My son took the mic at the $19,000 wedding I paid for and thanked his mother-in-law as his “real mom.” The room froze. I didn’t say a word… until I delivered the moment he’ll regret forever.

Her voice had lost all the fake sweetness from the wedding.

“I need to speak with you urgently.”

I smiled. It was starting.

“Of course, Carol. How can I help you?”

There was a pause.

“Ethan told me you moved and that you have a lawyer. Ashley is very worried. Did something happen?”

The concern in her voice was music to my ears. After decades of being ignored, now they needed answers from me.

“Nothing serious happened,” I replied calmly. “I just decided to make some changes in my life. At 70, one learns that life is too short to waste on people who don’t value you.”

Another longer pause.

“Stephanie, could we meet? I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

A misunderstanding. How interesting. When they humiliated me at the wedding, there were no misunderstandings. When Ethan asked me for more money the next day, there was no confusion. But now that I had disappeared from their lives, suddenly everything was a misunderstanding.

“Of course, Carol, but you’ll have to come to my new apartment. I don’t go out as much as I used to.”

I gave her my new address. The Salarium building was known throughout the city as one of the most exclusive. I knew Carol would recognize the address immediately.

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