I Earn Mom's Love, It's Free for My BrotherChapter 1

On Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law flipped the dinner table just because my mother hadn’t made her favorite lobster.

Mom was so angry that she had a cerebral hemorrhage. She was rushed to the hospital and stayed there for two weeks.

During that time, my brother and his wife didn’t visit even once.

I called him, asking him to take turns watching over our mom.

But before I could finish, Mom snatched the phone from me.

“Don’t bother your brother! He’s busy with work! He can’t just take leave whenever he wants.

“And besides, it’s not convenient for a man to stay and take care of me.

“Oh, and hire a housekeeper for your brother and your sister-in-law. There’s no one at home to cook for them. I can’t relax thinking about that.”

She was sick, so I didn’t complain.

When she was discharged, I took the refund of 12,000 dollars in medical expenses and brought her home.

Out of nowhere, she said, “Transfer this money to Ethel. She’s the one who pays my medical insurance every year. You can’t take advantage of your own sister-in-law.”

I let out a short laugh. “In that case, let’s just split everything evenly.”

——

“Split evenly? That’s just ridiculous, Beulah!” My sister-in-law, Ethel, immediately changed her expression, her tone dripping with mockery.

“You do realize this is your mother we’re talking about, right? The woman who carried you for ten months, who raised you with her own hands?

“She didn’t raise me—not even for a single day. And you expect me to split the costs equally? Do you even hear yourself?

“Are you blind? Go look around—what daughter doesn’t spend money on her own marital family? If you don’t spend it on your family, where else do you spend it, huh?”

Her temper flared. The more she spoke, the angrier she sounded.

My mom and my brother were terrified of upsetting her. She had them both completely under her thumb.

Mom nervously tugged at my arm, giving me a pointed look.

“Stop being difficult, you brat! Don’t make your sister-in-law mad. She’s right about everything.”

“You’re the younger sister,” she added, “it’s your responsibility to treat your sister-in-law well. As for that money, round it up to twenty thousand and give it to her.”

My brother chimed in, like it was the most natural thing in the world.