Chapter 1
My husband thought having my mother around was an eyesore. He threatened to divorce me if she didn't go.
However, my mother was a strong-willed woman.
That night, she booked a ticket to leave, not even letting me see her off at the door.
Five days later, my husband was shoveling food into his mouth when he said, "My sister got transferred for work. She'll be staying with us for a few months. Get ready."
I put down my fork. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. She is my family. What's wrong with her staying at her brother's place?" he said.
I didn't say a word.
I picked up my phone and called right in front of him.
"Hey, Mr. Duncan, I've got all the divorce papers ready. Can we get it filed tomorrow?" I asked.
He snatched my phone. "Are you crazy? My sister's only staying for a few days, and you want a divorce?"
I looked at him. "Did you forget what you said five days ago?"
He froze.
I pulled a voice recorder from my bag and hit play.
The words he had spoken himself rang out, echoing in the living room.
*****
My husband, David Dickinson, couldn't stand having my mom, Mary Carter, around the apartment.
He threatened to divorce me if she didn't leave.
Mary was a strong-willed woman.
She heard every word.
That night, she booked a ticket.
I cried, begging her not to leave.
She gently patted my hand and said, "Emily, Mom can't let you be stuck in the middle."
The next morning, she grabbed her old canvas bag and left, not even letting me walk her to the door.
As I watched her frail silhouette disappear around the corner of the hallway, it was like someone tore a chunk out of my heart.
I'd been married to David for three years.
This was the first time my mom had ever come to visit.
She only stayed for ten days.
Five days later, David came home from work in a good mood.
He was shoveling food into his mouth when he casually said, "Oh, by the way, Emily, my sister Lisa got transferred for work.
"She's coming to our city and will be staying with us for a few months.
"Go ahead and get the guest room ready."
My hand froze, fork still in my grip.
The living room was so quiet that all I could hear was the sound of him eating.
I slowly set my fork down and looked at him. "Are you sure?"
He didn't even look up. "Of course. She's family. What's wrong with her staying at her brother's place?
"How could I feel at ease letting a girl like her rent a place on her own?"
I laughed, but it was cold, almost icy.
I didn't say a word.
I reached into my bag on the couch and pulled out my phone.
Right in front of him, I dialed a number.
The call connected almost instantly. "Hello, Mr. Duncan.
"This is Emily Grant.
"I spoke with you earlier about the divorce, and I've got all the paperwork ready now.
"Do you think we can file at the court tomorrow?"
David slammed his bowl down on the table with a loud bang.
Soup splattered all over the place.
He snatched my phone and shouted into it, "We're not getting divorced!"
Then he hung up the call angrily.
His eyes were red as he glared at me, furious like a beast. "Emily, are you crazy?
"My sister stays for a few days, and you want a divorce? Is it really necessary?"
I calmly looked at him and took the phone back.
"Is it really necessary?" I asked, "David, have you forgotten?
"What did you say five days ago?"
He froze, a flicker of panic crossing his face.
I didn't give him a chance to think.
I pulled something else out of my bag.
It was a small, black voice recorder.
Right in front of him, I pressed play.
David's voice rang out in the quiet living room.
He said, "Get your mom out of here. Seeing her face gets on my nerves.
"She's always wandering around the apartment. She's an eyesore and brings bad luck.
"I'm telling you, Emily. If she doesn't leave by the day after tomorrow, we're going straight to file for divorce.
"I can't take this anymore, not even for one more day."
When the recording ended, the living room was dead silent.
David's face went from red to pale, then turned a sickly green.
He stared at me, his lips trembling, unable to get a single word out.
David's breathing grew heavy.
He stared at the voice recorder in my hand, like he wanted to burn a hole right through it.
"You..." he finally choked out, "You set me up."
I looked at him, panic and rage all over his face, and my heart turned to ice.
He had no guilt or self-reflection. His first reaction was to think I was trying to trap him.
I slipped the recorder back into my bag. "I wasn't trying to trap you.
"I only recorded your own words.
"So my mom is an eyesore and bad news, huh, David? That's what you said?
"But your sister Lisa, she's not an outsider. She's your family, so she gets treated like royalty, right?"
He was left speechless, his face shifting from pale to green. He looked absolutely pathetic.
"That's not the same," he shot back. "Lisa's only here temporarily, but your mom—"
"But what?" I cut him off. "My mom comes to take care of me, so now she's freeloading?
"But your sister crashes here for free, and that's totally fine?
"Did you buy this apartment, or are you the one paying the mortgage?"
My questions stabbed at him, sharp as knives.
My parents paid for this place in full before I got married. It was my premarital property.
My name is the only one on the deed.
David's expression darkened even more.
He retorted stubbornly, "Emily, don't play word games with me.
"We're family. Is it really worth nitpicking over this?
"I asked your mom to go home for a while. It's not like I'm banning her from ever coming back."
"Family?" I laughed coldly. "David, if my mom were really family to you, would you ever ask her to get lost?"
David was totally at a loss for words.
The atmosphere in the living room felt frozen.
He started pacing back and forth, restless and frustrated.
Finally, he stopped right in front of me, his voice softening. "Emily, I was a little drunk that day and said some harsh things.
"I'm sorry, okay?
"Don't make a scene. Call the lawyer back and clear things up."
I shook my head. "It's too late.
"David, from the moment you hurt my mom so badly she had to leave, it was already too late."
Seeing that I wouldn't give in, he finally snapped. "Emily, don't take my kindness for granted.
"Isn't it about your mom's matter? How is that such a big deal? You're really going to divorce me over something so trivial?
"I'm telling you. I'm not letting you go through with this divorce."
I looked at him, my gaze completely calm and unmoved. "It's not up to you.
"I'm filing for divorce."
He was shaking with rage, jabbing a finger at me. "Fine, Emily, I can't believe you did this."
He snatched his jacket off the couch and stormed out.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Suddenly, everything was peaceful.
I slumped onto the couch, and only then did the tears start to fall.
It wasn't sadness. It was the ache of injustice, all because of what my mom went through.
My phone buzzed. It was an unknown number.
I swiped to answer.
Right away, my mother-in-law's shrill voice blasted through the line. "Emily, you curse! What the hell do you think you're doing?
"David says you're divorcing him. So you think you're tough now, is that it?
"Let me tell you. The Dickinson family isn't going to let you walk all over us.
"Try divorcing him? Tomorrow, I'll storm over with Lisa and see if you can handle it.
"Let's see how tough you really are."