“Yes, this house needs a complete renovation. This furniture is so outdated. But anyway, we can discuss that later.”
Later than what? I wanted to ask, but I held back. I knew they were going to tell me anyway. I knew they had come with a prepared speech, with rehearsed arguments, with a whole strategy to get what they wanted.
I sat in the chair opposite them, keeping my back straight, my hands in my lap.
I waited.
Sometimes silence says more than a thousand words, and I had learned over the years that letting people speak first gives you the advantage.
Natalie cleared her throat.
“Mom, we found out something. We found out that your pension was finally approved. Three thousand a month, right? That is a lot of money for a single person.”
There it was. The real reason for the visit.
They did not come to ask how I was. They did not come to see if I needed anything.
They came for the money.
It was always about the money.
“It is my pension,” I said simply. “After forty years of work, it is what I am entitled to.”
Adrien leaned forward, his eyes shining with that poorly disguised greed.
“Of course, it is what you are entitled to, Eleanor. No one is saying otherwise. But one must also be realistic. You already have everything you need. This house is paid for. Your expenses are minimal. You do not have great needs.”
“Whereas we—well—we have many expenses. We have projects. We have plans. We have a whole life ahead of us.”
Natalie nodded enthusiastically.
“Exactly. Mom, Adrien and I have been thinking about starting a business, but we need initial capital. And considering we are your family, that we have always been here for you, we thought it would be fair for you to help us.”
“You have always been here for me,” I repeated her words slowly, letting each one fall into the air like drops of poison.
When was the last time you came to see me without wanting something in return? When was the last time you called me just to ask how I was?
Natalie frowned.
“Do not start with that, Mom. You are always on with the same speech that we do not visit you enough. We have busy lives. We have responsibilities. We cannot be coming here every two days to hold your hand.”
Adrien laughed.
“Besides, you are not that easy to deal with either. Eleanor, you are always complaining about something, always criticizing everything we do. Sometimes it is exhausting being here.”
His words hurt me more than I wanted to admit. But I did not let it show on my face. I kept my expression neutral, my eyes fixed on them, observing every gesture, every movement, every sign of what they truly were.
So Natalie continued.
“We have thought that what is fair is for you to give us fifteen hundred every month. It is half of your pension. With that, we can start our business, and you still keep fifteen hundred for your expenses. It is a perfect arrangement for everyone.”
“And if I refuse?” I asked calmly.
The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Natalie tensed up. Adrien stopped smiling. They looked at each other with an expression I could not fully interpret, but which put me on alert.
“I do not think you want to refuse, Mom,” Natalie said with a voice that tried to sound sweet, but only sounded threatening. “We are your family. We are all you have. It would be very sad if for a little money you ended up completely alone in this big empty house.”
Adrien nodded. “Very sad. Why? Who is going to take care of you when you are older? Who is going to be looking out if something happens to you? We are your insurance, Eleanor, and insurance must be paid for.”
There was the veiled threat—the insinuation that if I did not give them what they wanted, they would abandon me completely. As if their sporadic presence and their visits full of demands were some kind of blessing I should be grateful for.
I looked at them for a long moment.
I saw my daughter—the girl I had carried in my arms, the baby I had fed from my own body—turned into this woman who now looked at me as if I were just a means to get money.
I saw her husband—that man who never worked a full day in his life, who was always looking for shortcuts and easy ways to get what he wanted.
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