"Don't leave tonight, okay? Stay here. Tomorrow morning I'll go to the market with you..."
Before I could finish, Georgette followed us in and cut me off.
"Absolutely not. He is not staying in this house."
She pointed at the three spare bedrooms down the hall.
"My niece is coming over tonight. She's taking the one on the left."
"The other two are for Xiufen, Sister Li, and Brother Jun. There's no room."
My expression went cold.
Those people she'd just named were card-playing friends she'd met at a mahjong table a week ago.
I'd told her repeatedly not to bring strangers into the house. She did it anyway.
Every time they came over, they left the place a wreck.
Edgar never lifted a finger, so I always ended up paying for a cleaning service out of my own pocket.
Today, I had specifically told my dad to come over.
She couldn't keep bringing strangers into this house.
She'd agreed to stop, then turned around and invited people over anyway.
My voice and my eyes went colder than they'd ever been.
"My father is staying here tonight."
"And your card-playing friends? Call them right now and tell them not to come."
"Otherwise, you won't like what happens next."
Georgette flinched under my gaze.
But it only took a second for that brazen look to slide right back into place.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"This is my son's house. I'll bring whoever I want here. Who are you to tell me otherwise?"
"Your son's house?"
The sarcasm was practically dripping from my voice.
Back when we first got married, Edgar had begged me to tell everyone the house was his. To save his pride.
I hadn't liked it, but I figured we were husband and wife. It wasn't worth the fight.
After that, the lies he told to protect his ego only multiplied.
The car I bought became his car.
I earned four times his salary and kept the household running. He'd been unemployed for six months, yet somehow told people I depended on him.
His mother believed every word, decided I was worthless, and assumed that no matter how badly she treated me, I'd never leave.
When the worthless one had been her son all along.
"Your son doesn't have a house."
My tone was pure mockery.
"This place was paid for, start to finish, with my—"
"Fern!"
Edgar cut me off, his voice sharp with panic. He grabbed my arm without waiting for a response and dragged me out to the balcony.
His anger hadn't cooled one degree.
"Fern Lambert, are you out of your mind?"