Chapter 1

In the supermarket, my daughter unwrapped a chocolate before we'd paid.

I immediately took her to the checkout to apologize and offered to pay. But the cashier pointed at the security monitor and screamed.

"So you're the thief who's been stealing thousands of dollars worth of my merchandise!"

Then she threw an invoice in my face.

"$15,000! Pay now, or I'm calling the police!"

I bit back my anger but couldn't help arguing.

"But this is our first time here today."

She crossed her arms, scanning me with blatant contempt.

"My husband owns this whole street. Pay up, or I'll have him sue you!"

I laughed, a dry, joyless sound.

How was it I didn't know my husband had another wife?

Just last month, the rent for every shop on this street was deposited into my account. Every cent, on time.

She stood there, arms crossed, chin held high, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Stop pretending. Look at yourself, dressed in cheap rags, you're clearly trash. No wonder you raised a thief!"

"You're not leaving until you pay. Otherwise, I'll have my husband send you both straight to jail!"

With that, she lunged forward and grabbed for my daughter

at my daughter.

"Mommy, I'm scared..."

My daughter, terrified, hid behind me, her small face pressed into my pant leg, trembling slightly.

I glared fiercely at Tiffany and slapped her hand away before she could grab my daughter again.

Then, I quickly bent down and scooped my daughter into my arms.

Feeling her tiny body tremble, a fierce anger flared in my chest.

"Pull up the surveillance footage, now."

I let my gaze drop to the name on her tag, my voice steady.

"Tiffany, stick to the facts. If you're so certain my daughter is a regular thief, pull up all the footage. Show me conclusive proof, and I'll pay ten times the price."

I know my daughter. She's three. She can't even tie her shoes. And this is the first time we've ever stepped foot in this place.

Tiffany's eyes flickered. She then scanned us up and down with disgust, placed her hands on her hips, and sneered.

"Footage? You think you can just demand that? Who do you think you are?"

"In this store, I make the rules. We caught you. Pay now, or I'm calling my husband to have his men deal with you."

Her voice rose, sharp and carrying.

"Everyone! Take a look! A thief and her little thief-in-training! A whole family of crooks!"

Her shout drew the handful of customers in the store. They quickly gathered, a murmuring circle of onlookers, fingers pointing, eyes darting between me and my daughter.

An older woman with a perm scoffed and shook her head.

"Stealing so young, and the parent's not even ashamed."

Another woman waiting in line nodded, her voice pitched high with judgment. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If the mother had any morals, the child wouldn't be a thief!"

A younger woman from a nearby couple wrinkled her nose and tugged her boyfriend's arm. "Disgusting. We come for milk and run into a crime scene. Let's move before their vibe gets on us."

Her boyfriend's gaze raked over my clothes, his lip curling. "Just look at her. Can't even dress decently. Probably taught the kid to steal 'cause she's broke. Pathetic."

Emboldened by the crowd's murmurs, Tiffany swelled with self-righteous fury.

She seized the moment, her voice swelling to a roar.

"See? It's downright cruel! Some women have no business being mothers! Too lazy to make an honest living, so they turn their own flesh and blood into little thieves. Kids raised like that are nothing but future leeches on society."

"I bet she's a career thief. If she doesn't pay today, we should strip her and march her down the street. Let everyone see what a real thief looks like!"

Tiffany's eyes raked over me as she spoke, hot with a vicious hunger, as if she were already picturing it.

The whispers from the crowd felt like poisoned knives, stabbing me all over. Every word was laced with the most vicious prejudice and mockery, as if they wanted to nail my daughter and me to a pillar of shame, ensuring we'd never recover.

"I didn't steal anything." Lily sniffled in my arms, tears dripping down. "Mommy, I really just unwrapped the chocolate by accident. I know I was wrong."

"But I really didn't mean to."

Of course, I knew my daughter hadn't meant to.

And right from the start, I had offered to pay.

It was Tiffany who was being greedy, refusing to listen to reason.

I kissed my daughter's forehead, then turned to Tiffany, my gaze turning icy cold.

"I've already told you, my daughter unwrapped the chocolate by mistake, and when we came to the checkout, I immediately offered to pay. It's you who is baselessly accusing us of stealing $15,000 worth of merchandise. I'm giving you one last chance: apologize now, or you'll regret it."

Tiffany laughed as if she'd heard the funniest joke, her gums clearly visible.

"Are you kidding me? Apologize? Can't you see everyone here knows the truth? Who do you think they're talking about? Apologize to you? You're dreaming!"

I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath.

My head was starting to ache terribly.

Then I spoke coldly,

"You won't apologize, fine. Then pull up the surveillance footage!"

"If you can't pull up the footage, then call whoever is in charge here, and let them pull it up! Or call your husband, that works too!"

I quietly turned on my phone's recording function, then found a stool to sit on, holding my daughter close and gently comforting her.

My daughter couldn't stop sobbing.

"Mommy, I want to go home..."

"Don't be scared, sweetheart,"

I gently wiped away her tears. "Once we get this sorted, Mommy will take you home."

Seeing me and my daughter calmly seated on the chair, Tiffany frowned.

Then, as if an idea struck her, her expression changed, and she immediately plastered on a honey-sweet smile, pulling out her phone and dialing.

"Hello? Honey, there's trouble at the store, and a thief kid with her mom! Come quick, please."

Hanging up, she wagged her phone triumphantly.

She slammed her hand on the counter, making the snack jars buzz.

"My husband will be here any minute! This whole street belongs to him! You two are finished!"

"Unless you apologize to me now and pay $100,000, I'll call the police immediately and send you straight to jail!"