Paid for my sister’s wedding, and my mother sent me a message: «You don’t have to come to the celebration. Your stepfather thinks you’re ruining the family photo.» The next morning they received a notification that made everyone in the family FURIOUS…
«Of how Victor emphasized my inferiority at every opportunity. Of how you laughed with him at my appearance, at my lifestyle. Of how you took my help for granted, continuing to treat me condescendingly.»
His mother nervously fiddled with her purse strap. «You’re exaggerating. Yes, Victor can be sharp sometimes, but he never meant to offend you.
Right?» Alex smirked. Lumberjack on a stroll, bum from the train station, family disgrace—that all sounded very friendly, of course. Those were just jokes.
His mother began to noticeably fidget. «You take everything too seriously.» «Maybe,» agreed Alex.
«But you know what I took even more seriously? That a person living in my apartment for free allows himself to forbid me from appearing at a family celebration that I paid for.» A heavy pause hung. His mother lowered her gaze.
«Fine, I understand your offense. We acted wrongly. But because of one mistake, are you ready to kick us out of the house? Where will we live, Alex?» «That’s no longer my problem,» Alex replied firmly.
«Victor has a job in the administration, which he loves to remind about. You both had years to save for your own housing or at least a down payment on a mortgage. Instead, you lived at my expense.»
«At your expense?» Indignation appeared in his mother’s voice. «I devoted my whole life to you. Who didn’t sleep nights when you were sick? Who denied herself everything so you could get an education?» «Thank you for that,» Alex replied calmly.
«But you know what normal parents do? They raise children not to demand lifelong compensation later. They do it out of love and care, expecting nothing in return. You’re accusing me of not loving you?» His mother’s eyes filled with tears.
«After everything I’ve done for you? No, Mom. I’m just saying that real love doesn’t set conditions. It doesn’t demand payment and doesn’t remind of sacrifices at every opportunity.»
His mother looked at him with incomprehension. She really couldn’t grasp his position. In her worldview, children owed parents just by the fact of their birth, and no payment could be sufficient.
And yet, she finally said, wiping her tears, «Where do we go? We don’t have that kind of money to rent a decent apartment. And Victor might not get promoted because of this scandal.» What scandal? Alex was surprised.
Our move. People will ask why we suddenly moved out of a good downtown apartment. There will be talk.
Alex shook his head. Even now, his mother was more worried about her husband’s reputation than the break in relations with her son. «That’s not my problem,» he repeated.
«You have three more weeks to find housing. And if we don’t find anything suitable in that time?» Tears appeared in his mother’s voice again. «Then you’ll have to find something unsuitable,» Alex cut off.
«Or turn to Victor’s relatives for help. He has a mother, if I’m not mistaken. The old lady lives in a two-bedroom in the suburbs.»
His mother threw up her hands. «It takes Victor two hours to get to work from there. Then he’ll have to get up earlier,» Alex shrugged.
His mother stood up, clutching her purse with whitened fingers. «I don’t recognize you, Alex. You’ve become so… cruel.
It’s all your computers; they’ve turned you into an emotionless machine.» Alex just smirked. A typical psychological tactic: when there’s nothing to counter on substance, attack the opponent’s personality…
