for me to clean up.

The smell of cold fries and old coffee filled the air. I gritted my teeth and started picking up. I wanted to throw it all out the window.

I swallowed my anger. “All the money went to your mom for medicine and your sister to pay off debts. Where am I supposed to get extra for you?”

I tried to keep my voice even, but it came out sharper than I intended.

She sneered at me, full of contempt.

She rolled her eyes, blowing a bubble with her gum. "I don’t care! You two freeloaders are living and eating in my house—give me money or get out!"

“I never should’ve let you marry into our family. You’re useless!”

She tossed a pillow at me, her face twisted with disgust. It stung more than I cared to admit.