The Gap in Our Words

I left the house with a bitter laugh and let my mother-in-law do her own thing. I would not hold her back anymore.

I was going to watch her mess up and watch the whole Williams family get what was coming to them!

In the end, Edwin woke up, lost his temper, and argued with his mom. She cried a river, and he ended up calling me to vent. I played the understanding one and told him, "Your mom got up early just for you. It's not easy, right? She's doing it all for you. Why fuss over an old lady?"

Edwin was totally confused because whenever he used to complain to me, I would just complain even more.

He never thought I would take his mom's side, especially using his own favorite phrases. He was so mad that he just hung up the phone.

I could not help but giggle. He now knew what it felt like to be woken up too early, right?

He only felt the pain when it was his own toe getting stubbed. Well, this was just the start!

The contract was perfect, and I nailed the deal for my company. My supervisor said I did great even while on maternity leave, landing such a big deal. That same day, I got promoted to general manager.

My paycheck got a lot bigger, and I got a nice bonus too.

We had a company dinner that night to celebrate, and I did not get home until 10:00 pm. When I walked in, Edwin and his mom were on the couch. He looked mad while she was crying.

Edwin said right away, "Janice, where have you been? You didn't say you were taking the kid to your parents' place, and now, you're home late. Don't you care about our home?"

His mom said, "A woman should put her family first. Being out late and drinking isn't good. People will talk."

At that moment, I was enlightened. She messed with my contract because she could not stand the idea that I was doing better than her son.

If she did not spread rumors, who would think I was a bad wife and mother who did not care about her own family or the elderly? She totally wrecked my reputation in the neighborhood before. It was all her doing!

I sat on the couch, stone-faced. "If I don't make money, will you guys take care of us all? I can quit, but can you handle it? You're starting a fight with me right after I get promoted. We might as well get a divorce!"

Edwin and his mom looked at each other, shocked. They did not see that coming.

I did not even have to guess. After I brought Teresa away, my mother-in-law must have been causing trouble again.

She and Edwin probably had a little spat. She thought I was trying to get rid of her by having my parents watch Teresa. She was always making a big deal out of nothing when she was bored.

Edwin was usually nice unless it was about his mom. I guess I did not see his true colors sooner because of that.

Now that I had gotten a promotion, he was not about to let me go. He even started giving me a shoulder rub.

"My mom didn't mean anything by it. You sent Teresa away without telling us. We were just worried, that's all!"

His mom started crying again, getting ready to pull her usual dramatics.

I tried to calm things down. "Having my parents watch Teresa for a few days will give your mom a break, right? She's been so tired lately. She's here to enjoy life with us, not to work all the time. You should be grateful for everything she's done for you!"

That stopped my mother-in-law in her tracks. She could not keep up her act anymore.

She brought out some old leftovers. "Janice, are you gonna eat? I saved all this for you."

She was giving me rotten food because I stood up for her?

I smiled, though it was not at all sincere. "I'm good. You eat up. Make yourself at home and don't hold back!"

She could not finish her food, and the next day, she brought out pickled cucumbers and the same old pasta.

She had unplugged the fridge to save on the bills, so everything went bad, like the pasta and the meat that she tried to fry up. She had done that before, and I had always caught her. However, she never learned.

She tried to give me the pasta again. "Janice, you work so hard. Have some more."

I just passed it to Edwin, along with a few meatballs. "I'm in a rush. You eat. Don't waste your mom's effort."

Edwin was in a big rush to see a client today and did not have much time, so he just wolfed down his lunch. The tasty meatballs made him forget all about the pasta, which tasted a bit off.

I was in the middle of work when my phone rang. It was bad news—my mother-in-law was in the hospital with a really upset stomach, throwing up and everything.

I got permission to leave work and hurried to the hospital.

Mandy was already there for a check-up because she was expecting her second baby.

I could not tell what they had been talking about, but my mother-in-law looked so sad, with tears in her eyes.

As soon as Mandy saw me, she ripped me a new one. "What kind of care have you been giving my mom? You got her so sick with bad food that she ended up in the hospital. How could you be so mean?"