“Your sister-in-law needs someone to take care of her during pregnancy, and I also need someone to take care of me. I thought about it and came up with two choices for you.

“First, you give Ethel 30,000 dollars. She can use it to hire a nanny and buy supplements.

“Second, you quit your job to take care of the two of us. I feel like it’s not great for you to be unemployed, but if you give us the money, we can hire someone instead. That way, it’s a win-win.”

It was right at rush hour; a crowd had already gathered to watch the drama unfold.

I was so furious that I actually laughed.

“What does her pregnancy have to do with me? I’m not her mother! And that child she’s carrying isn’t mine! Why the hell should I take responsibility?”

I jabbed my finger toward my mother in the wheelchair.

“And why is your back injured? Isn’t it because you felt sorry for your beloved daughter-in-law? You traveled all that way just to pick wild mushrooms for her! You got hurt because of her, so go to her for help!”

I tapped my forehead sharply.

“Do you see the words ‘pushover’ written here?”

Ethel stomped her foot in rage, turning to Buck with a trembling voice.

“Look at your sister! Look at how she treats me! I’m not having this baby anymore!”

She went on, her tone rising. “What kind of family doesn’t take care of someone pregnant? Your mother’s already injured, and as a member of the Gillbergs, your sister’s supposed to take care of me! But look at how stubborn she is!”

Buck, acting like a bootlicker, tried to soothe her while turning on me with anger.

“Beulah, are you even human right now? The child in my wife’s belly is a Gillberg. Don’t you have the same last name? Shouldn’t a family help one another?”

“Stop whining,” he said with finality. “You have two choices: quit your job and take care of Mom and your sister-in-law, or hand over 30,000 dollars so we can hire a nanny. You don’t get any other options!”

I snorted coldly. “Just because I have the same family name, you think you can dump responsibilities that aren’t mine onto me? Fine. Tomorrow, I’ll go change my last name! I don’t care about that damn family name, nor do I like it!”

Mom, clutching her chest as if she were about to have a heart attack, hurled a string of vicious curses at me and then hissed her threat.