My Mother Sold My Life for a House

Chapter 2

I tried to hold Mom back, but Lyle blocked me.

Lyle said, "Mom's right. Everyone should see what an ungrateful wretch you are."

After Mom sent that voice message, the family group chat blew up. Even relatives we barely ever talked to messaged me to criticize me.

A: [Elowen really doesn't know how to behave. How could she curse her own mother!]

B: [Exactly. Twenty years of raising her, and she turns out to be an ungrateful wretch... Talia, it's clear you spoil your daughter too much.]

C: [This girl Elowen has never been close to the family since she was young. To think she turned out like this after growing up. If you ask me, she should be taught a good lesson.]

D: [Talia, you raised Elowen and Lyle all on your own. We all know how much you've suffered. Elowen really doesn't know how to behave.]

Everyone chimed in, blaming me for saying Mom was sick.

Mom looked at those messages, rolled her eyes at me, and then sent another message in the group, saying, "Good thing I have my precious son, Lyle. Otherwise, I'd probably end up on the streets when I'm old."

I laughed bitterly to myself.

My dad died when Lyle was little, so all these years I had tried to be a good daughter to make Mom's life easier. But in her eyes, I still couldn't compare to her good-for-nothing son.

Mom taught me from the time I was little that I always had to let my younger brother have his way. So when we were young, Lyle ate chicken drumsticks while I could only gnaw on chicken bones.

In school, Mom said the spring outings and field trips were too expensive and never let me go. Then she turned around and signed Lyle up for piano lessons costing tens of thousands. Eventually, Lyle got bored. Mom said she didn't want to waste the money and forced me to take several lessons I hated.

Whenever Lyle messed up, Mom blamed me for not raising him right. When Lyle got hurt, Mom blamed me for not taking good care of him. Even when Lyle was expelled from school for fighting and skipping classes, Mom would blame me for not stopping him earlier.

I knew ever since I was little that Mom favored Lyle, but I was her child too. She must love me after all.

But this time, after I'd finally scraped together five hundred thousand dollars for surgery fees, Mom took it to buy Lyle a house and then hit and cursed me just because I said she was sick.

Seeing that Mom refused to listen to reason, I had no choice but to leave for now.

But the day after I got back to work, I was in a meeting when I got a call from Lyle.

Lyle sounded urgent.

Lyle said urgently, "Elowen, come back quickly. There's an emergency at home."

I quickly pressed him for details, but Lyle wouldn't say. He just kept telling me to get back, saying, "Don't ask, Elowen. Just get back here. Mom and I are waiting for you!"

I was frantic with worry, afraid that something had truly happened to Mom. I apologized to my boss, took time off, and rushed back in a taxi, terrified I'd be too late and make things worse.

But before I even made it home, Lyle called again and gave me an address to go to.

With mixed feelings, I walked into that seafood restaurant. Inside, I saw Mom and Lyle clumsily cracking open king crabs at the table.

Seeing me, Lyle smirked and said, "See, Mom? All it takes is one word from me, and Elowen will come running right back."

Mom laughed along too and said, "Lyle really is the clever one after all."

Then Mom turned to me and said, "Since you're here, hurry up and pay up front."