Bounty for Broken Bonds

On the day I received the diagnosis, the leaves of the phoenix tree outside the window were falling. "Malignant uterine sarcoma. Surgery must be done as soon as possible." The doctor's words struck my heart like a block of ice. My name is Miley Waltz, I'm twenty-eight. Until now, I never imagined death could be so close. When I got home and checked my bankbook, I panicked. One hundred and twenty thousand—that was my life-saving money, saved over five years, and it was gone. My hands trembled as I called my mother, Paris Fey. "Where's the money? It's the money I need for surgery!" There was a pause on the other end before my brother James Waltz's voice came through: "Sis, mom gave me the money to invest. It'll double soon." My mind buzzed as if it had gone blank. Investment? James still hasn't finished paying off the gambling debts from last year. Where would he get the money to invest? I rushed out of the house, determined to go to my mother Paris Fey's home and get some answers. As I reached the stairs, I overheard voices coming from the second floor. It was my mother Paris' voice: "Once she's gone, we'll find a deceased person from a wealthy family to arrange a posthumous marriage—that'll bring in at least two hundred thousand to help you pay off the mortgage." James laughed, "Mom, you've thought of everything! By doing this, she won't be holding onto the house, either." I froze in place, feeling the blood drain from my entire body. So in their eyes, my life wasn't even worth as much as the money from a posthumous marriage. Despair crashed over me like a tidal wave; I leaned against the wall, tears flowing uncontrollably. Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang in my mind: "Extreme family oppression detected. Cut-off family ties system successfully bound." "First mission: expose Paris Fey for stealing the life-saving money. Reward: ten thousand dollars." I froze for a moment, then wiped away my tears. Expose them? Yes, I can't just let this go. I pulled out my cell phone, recorded the conversation between them, then posted it to the family group chat. Not long after, my phone chimed with a notification. "Mission complete. Ten thousand dollars has been credited to your account." Staring at the bank card balance, I gripped the cell phone tightly. This is only the beginning.