Patrick caught the look in his wife's eyes instantly. "Yeah, that's right. We couldn't talk her out of it." He reached for my luggage. "Mom, let me put this in the car for you. We can look at the gifts later."
He yanked the suitcase from my grip. I tried to protest, but Jade pinched the tender flesh of my arm.
Hard.
"Mom, stop being difficult, okay?" she hissed. "Even if I was wrong today, I'm begging you—give me some face. If you have a problem, we can talk about it behind closed doors at home."
I ripped my arm free, pulled out my phone, and hit record.
"Fine. Pay me back the money I used over the last seven years to pay your mortgage. Otherwise, don't speak to me."
I stared her down. "Since you keep calling me scheming, let's settle the accounts clearly."
The color drained from Jade's face. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.
"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you," I continued, my voice steady. "Rent is $1,500 a month. Food is $1,000. That's $30,000 a year. Over seven years, that's $210,000."
"I also paid $5,000 toward your mortgage every month. Rounding down, that's $60,000 a year. Seven years makes $420,000. You just pay me back the $210,000 for living expenses. Very fair, right?"
"As for being your live-in nanny all these years—cooking, cleaning, raising the kid—I won't charge wages for that. Consider it a gift from your biological mother. Does that work for you?"
Jade looked like she might faint. Her voice rose to a shrill pitch.
"Mom! Do you have to do this here? I'm your only daughter—talking about money hurts our relationship! Besides, you and Dad will rely on me to support you in your old age. What's the point of calculating everything so clearly now?"
I opened my mouth to retort, but Patrick hurried over, urging us toward the car.
"Mom, Jade has a bad temper and speaks without thinking. I already scolded her. For my sake, please, let it go just this once?"
"That's right. Mom, are you really so heartless that you'd make me lose face in front of my in-laws?"
I studied my daughter's posture—half-begging, half-manipulative. A thought crystallized.
*Fine.*
Since she insisted I was scheming, and since she claimed her in-laws were so wonderful, I would let her see the cruel truth.
"Fine," I said aloud.
We piled into the car. Savannah squirmed in Zoey Lambert's lap, kicking her legs.
"I don't want to sit with Bad Grandma!"
A bitter taste flooded my mouth.