After I won a lottery of 24 million dollars, I bought a villa at the seaside and spent eight hundred thousand on a car.

When my younger brother's girlfriend, Cindy Reed, heard about this, she mocked me. "Gardenia, you are going to get married sooner or later. You won't keep this money and give it to your future husband, will you?"

I lost my temper in an instant.

What kind of person was she? I didn't want to see her ever again!

I stared at my brother and said, "Ethan, break up with her, or forget about the 2 million dollars I promised to give you to fund your start-up."

1.

My brother Ethan Soong sent a message on the family group chat saying that he would take Cindy home for dinner tonight.

I send a private message to him: [Didn't you tell me a few days ago that you were treated as a backup plan by her? Have anything changed?]

I instantly received a reply from him, but the message was typed by Cindy: [Gardenia, don't talk about me behind my back. Don't you think it's a bit too much?]

I sent a message to retort to her and found out that I was blacklisted.

I was so angry that I kicked Ethan out of the family group chat.

As soon as I got home, I heard Cindy's cheesy voice. "You are getting old now. You must always keep warm or your knees will easily get hurt. I bought this pair of cotton pants for you. Do you like it?"

Didn't Ethan tell Cindy that Mom hated it when someone told her that she was old?

I pushed the door open.

Hearing the voice, Cindy turned around and looked at the handbag in my hand, frowning. "Gardenia, why did you buy this cheap handbag? Ethan bought me a lot of expensive bags. I should give you one as a gift. Your handbag is really too shabby. I'll feel embarrassed if I go out with you carrying it."

Ethan scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. He whispered in Cindy's ear, "Stop, Cindy."

Cindy said, "I'm just telling the truth!"

I always felt annoyed seeing her and her words had undoubtedly irritated me. I said, "Ethan has just graduated from university. He doesn't have much money to spend on expensive gifts for you. If you are with him just for money, I advise you to hurry up and find a rich kid."

2.

I really admired Cindy's courage to be so thick-skinned. She didn't feel embarrassed at all after I mocked her. Instead, she talked about my lottery.

Cindy said, "No, Ethan doesn't have much money. But you just won a lottery of 24 million dollars. You are his sister. What belongs to you belongs to him, too."

I asked Ethan coldly, "Did you tell her about that?"

Apparently, Ethan panicked. He said, "Gardenia, Cindy is my girlfriend. We are all family. Yes, I told her, but it was not a big deal."

When I was about to shout at Ethan, Mom lost her temper first and slapped Ethan across the face.

"That's your sister's money. She can use it however she likes. It's none of your business!" said Dad.

Ethan walked up to Dad and said, "Dad, Gardenia will get married sooner or later. If she keeps the money and gets married, it will be someone else's money. Be reasonable. I am your only son and I should inherit the money."

I didn't expect that he was thinking in this way.

I asked, "Ethan, have you used up the 100 thousand dollars that I gave you?"

He nodded and waited for me to continue.

I said, "Dad, Mom, I said that I would give Ethan 2 million dollars to fund his start-up. But you see what he is like now. I regret that I said so. Forget about the 100 thousand dollars. I will not give him any money from now on."

Cindy said, "Gardenia. If you don't give the money to Ethan, will you keep it and give it to your husband?"

Dad pointed at the door and shouted, "Ethan, apologize to your sister and then break up with this woman. Otherwise, get out of here. I don't want to see you again!"

Ethan said, "Why should I break up with Cindy? What she said is right. Gardenia should give her money to me."

3.

Ethan had told us what he had been always thinking about.

He said, "Gardenia, from we were kids, Dad and Mom only love you. They would give you whatever you want to eat first. I ate pork when you ate shrimp and I ate chicken when you ate beef. I could only eat what was left. We were both Dad's and Mom's kids. Why do they always treat us differently?"

In the face of Ethan's questioning, I didn't know what to say.

What he said was the truth.

Our parents had been partial to me since we were kids.

Ethan said, "I never felt that I was important at home. But when I was with Cindy, all she cared about was me. I want to spend money on her. It's none of your business. If you don't care about me, keep doing that."

Mom was so angry that her blood pressure must be high now. She said, "That's because..."

Mom almost blurted something out. But after Dad warned her, she only said,

"That's because you are a boy."

Ethan smiled at her, "Again. I'm tired of this excuse. Since we have already come clean, let's talk about the lottery. Gardenia, will you give me half of it?"

Half of it?

After thinking for a moment, I refused. "No, don't think about my money."

If I gave the money to him, it would soon become Cindy's money.

Cindy said, "Gardenia, you are so selfish. Ethan has suffered a lot because of you. He always tolerates you at home. Anyway, you can't spend all that money yourself. Why not share it with us?"

Dad was so angry that he had to be hospitalized.

4.

Ethan never came to the hospital to see Dad.

I called Ethan, but it was Cindy who picked up my call. She said, "If you don't give us half of the money, Ethan will never go to the hospital."

I frowned and tried hard to suppress my anger. I asked, "Where is Ethan? Ask him to answer the phone."

I vaguely heard Ethan speak to Cindy in a low voice, "Cindy, he is my dad..."

Cindy asked him to shut up.

Cindy said to me, "Gardenia, I don't want to be mean. As long as you transfer us the money, I will go to the hospital with Ethan immediately."

I couldn't stand to listen to her anymore, so I hung up the phone.

5.

Dad just woke up. He heard the door open and looked over.

I knew he was not telling us what he really wanted. He wanted Ethan to visit him here in the hospital.

I shook my head and said, "He's not thinking straight now. I'll talk to him later."

I picked up an apple and peeled it. I deliberately asked in a casual tone, "Mom, it seems that you haven't finished your words just now. What were you talking about?"

My parents looked at each other and said, "Nothing. I was just too angry with that brat. I wasn't thinking." Their expressions were obviously weird. They must be hiding something from Ethan and me.

I said, "What Ethan said today actually is the truth. You have been partial to me since we were kids. Is it really only because I am a girl?"

Dad said, "Of course. I never lied to you, right?"

After walking out of the hospital, I called a private detective and asked him to investigate it.

I wanted to know what the secret was.