Chapter 5

My heart skipped a beat. I immediately remembered that since childhood, Nina couldn't stand me having anything better than her.

Once she found out, she'd find ways to ruin it.

I suppressed my thoughts and replied: [Just hitching a ride with a coworker.]

Her response dripped with mockery: [Hahaha, hilarious. Someone who rides a bicycle goes to work every day with someone who drives a Ferrari and doesn't feel inferior? Stop pretending. People get the kind of life they deserve.]

I didn't reply. Instead, I clicked on her feed.

She'd been working in New York for four years, and this year her salary had risen to eighteen thousand.

It looked glamorous on the surface, but to save commute time, she lived in a studio apartment that cost twelve thousand a month in rent, without even a balcony.

Her most recent post was about flowers she bought at a subway station.

I'd ridden that subway line before. Even at eleven at night, it was packed so tight you couldn't breathe.

Another post complained about ordering a pretty meal for delivery that cost over a hundred dollars but the portions were so small she couldn't even fill up.

Meanwhile, I only had to drive five minutes after work to eat a hot, home-cooked meal.

Life is meant to be lived for yourself, not performed for others.

Six months after the wedding, I got pregnant.

The whole family was overjoyed. They wouldn't let me do any chores and made me all kinds of nutritious supplements every day.

Coincidentally, not long after, Nina also announced good news in the family group chat, saying she'd found a boyfriend who made seven hundred thousand a year and would bring him home next month during the holidays for Mom and Dad to meet.

Mom and Dad were thrilled, praising Nina endlessly for being accomplished and having good taste in men.

The holiday season arrived quickly. With my big belly, Rowan supported me as we returned to my parents' home together.

As soon as we walked in, Nina looked me up and down.

"Sarah, why are you wearing so little? Poor thing, pregnant and just wearing a thin jacket. Can't even afford a thicker down coat anymore?"

I didn't explain. The route from our home garage to my parents' place had heating the whole way.

And it was running at full blast, making my face flush red.

Seeing my silence, Nina grew even more smug, deliberately raising her voice.

"My boyfriend drove a Mercedes GLE here this time. I bet our little town doesn't even have many luxury cars like that."

Mom and Dad crowded around her in praise. "Nina's so accomplished! The man she found is rich and treats her well—ten thousand times better than what Sarah found! Sarah, you really need to learn from Nina."

Just as they were talking, Nina's boyfriend pushed through the door, his face showing some impatience.

"Uncle, Auntie, your complex is really hard to find parking in. I drove around in circles for ages before finding a spot."

"But I just saw a Mercedes G-Wagon downstairs. Didn't expect your small town to have such wealthy neighbors."

The moment he finished speaking, Rowan helped me sit down and casually pulled out the G-Wagon keys from his pocket, placing them in my hand and saying gently:

"Honey, are your hands cold?"

"Hold onto the keys. When we leave later, you can get in the car first and turn on the heat."

The entire room instantly fell silent.