“Make sure the house is clean by next Thursday, and prepare a nice dinner. Mary, James, and the kids are coming.”
“They just visited yesterday. Why are they coming again? And why is her husband coming too?” I asked, surprised.
“It’s nothing to be so shocked about. Mary said they have something important to discuss, and there’s something for you too, so keep your schedule open. I’m just happy I’ll get to see the kids again,” Mom replied.
I felt uneasy. Mary hadn’t visited once since she got married, and now suddenly she was coming again so soon, and this time with her husband. I couldn’t figure out what her real intentions were, but it didn’t feel right.
What I didn’t know was that Mary and Mom were already having discussions about me.
“Can you believe the house is in Laura’s name? What was Dad thinking?” Mary asked.
“Don’t worry. If we make Laura feel like she’s a burden to everyone, she’ll leave. The right to live here should be ours,” Mom replied.
I got so busy with work that Thursday came before I knew it. The last time I saw Mary’s husband, James, was when he came to introduce himself before their wedding. He had decided to become a doctor because of his father. Though he was handsome, there was something cold about him.
Mom was thrilled when she found out he was a doctor’s son, and she welcomed him warmly. But since then, James hadn’t visited, and none of us had seen him until now.
When Mary, James, and my nephew arrived, I had already set dinner on the table. James looked like he had lost some weight since I’d last seen him three years ago.
As I returned to the kitchen, Mary followed me.
“Did you pick up these side dishes from a supermarket?” she asked.
“I wonder if this food will be good enough for us, since we’re used to high-quality meals,” Mary commented, looking down on the dishes.
“This is a dish Grandma taught me how to make, so I know it’s good,” I replied calmly.
Mary looked annoyed for a moment, but quickly covered it up, putting on a smile as she started serving the food.
During dinner, she mostly bragged about her child, going on about how he was better than other kids. James barely said a word, staying distant and only half-listening to her stories.
As she continued, Mary gave me a nasty look and said, “Seeing our adorable child, don’t you wish you had another grandchild, Mom?”
“Yes, we could have had more grandchildren by now, but that’s impossible since Laura’s not even married,” Mom said, glancing at me.
“Before thinking about kids, you need to find someone to marry first. But how could you meet anyone when you’re always in your room playing games and you’re still living here without a job?” Mary added, piling on the insults.
I finished my meal quietly and was about to leave the table when Mom stopped me, her voice filled with anger.
“Are you just going to walk away? We’re not done. There’s something important we need to talk about, so sit down and listen.”
“Let’s get to the point. Laura, can you please leave this house?” Mary said suddenly, leaving me in shock.
“You should try living on your own for once. Both Mom and Dad are tired of living with you. If you stay here, you’ll never change,” she continued, sounding like she was doing me a favor by advising me to move out.
“You need to realize how much of a disappointment you are,” Mary added. “It would be good for you to learn to earn enough to live on your own and understand how hard life can be.”
“Wait, Mom. How many times do I have to say I’m working and making my own money? When will you believe me?” I replied, my hands shaking with anger.
“Just because you make a little money from your hobbies doesn’t mean you’re earning a real living,” Mom scoffed.
“No. I earn enough to pay for my own expenses. I even paid for all the house renovations after Grandpa passed away,” I said firmly.
I had used my savings to fund the renovations, and my parents knew I had covered every payment.
Mary smirked. “Oh, you think you’re something, don’t you? That money was Grandpa’s, wasn’t it? Don’t act like I didn’t know he gave you money before he passed away.”
Right. Grandpa had given me a bank book shortly before he died, a result of him and Grandma saving up, worried about my future since they saw how neglected I was. They must have hoped it would help me someday.
“How do you even know about that?” I asked, stunned.
As soon as Grandpa gave me the bank book, I had stored it away in a drawer and told no one about it.
“It was easy to find. I saw it in your drawer,” Mary sneered. “But where’s the cash card? I couldn’t take out any money.”