Chapter 3

Jason left with a smile, and I picked up that cup of pudding and dropped it straight into the trash without a second thought.

My secretary was fast. By the next morning, I had both documents in front of me.

"Ms. Johnson, the bills and the divorce agreement are ready, just as you asked. I've contacted the law firm as well. He can come in whenever you'd like."

I nodded and took the documents. Beside me, Tracey looked torn.

"Mom, my brother and his wife are grown adults. If you stop giving them an allowance from now on, I understand that. But... do you really have to make them divorce?"

"At the end of it, Mom, it's my fault. My sister-in-law said she wanted the water a little hotter, and I didn't think twice about it. Mom, let me go and apologize to her."

"Tracey."

I caught my daughter's hand and stopped her from getting up.

She looked at me, her eyes churning.

"Tracey, you are Jason's blood sister."

She froze. She looked at me, her lips parting to say something, but I kept going.

"You got divorced because that son-in-law of mine is scum, a piece of garbage. Divorce was the only way to pull you out of that."

"You are my daughter. When I brought you home, of course I was prepared to take care of you for the rest of your life. Jason and Melinda go on and on about how they think of me, how they feel for me, but at the end of the day, it's simply that you have no value to them."

"Think about it. The only reason they're even halfway respectful to me is that I hand them a full hundred thousand a month. When I'm old, when I can't do anything anymore, when everything falls into your brother's hands, do you really think they'll still treat me this way? Everything that happened to you yesterday could happen to me tomorrow."

I held my daughter's gaze, ignoring the tears streaming down her face, and made myself say the truth out loud.

I knew she didn't want to face it. But did I?

Before she married, Jason had at least been a decent enough brother. And now?

He and Melinda schemed together, teamed up with an outsider, and ground his own sister into the dirt.

Every last thing they'd done left me cold.

I couldn't put Jason back in my belly and pretend I'd never given birth to him.

So all I could do was cut off his ability to keep doing harm. The pain he'd piled onto his sister, he should get a taste of it himself.

Tracey's eyes went wide, and for a long time she couldn't come back to herself. Her eyes reddened.

"Mom, my brother... would my brother really... do that to you?"

I didn't answer her, but Tracey already had her answer.

"Mom, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been like this. I almost brought harm to you..."

"If something ever happened to you later, I'd never be able to forgive myself!"

I pulled my trembling daughter tight against me, and the two of us clung together and cried.

At some point Nora slipped out the door and left us alone.

"Mom, whatever you decide, I'll stand behind you."

Tracey wiped her tears dry. Right then, my phone suddenly rang.

"Mom, what are you up to right now? Has this month been too busy? The mortgage and the car payment still haven't gone through, and those can't be late."

My son, half teasing, half serious.

"Get out of the way. Do you even know how to talk to people?"

I heard Melinda cursing at him under her breath on the other end, and the next moment her shrill voice came through the phone.

"Mom, the property management already called the house about the overdue water and electricity. If work's got you run ragged, just wire the money straight into Jason's account, and send this month's allowance along with it while you're at it. I'm going home to see my parents in a few days, and I can't very well show up empty-handed, can I?"

My daughter and I exchanged a glance. I lowered my voice and said one thing into the phone.

"Wait at home. I'm coming over now."

After I hung up, I held my daughter's hand tight.

"Tracey, you're pregnant. You stay home and rest. Leave the rest to me."

She hesitated, worried, but in the end she nodded.

"Okay, Mom. I'll listen to you."

I brought Nora with me. When we got to Jason's place, both he and Melinda had a trace of impatience on their faces.

Still, seeing me, the two of them reined it in a little.

"Mom, why'd you come all the way over yourself? It's just wiring some money. A few taps and it's done."

Jason watched me settle onto the couch without waiting to be asked, and still didn't sense anything was off.

Melinda, though, had a sharp eye. Her gaze landed on Nora beside me, and she quickly recognized my secretary. Her eyes lit up.

"Mom, this is your secretary, Nora, isn't it? You brought her along today. Is there something you need to discuss with Jason?"

As she spoke, she kicked Jason.

Nudged by Melinda, Jason belatedly noticed Nora.

"What could there be to discuss? Mom, hurry up and send me the allowance, I've been waiting to go online!"

I gave a cold laugh and took the two documents from Nora.

"The allowance can wait. You two, take a look at these first."

"Oh, Mom, you're right, there's no rush at all. Look at me, my memory's getting so bad, I forgot to even pour you and Secretary Chavez some tea."

"Honey, hurry and get out that premium tea my dad brought over last time. Make a cup for Mom and Secretary Chavez."