Chapter 3
There it was, that same old line again.
I couldn't help but feel hurt and powerless.
Why was it that whenever things went a little better for me, my mom couldn't stand it?
Was it even possible for a mother to be this jealous of her own daughter?
I was spacing out when my mom suddenly rushed over and pulled up my shirt.
Her eyes gleamed with excitement, practically bursting with anticipation.
"It's been over five months, so you must have stretch marks by now. Come on, let me see just how nasty they look," she sneered.
The moment she saw my smooth belly, her smile froze on her face.
She rubbed her eyes, staring in disbelief, looking again and again.
Finally, begrudgingly, she had to admit my belly was perfectly smooth. There wasn't a single stretch mark.
She burst into tears, yanking up her own shirt and pointing at the ugly, dark stretch marks on her belly, glaring at me with pure hatred.
She spat, "I turned into this mess because of you. Your dad found me disgusting and went off with someone else.
"I got these stretch marks, so why do you get away without any?"
My mom screamed in fury.
Even though I was angry, I felt a pang of sympathy for her.
Her life was truly nothing but hardship.
Maybe it was all those bitter days that wore her down into who she was at that moment.
Trembling, I reached out, wanting so badly to hug her, desperate to fix things between us.
I said gently, "Mom, everybody's different, you know?
"How about I take you to see if we can get them fixed?"
She spread her arms open, too.
I thought she'd hug me, that she'd accept my kindness.
But I was wrong.
The next second, my mom's nails went wild, scratching at my belly.
She went wild, clawing at my belly with her nails, each scratch deeper and more desperate than the last.
"Yeah, right. Different body types? Give me a break. I bet you snuck off and blew money on some secret beauty treatments, so that you could rub it in my face.
"No way am I letting you win. I'm your mother. If I have stretch marks, then you damn well better have them, too."
My whole body broke out in a cold sweat, and the pain was so bad I nearly blacked out.
I glanced down. My belly was shredded, raw, and bleeding from her nails.
Each scratch twisted across my skin like some ugly, writhing centipede, bleeding all over the place.
Honestly, they really did look like stretch marks.
Just to make me like her, my mom actually went so far as to carve stretch marks into my skin with her own nails.
It was already deep, already ugly.
But my mom still wasn't satisfied. She kept clawing at me, digging her nails in even harder, as she couldn't get enough.
Desperate and heartbroken, I screamed for help, "Eric, help me."
Eric burst in, stunned by what he saw.
He rushed straight to me.
I couldn't make out what they were saying. Clutching my bloody belly, I blacked out.
At the hospital, Eric held my hand, still shaken.
"Your mom is terrifying. I'm checking out some reputable psych hospitals for her. From now on, let's stay away from her as much as possible," he said.
I nodded in agreement.
When we got back from the hospital, I found my mom at home.
Suddenly, I regretted ever giving her a spare key to our apartment. When she saw me in my hospital gown, she shot me an annoyed look.
She snapped, "I never even went to the hospital when I gave birth to you, and you just bled a little. Why do you need to go?
"Eric, can't you do something about her? Going to the hospital is such a waste of money. She's such a drama queen."
My heart, already battered and bruised by her, ached all over again.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and my mom practically skipped over to answer it, grinning from ear to ear.
She walked in, arm in arm with a girl, looking way too friendly.
The girl was young and gorgeous, rocking a skimpy maid outfit, her hips outlined by sheer black stockings.
Eric and I exchanged a look, both of us totally baffled.
My mom practically shoved the girl over to Eric, giggling like she was showing off some prize.
She said, grinning, "Eric, this is Sophie. I hired her to be your new maid.
"Look at her, great body, super capable. Isn't she way better than that old hag you married?"
Sophie blushed, lowering her head and giving a coy smile, her teeth gently grazing her lip.
I looked at them, my heart sinking into an icy pit, colder than ever.
Here she went again.
Just because my dad cheated on her when she was pregnant, she was hell-bent on making Eric stray, too.