."Mom, we're only telling the truth. Look at you, getting all upset over it. The fact is, you just can't compare to Auntie Zelda."
"Fine. I've agreed to the divorce, and I've agreed to let Zelda Fox be your mother. If none of you have a problem with it, then add that clause in."
Denise had already snatched up the divorce agreement and marched off into the study.
In their eyes, this family had always been held together by Ervin alone. To them, I was no different from a maid.
It wasn't long before she came back with a freshly printed copy of the agreement.
I simply slid it into my briefcase.
"Once the two million dollars is in my account, I'll sign it and mail it back to you."
With that, I switched off the recording on my phone, walked into my own room, and started packing.
A few changes of clothes, most of them styles from five or six years ago.
On the vanity, an entire row of cosmetics belonged to my daughter Denise. The only thing that was mine was a single jar of cold cream.
Last of all, an ox-horn comb I'd used for nearly twenty years and a few elastic bands for tying back my hair.
For the sake of this family, I'd scrimped and saved for almost twenty years. I'd never once lived for myself.
And all I'd gotten in return was the whole family's contempt and resentment.
This time, I was going to live for me.
When I passed through the living room, Ervin, Cary, and Denise were all there waiting for me.
"Mom, let me carry that for you."
Ervin reached for my suitcase, but I stepped aside before he could touch it.
"No need."
I didn't bother with any of them. I just picked up my suitcase and walked out the door.
The moment I stepped over the threshold, I felt as though something had been lifted off me. My whole body went light.
I didn't go far. I just found a high-end hotel nearby and checked in.
A night in a hotel like this was something I never would have dared imagine before. This time, I didn't feel the slightest pang over it.
It was a room with floor-to-ceiling windows, the river view clear in the distance. I opened the window, breathed in the fresh air, and sat there by the glass for a full hour.
Then I picked up my phone, meaning to scroll through some videos for a while, when I noticed there was still a security camera connected to it.
It was the camera in the living room back home, installed years ago.
Almost without thinking, I tapped it open, and the living room came up sharp and clear.
Ervin, Cary, and Denise stood by the door, as if they were waiting for someone.
No prizes for guessing. They were waiting for Zelda Fox.
Sure enough, before long, Zelda pushed the door open and walked in.
Zelda was thirty-five this year, but she looked only twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Delicate features, fair skin, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that gave her an air of refinement.
The moment she stepped inside, Denise threw herself into her arms.
"Auntie Zelda, now we get to live together from now on."
"I ordered a dozen dishes. They'll be here any minute. Tonight we celebrate properly."
Soon enough, a delivery driver brought the food in, and before long the table was covered with it.
Ervin, of all things, actually ordered a bottle of red wine.
The whole family raised their glasses and drank freely, their faces glowing with happiness.
But I knew that no matter how much passion a life held, in the end it all came back to bills and dirty dishes.
I took a shower and lay down on the soft, generous bed, falling asleep almost at once.
That night I slept sweeter than I had in years. The last time I'd slept so well was before I ever got married.
I was just about to get up when my phone rang. To my surprise, it was Cary calling. I pressed answer without thinking.
"Mom, the house is a total mess. Come back and clean it up, would you? Oh, and don't forget to grab me some breakfast."
