Ruby's POV
After my mom retired, she worried that my job would keep me too busy, so she often came over to help cook and clean.
To make things easier for her, I asked my husband, Declan Blackwood, to get her an elevator access card.
He agreed right away, saying, “Don’t worry, honey. Whatever concerns Mom are my responsibility too. I’ll handle it!”
But later, I noticed she was still climbing the stairs every single time, arriving at my door out of breath.
When I asked why she wasn’t using the card, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, “Sweetie, the card Declan gave me doesn’t work very well. I tried it several times, but the light never turns on.”
I turned around and questioned Declan, but he simply slipped an arm around my shoulder and replied, “Oh, property management told me the system’s been acting up. A bunch of neighbors already complained! But don’t worry, honey. I already pushed them to fix it. Mom just has to wait a few more days.”
However, that night, I overheard my mother-in-law speaking in a low voice. “Declan, tell me the truth. Did you really make a card for her mother?”
“That card has door access,” she continued. “If her poor relatives got their hands on it and came upstairs to steal things, what then?”
I heard Declan let out a short, mocking laugh. “Mom, relax. I gave her a fake one. Even if she swipes it for a hundred years, the elevator won’t move. How could I dare give her a real one? Who knows who she’d lend it to?”
My mother-in-law let out a satisfied chuckle. “Oh, my son really is smart. Quick on his feet.”
I stood in the entryway, feeling every drop of blood in my body rush backward.
So, they’d been treating my mom like a thief this whole time.
And they seemed to forget that the deed to this apartment only had my name on it.
——
Quickly, I turned around and dialed the real estate agent. “Hello, help me list a property for sale.”
When I hung up, the two of them were still chatting away.
Declan sounded even more proud than before as he said, “Besides, isn’t it normal for her mom to help out with cooking and cleaning? She’s retired anyway. Might as well move around and keep her joints active. An elevator card? For what? Climbing a few stairs won’t kill her…”
My mother-in-law chimed in right away. “Exactly! Climbing stairs is good exercise. Back in our day, we went through much worse. She thinks she’s that precious?”
I stood by the doorway, feeling the cold spread through my chest. Every word they said cut into me like a knife.
How could they speak with such confidence? Did they forget that when Declan’s business failed, it was my mom who secretly gave him the bank card containing her life savings? Did they forget that the last time my mother-in-law was hospitalized, it was my mom who ran around taking care of everything—cooking soup, bringing meals, staying overnight until her eyes were red from exhaustion?
My mom treated them like family. She gave without asking for anything in return. But behind her back, they treated her like a cheap, disposable maid.
Just then, I heard my mom call from the kitchen.
“Declan, Ruby, dinner’s ready! And dear in-law, the soup’s done. Come have a hot bowl!”
Her voice hit me like boiling water splashed on a fresh wound.
I took a deep breath and forced my eyes shut for a moment.
No. I wasn’t going to let this go. They were going to pay everything back with interest.
After fixing my expression, I walked into the living room.
On the dining table were four dishes and a soup, all steaming—everything my mom had spent her whole afternoon preparing.
My mother-in-law had already made herself comfortable in the main seat. She picked at the stir-fried vegetables closest to her, and her face instantly twisted. “Oh, look at all this oil. How am I supposed to eat this? People with high blood pressure and high cholesterol can’t touch this stuff!”
