Chapter 1
Before Christmas, I went shopping at the mall and won a grand prize gift package.
I was planning to share the prize with my kids at Christmas dinner, so we could all have a good time together.
I opened the first box, and out floated a blue balloon. The moment my finger brushed it, it popped with a sharp bang.
Suddenly, I could hear exactly what my children were thinking.
'Why can't this old crone just give us the money already?'
'Forcing us to eat together every single year... I can't stand being around these people.'
'Christmas is nothing but stress.'
*****
My eldest son, Samuel Taylor, was elbowed in the ribs by his wife, Isabella Taylor. She shot him a look of pure contempt.
'Look at your mom, what a joke. Can we just eat already? We're all just here to grab the cash and get out. I can't stand this whole fake "happy family" nonsense,' she thought.
Samuel shot her a glare, but deep down, he was cursing me too.
'Mom is unbelievable. Why can't she just hand out the money to us? Why drag us here for this pointless family dinner every year?
'I can't stand seeing my brothers groveling for her favor. Good thing I have a son. Every year, I can squeeze a bit more out of her,' he grumbled inwardly.
My heart sank, and I couldn't help but look over at my eldest grandson, Lucas Taylor.
He noticed me watching, but just turned back and kept tapping away on his phone.
He thought, 'Seriously, Grandma, don't ask how I'm doing in school. I can't stand it when people act like they care just to talk about grades.
'Mom and Dad told me to sweet-talk Grandma and see if I could get more money out of her. Once I get the cash, I'm buying a few Christmas limited-edition skins. No way I'm giving all of it to them.'
My second daughter-in-law, Sade Taylor, saw my face go pale and my lips turn blue.
She told me to sit down and have some water, but inside, she was thinking, 'This old hag is just making us gather for dinner. If it weren't for the cash she hands out every year, I wouldn't waste my time coming to see any of her.'
She shot my second son, Mason, a look, and he handed me a cup of water. He told me to be careful, but he wouldn't even look me in the eye.
He grumbled inwardly, 'Old hag, spit it out already. Don't waste my time. If you dare give less money than last year, I'll make sure to get more out of you somehow.
'I promised Sade's mother I'd take her whole family on a trip tomorrow. If I don't have enough money, Sade is gonna look down on me even more.'
My youngest son, John Taylor, was even more attentive. He laid out my napkin, handed me my utensils, and carefully arranged every dish on my plate. Every so often, he'd sneak a glance at me.
'My girlfriend's family wants 200 thousand dollars as a wedding gift. I'm gonna make sure the old hag covers most of it.
'If she dares to say she doesn't have it, I'll trick her into selling the house. Once I get the cash, who cares if she ends up on the street?' he thought.
If I hadn't hit the jackpot today, I'd probably never have known what was really going on behind my back.
When my husband passed away, I promised him I'd raise our three sons well and never let our family fall apart.
So no matter how old they got or whether they were married, every Christmas, I'd call them all back for a family dinner.
Nothing felt more complete than having the whole family together, laughing and eating in a lively atmosphere.
As I got older, I came to terms with it. I realized there was no point in hoarding money. It was better to just give it to the kids. Someday, when I couldn't even walk, they'd be the ones who'd have to look after me.
But today, I finally saw it for what it was. I'd raised a pack of ungrateful wolves. The more I handed out, the hungrier they got.
These kids didn't just lack gratitude; they acted like everything I gave was owed to them.
No way am I opening the rest of the boxes and letting them get a peek at the goodies inside.