“Everyone knows how nice it feels to have the air conditioner on, but you can’t indulge yourself and forget about others!"
I trembled with rage. “How am I being selfish? How am I ignoring your well-being? Is turning on the air conditioner for a few hours enough to kill you?”
Ivy shouted, “Of course it could! You don't know the cost of living unless you're the breadwinner.”
“We young people have parents to support and children to raise—the pressure is immense. We don't ask for your sympathy, but we'd be grateful if at least, you don’t drag us down.”
I was about to speak, but my son pulled me aside and sighed. "Mom. I think Ivy is right. Look at our family … car payment, mortgage, kids' tuition... Everything needs money.”
“We can't even afford to run the AC. So maybe you shouldn’t either.”
“How about this — you write a statement saying you won’t use the air conditioner anymore and this matter ends here.”
As I looked at my son, my heart turned completely cold.
I had worked hard to raise him and send him to college, but I didn't expect him to treat me like this.
His house and car? I used my entire life savings for the down payments.
After they got married, not only did they never buy me a single gift during holidays, but every time they saw me, they’d complain about how poor they were.
I believed them and felt sorry for them, so I pulled out my retirement savings to help pay off their mortgages and car loans.
After they took me in, they even started to ask me to pay for their children's school tuition.
I thought to myself—they're my own grandchildren after all. How could I stand by and do nothing? So I gritted my teeth and gave them the money.
Since my pension was not enough to cover the household expenses, I had to collect cardboard around the neighborhood and sell it at the recycling station.
Frank and Ivy thought I embarrassed them, so they made me collect them in the middle of the night.
But the night wind was bitterly cold, so even though my body was strong all my life, I began to have a fever.
And now, just because I was using the air conditioner for a few hours, I was suddenly dragging them down?
How heartless they are!
I took a deep breath and told them, “I won’t argue with you anymore. I’m packing my things and going home.”
My son stopped me, frowning. “Mom, can you stop making a fuss? Ivy is only being diligent and good at managing the household. What's wrong with that?”