Chapter 1

My mom landed in the hospital again, this time because of the guy I've been dating for three months.

I rushed into her room, and she was lying there looking all weak and pitiful. The second she saw me, she reached out with a trembling hand.

She said, "If… if you don't break up with him, I'll just die right here."

I glanced at the pile of chips she didn't have time to hide on her bedside table.

I replied, "Mom, we're on the third floor. And there's a safety railing outside the window."

*****

My mom froze.

The sorrow on her face seemed to freeze in place, like she was still trying to wrap her head around what I'd just said.

"Maddie, what kind of attitude is that?" she snapped. "I'm your mother."

I looked at her calmly. "So what?"

"Is this how you talk to me? All those years I spent raising you, and this is how you repay me?" she shouted, suddenly sitting up straight, not a trace of weakness left in her.

She added, "I busted my ass raising you, and now I'm telling you to dump that broke loser for your own good. Yet you remain so stubborn."

"How is he broke?" I shot back.

"Does he have a house? A car? How much does he pull in every month?" she rattled off.

My mom's questions hit me one after another, each one laced with her obsession for money.

I replied, "His name's Alex Bowman. He's a programmer, makes 6 thousand dollars a month, and he's in the early days of his own startup.

"He doesn't have a house or a car, but he's driven and he really cares about me."

"So what if he treats you well? It doesn't put food on your table," my mom scoffed. "Don't let a guy's sweet talk fool you.

"I've looked into Alex. He's from the countryside, and he's got a younger brother. Families like that are a never-ending money pit."

My temper flared. "How did you investigate him?"

She mumbled, her eyes darting away, "I asked Julia Burton. Her son works at the same company as Alex."

It was Julia again.

"Mom, can you please stop spreading my business around?" I said.

"How am I spreading your business around? I'm just worried about you," she shot back, her voice getting louder.

"Maddie, if you don't break up with him today, I'm not leaving this hospital," she declared.

"Suit yourself. Stay here then," Maddie said coldly.

I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

"Get back here," my mom shrieked behind me.

When I stepped out of the room, my phone buzzed. It was my aunt, Eliza Harmon.

Aunt Eliza sighed, "Maddie, what did you do to get your mom all worked up again?

"She's so upset she landed herself in the hospital. Seriously, why can't you just behave for once?

"Your mom's only thinking about what's best for you. So, spill, what's up with that guy? I heard his family's pretty much broke. Is that true?

"Listen, Maddie, getting married is important. So you better consider it carefully."

Her voice was just as sharp and grating as Mom's.

"Aunt Eliza, Alex and I are doing just fine. Seriously, you don't have to worry about us," I said.

"Is that how you talk to your elders?" Aunt Eliza scolded. "Your mom's not well, you can't keep stressing her out like this.

"If something happens to her, you'll never forgive yourself."

I gave a sarcastic laugh. "She's in great shape. She was just laying into me a minute ago, full of energy.

"If you really want to know why she's in the hospital, maybe ask the doctor what she's actually sick with."

I didn't bother waiting for a response, just hung up.

I headed straight to the billing desk and pulled up my mom's hospital info.

"Acute gastroenteritis?" I almost burst out laughing in disbelief.

So much for the whole "heart attack from anger". Mom just got a stomach bug from eating something sketchy.

No wonder there were chips all over her nightstand.

I headed back to the ward with the bill in hand, and there was my mom, bawling her eyes out on the phone with Aunt Eliza.

When she saw me walk in, she hung up in a flash, flopped back down, and put on her best frail act.

"So you came back," she said, her voice full of accusation. "I thought you were just going to leave me here to fend for myself."

I slapped the bill down on the nightstand. "100 dollars for acute gastroenteritis meds. Mom, next time you want to put on a show, at least clean up your props first."

I pointed straight at the pile of chips.

My mom's face flushed bright red. "You... you..." she stammered.

Just then, the door swung open, and Alex walked in, carrying a fruit basket and a thermos.

"Hello, Mrs. Fuller. I'm Alex Bowman, Maddie's boyfriend," he said. "I heard you weren't feeling well, so I wanted to come by and check on you."

His demeanor was humble, and his smile sincere.

But my mom looked at him like he was her sworn enemy, shooting up from the bed in an instant. "Who asked you to come here? Get out!"

She snatched up an apple from the nightstand and hurled it straight at Alex.

Alex didn't dodge. The apple hit him square on the forehead, and a red welt popped up instantly.

I freaked out and jumped in front of him to protect him. "Mom! What the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing? I'm teaching this bastard a lesson," my mom shrieked. "How dare he seduces my daughter? Get him out of here."

My mom's insults just got meaner and louder, and now the whole ward was watching the drama unfold.