"If I'd known it would be like this, I really wish I'd ended up just like my dad..."
Adam's words trailed off.
But I already knew what he'd been about to say.
Honestly, it would've been a lie to say that didn't sting.
My husband and I had always been busy with work, so when Adam was young, we'd barely been around for him. We hadn't given him enough attention or guidance.
That was why, once he grew up, we both went out of our way to make up for it.
He had no talent for holding down a job, so we gave him money, gave him a house, gave him a car, and while we were still young enough to earn, we worked hard to set aside as much as we could for him.
After he got married, I never once pulled the overbearing mother-in-law act.
Over the course of a year, I visited this apartment maybe ten times at most.
Every visit, I'd bring food or drinks, or gifts I'd picked up for the two of them during business trips abroad.
Because I'd never had to deal with the typical in-law drama, I genuinely hoped my daughter-in-law and I could be close, like good friends. What I never expected was that despite all my boundaries, despite all my generosity, behind my back they were calling me a wicked old hag.
And the thing was, they'd been married for years now.
This hadn't just started recently. They hadn't suddenly snapped and decided to use the Wi-Fi name to get under my skin.
Even though I'd told them to get out, in my heart, they were still my son and my daughter-in-law.
If they admitted they were wrong, if they truly understood what they'd done, if they showed me genuine respect from the bottom of their hearts, I could forgive them. I could pretend none of this had ever happened.
But unfortunately...
I was still lost in thought when the knocking came at the door.
Building management had arrived.
I opened the door, let them in, and pointed at the two of them.
"It's them."
This was an upscale community. The management fees were steep, so the staff knew every household's situation well. They recognized Adam and Charlotte as my son and daughter-in-law right away.
So naturally, they tried to smooth things over, urging the two of them to apologize and stop upsetting me.
Neither of them had any intention of apologizing.
Charlotte especially.
She actually jabbed a finger in my direction and screamed.
"We live in this apartment! We're the residents here! Throw her out!"
"If you don't, I'll file a complaint and have every one of you fired."
The building management staff looked like they wanted to crawl out of their own skin.
Family disputes like this were a nightmare to handle. If they sided with me, and I later patched things up with my son and daughter-in-law, they'd be the villains who'd tried to kick out my family.
So everything ground to a standstill.
"Ma'am... we don't actually have the authority to enforce anything like that."
I hadn't meant to put them in an impossible position, so I pulled out my phone to call the police.
Adam saw that I'd already dialed the number.
He quickly pulled Charlotte aside. The two of them huddled together, whispering back and forth, and then slammed their hands on the table in unison.
"Fine! We'll go!"
The building management staff exhaled with visible relief and made a hasty exit.
Adam and Charlotte threw a few things together and stormed out, slamming the door behind them.
The slam was loud enough to rattle the walls. But after it, I didn't hear any footsteps walking away.
I opened the smart lock and checked.
Sure enough.
They hadn't left. The two of them were standing right outside the door, faces pinched with worry.
Charlotte spoke first.
"Are you sure this whole playing-hard-to-get thing is actually going to work?"
"We took forever packing in there and that old witch didn't come crawling to stop us. Now we're out here. You really think she's going to beg us to come back?"
Adam gave a confident nod.
"Of course."
"You think I don't know my own mother?"
"She might seem tough and no-nonsense on the outside, but deep down, she's all bark and no bite."
