“In this house, I’m the one who makes the rules. Your wife is only good for giving birth and washing dishes.”
I felt my chest tighten. “Mom, this is not okay.” I stepped closer, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t want the guests to hear, but the anger was boiling under my skin.
She turned to me, eyebrows raised. “What? You’re going to defend her now?”
“She’s more than a caretaker, and you know it.” My heart raced. I could see the guests laughing through the open kitchen window, oblivious to the battle brewing inside.
“I’m just trying to keep this family together, Connor!”
“By belittling her? By treating her like a maid?” I could feel my voice rising. Amy, pushed into the background, deserved so much better than this. “You have no idea how hard she works.”
Teresa waved her hand dismissively, her sharp nails glinting under the kitchen light. “Hard work doesn’t mean anything if you can’t earn your keep. Your responsibilities are a privilege, not a right.”
“You think she doesn’t earn her place here? She just had our baby!” I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling lost in a storm of emotions. How had my mother become this person?
“You need to understand that family roles are important,” she snapped. “You think I’m trying to undermine her? I’m ensuring she knows her place.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “This isn’t the 1950s, Mom! Women deserve respect! She deserves respect!”
“Respect is earned, not given, Connor.”
“By your definition, she’ll never earn it. You’ve made sure of that!” I turned to see Amy standing in the doorway, her face pale, with Frederick’s tiny fingers curled around her neck. She looked small, defeated, and my heart shattered at the sight.
“I’m not doing this here,” I said, voice steadying. “Let’s go, Amy. This isn’t a celebration; it’s a circus.”
“It’s my house and my rules.”
Before we could step past her, Teresa blocked the doorway, arms crossed defiantly. “You’re not leaving! This is family!”
“Family? This is toxic!” I shouted, the heat of the moment escalating. “You’re ruining Frederick’s birthday party, Mom!”
“I won’t let you take my son away from his family.”
My stomach churned as I glanced back at Amy, her face a mix of fear and frustration. “We’re leaving,” I insisted, stepping towards her, but she stood firm.
“You think you can just walk away from this? You owe me, Connor! You need to honor your mother!”
My fists clenched. “Honor? By treating my wife like garbage?”
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, distracted by the vibration just enough to miss Teresa’s next words. There, tucked in a hidden folder, were messages from my mother that made my skin crawl. They were laced with jealousy and manipulation, revealing how she saw Amy as a threat. A chill passed through me.
“Connor, you’re not going anywhere,” Teresa hissed. “This is my house. You follow my rules.”
“And what if I refuse?”
“You’ll regret it.” Her glare drilled into me, making my heart race. What did she mean? I felt trapped in her web, and the air grew thick with tension. I looked at Amy, who held Frederick tight against her chest, trembling.
“Mom, if you can’t accept Amy, I—”
“You’ll break apart the family? Just like your father did?”
Her words hit me like a slap, reverberating in my mind. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t know the whole story, Connor.” Her voice dropped, almost conspiratorial. “Your father… he wasn’t who you think he was.”
I felt the ground shift beneath me as I struggled to process her words. Everything I thought I knew about my family was unraveling in front of me. “What do you mean?”
But Teresa just smirked, her eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction. “There are things you will learn, things you don’t understand yet.”
The chill settled deep in my bones as confusion and dread wrapped around my heart. What had I just walked into?