Chapter 2

**Injury Assessment**

The injury assessment concluded that it was only a minor injury. Gavin was released after being detained for ten days. I proposed a divorce, but he stubbornly refused to agree.

We met through a senior colleague at work. At first, he was courteous and took great care of me. It wasn't long before we confirmed our relationship. He said that although things were tough now, he would one day give me a good life. I told him I wasn't afraid of tough times; as long as we loved each other and worked hard, our future wouldn't be too bad.

My parents were worried because it was far away. He would urge me to video call them every few days and even drove me home during holidays. Seeing my determination, my parents eventually agreed. Before the wedding, they bought a small apartment in this city for me, saying that if things didn't go well and I missed home, I would have a place to rest. My mother broke down in tears when she said this, and I almost didn't want to get married. Gavin knelt down and promised to treat me well, reassuring them.

My family gave us a house as part of the wedding gifts, and my parents secretly gave me a bank card with ten thousand dollars for emergencies. Gavin said he had spent all his money on the wedding house and couldn't give me a dowry now, but he promised to double it later. Foolishly, I believed him. We bought a ring and registered our marriage.

On the wedding day, my mother-in-law took all the wedding gifts, claiming that the wedding had exhausted their life savings and they had borrowed money from relatives. Gavin apologized, saying he was sorry for the hardship and promised to work hard to give me a good life.

Before the wedding, he promised we wouldn't live with his parents. But less than a month later, his mother moved in, claiming she needed care due to health issues. A few days later, she said she was worried about his father being alone and brought him over too. She insisted I take time off work to accompany her to the hospital, but multiple visits revealed no issues. She complained about the local hospital and demanded to go to a specialist hospital.

I frequently took leave, which displeased my boss. I missed a promotion because my boss thought my family issues would interfere with work. I was devastated but had no choice but to work harder for the next promotion.

Gavin's younger sister, Kristine, graduated from community college but didn't work. My mother-in-law said she was too young and needed a few years at home. She ordered me to support her, promising to repay me once she started earning. Gavin also promised to give me money once he got paid, but I never saw a penny.

Kristine didn't want to live at home, so I let her stay in the dowry house. Newly married and shy, I didn't dare ask Gavin for money, so I pinched pennies, not even buying clothes or makeup. During holidays, I bought gifts and gave holiday gifts to everyone, hoping my sincerity would be reciprocated. But I was wrong; you can't change who people are.

Now, I no longer care about their problems. When my mother-in-law said she felt unwell and needed to go to the hospital, I ignored her. When Kristine asked for money, I retorted, "I'm not your mom; it's not my job to support you." She stormed off to complain, and my mother-in-law ordered me, "Valerie, give Kristine some money."

"No, her mother isn't dead. Let her take care of it."

"You... Is this how a daughter-in-law should behave?" She pointed at me, furious, and threatened to call her son to settle the matter.

"I'm not part of this family anymore, so hurry up and get your son to divorce me." I sat leisurely on the sofa, arms crossed.

Gavin came out, saw the situation, and, as usual, sided with his mother without understanding the context. "How can you speak to my mom that way? She's old; can't you be more considerate?" He then asked what had happened, and his mother exaggerated the story. He was about to scold me but stopped when he saw my cold gaze.

"Valerie, give Kristine some money. After all, she's my only sister."

"You know she's your sister, so why expect me to pay?"

"Have you ever given me a penny since we got married?"

"Why are you so petty? Aren't we supposed to be family?"

Family? Who wants to be part of such a horrible family? Now, I just wanted to reclaim what was mine. I didn't want to give these jerks a single penny.

Gavin tried to pull me to sit down. "How much could she possibly spend? I'll pay you back."

"Fine."