Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"...Wait, what?"

Chloe stared at me with deep suspicion, unable to process what she had just heard.

I repeated my words calmly, enunciating every syllable. "I said, I will never force you to practice piano again."

"Not only that, but I won't force you to do anything else you dislike either."

"I won't check your homework, and I won't nag you to sleep when you're on your phone."

"If you want to date someone, I won't care who he is, how old he is, or what you do together."

"I'm not managing your life anymore. Do whatever you want."

"From now on, you have complete freedom, exactly as you wished."

I made myself abundantly clear.

She could tell from my tone that I wasn't using reverse psychology or speaking out of spite; I genuinely meant every word.

A slow, triumphant grin crept across her face.

She challenged me, "So if I skip my private piano lessons, you're totally fine with that?"

I smiled back. "Of course. I didn't pay your tuition for next term anyway."

Her expression flickered, sensing something off, but she quickly dismissed it.

In her mind, getting her way was the only thing that mattered.

"I met a guy online. He really loves me, and we're meeting up this weekend. You're not going to stop me, right?" she pressed.

I nodded. "Not at all. I fully support your search for true love."

Chloe listed several other demands, and I agreed to every single one, promising not to meddle.

Satisfied, she kicked her backpack onto the floor, flopped onto her bed, and pulled out her phone to start gaming.

"I'm starving! Make some crispy glazed pork for dinner, and hurry up!" she yelled from her room.

I ignored her completely. Leaning back on the sofa, I texted a lawyer friend to draft a divorce agreement and printed it out on the home printer.

Garrett was returning from his trip tonight, which made it the perfect time for him to sign.

As for dinner, whoever wanted to cook could cook. I was ordering takeout to celebrate my rebirth.

After finishing two rounds of her game, Chloe stomped out of her room, her stomach growling. Seeing the dining table completely bare, she blew her top. "I said I wanted crispy glazed pork! Are you deaf as well as stupid?"

I scrolled through videos on my phone without looking up. "Like I said, I'm not managing your life anymore. Whether you starve or not has nothing to do with me."

She shrieked, "Are you out of your mind, old woman? If you don't cook, who will?"

I spread my hands. "Whoever wants to eat can cook. I'm certainly not doing it."

Cooking for myself? Gladly. Cooking for an ungrateful parasite? Absolutely not.

Right then, the doorbell rang. My high-end dim sum delivery had arrived.

Under Chloe's stunned gaze, I brought the bags to the table and unpacked the containers one by one.

Steaming pork rib congee, crystal shrimp dumplings, crab roe shumai, and golden pan-fried potstickers―luxuries I had spent years denying myself just to save money.

Chloe pulled out a chair and sat opposite me. "Which one is mine?"

I picked up my chopsticks. "I ordered this for myself. None of it is yours."

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in outrage. "Then what am I supposed to eat? You've completely lost your mind!"

"I knew you were faking it! You're just using reverse psychology to make me practice! I'm sick of your games!"

"No wonder Dad hates coming home. Nobody can stand being around you!"

"Give me some cash. I'm going out for a seafood buffet!"

I popped a juicy shrimp dumpling into my mouth, savoring the rich flavor. "Your dad has plenty of cash. Go ask him."