Shen Jia's mother looked around with visible contempt. "You thought you could run away and keep all your money for yourself!"
Her father's voice came next—cold and severe. "You are an unfilial child."
That sentence alone made several people nearby frown.
Shen Jia somehow managed to wrench her hand free from her mother's vice-like grip. Her wrist was already red where her nails had dug into her skin.
"Why can't I keep my own money when I earned it myself working at Uncle's place?" she demanded. "I'm your daughter… not your bank account…"
Her father's expression twisted immediately.
"You!" he shouted, loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. "Does family mean nothing to you anymore?"
For a second, Shen Jia looked genuinely wounded.
"Family meant everything to me," she said, her voice trembling. "That's why I tried so hard to provide for you both. But what did I get in return?"
Customers watched in complete silence now. No one was eating anymore.
