I Gave Her a Fortune, She Gave My Parents Lies

I watched them walk away, laughing and chatting as they headed out to grab breakfast. After taking a deep breath, I pulled on a mask and hat before slipping out of the car.

My in-laws lived in one of those old walk-up buildings where the walls were paper-thin. I crept through the entrance and ducked into the corner landing between the first and second floors.

Piles of junk cluttered the space and gave me the perfect cover while still letting me hear everything happening upstairs.

A neighbor's voice drifted down, thick with envy. "Your son-in-law is really something special. I saw all those things he brought up last night. All that liquor and those cigarettes must've cost a fortune."

I held my breath and strained to hear more.

"You better believe it!" My mother-in-law Linda Kirk's voice shot up an octave, barely containing her pride.

"That's premium aged liquor! They're probably 3,000 dollars a bottle! Caden bought two whole cases because he said spoiling us shouldn't be done halfway. And those cigarettes are the expensive kind!"

I laughed bitterly. That was my money. My blood and sweat from all those sleepless nights.

The neighbor made appreciative noises. "He's so generous! Not like mine, who pinches every penny. So what happened to your daughter's last husband? Did they get a divorce?"

Everything in me went still.

Linda snorted like she was discussing something dirty. "That loser Edgar Kennedy? They divorced ages ago! The man was cheap as hell!"

The words knocked the air out of me. Zoe had told everyone we were divorced?

No wonder she never let me come visit for the holidays and always claimed she wanted me to spend more time with my own parents.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the building entrance. Zoe and Caden were back.

I pressed myself deeper into the pile of junk. Their conversation carried clearly through the stairwell.

"Breakfast cost just over 50 dollars. Everything is so expensive." Zoe's voice had taken on a whiny, flirtatious tone.

"Who cares? That idiot is footing the bill anyway." Caden's voice dripped with contempt and smugness. "Speaking of which, how much did your ex give you this year?"

"Same as always. 100 grand."

Zoe laughed, and the sound was full of mockery. Caden pulled her close, and he kissed her loudly.

"That's my clever wife. You've got him wrapped around your finger. Just be careful that he doesn't catch on."

"Catch on to what?" Zoe's voice turned sharp and nasty. "He's got mush for brains. All he does is work overtime. He never pays attention to anything at home.

"Besides, even if he did figure it out, so what? I control all the money. What's he going to do about it?

"Once I've bled him dry, I'll lay it all out for him and make sure he leaves with nothing!"

Their laughter faded as they climbed the stairs, and then a door slammed shut somewhere above.

The stairwell fell silent again. I crouched in the dark corner, grinding my teeth so hard they might shatter.

I thought about what I'd gone through for that 100 thousand dollars. I thought about how I had smiled and groveled at dinner tables with clients, drinking until my stomach bled and paramedics had to carry me out.

I thought about the look in my parents' eyes when they saw that storage room full of fake liquor—that mixture of shame and heartbreak.

The hatred in me grew even stronger.