Mom's Last Gift

Synopsis

On my birthday, my daughter sent me a tiny digital gift via Messenger in the family chat. The moment I clicked "accept," she immediately typed, dripping with sarcasm: [Mom, I see you're actually quite greedy. You snapped up that gift in a second. Not like my grandmother, she never takes gifts, and even checks if we have enough money to spend.] The once lively chat went silent. Seeing I didn't respond, she sent two more voice messages, equally dripping with mockery: [Just joking. You wouldn't be so petty, right? Besides, I wasn't wrong. Last month, my grandmother didn't accept any gifts for her birthday, and everyone was warm and loving together.] Oh, so the 11,000-dollar gold bracelet and the 10,000-dollar Eryndor ten-day twin-trip my daughter gave her grandmother didn't count. But me, her own mother, accepting a tiny digital gift on my 55th birthday? That made me greedy. Fine. I wouldn't take advantage any longer. I turned off the stove, packed my things, unlinked my retirement card that had been paying off her debts, and went straight back to my hometown.