Even after being humiliated this badly, the only person on her mind was me.
I looked down at her hands, the calluses thick and rough across her palms.
I thought about the month she'd spent working around the clock without a single day of rest.
The ten pounds she'd lost, her frame shrinking until her clothes hung loose.
The way she'd stood on tiptoe, holding my IV bag above her head so she could walk me to the bathroom.
Then I looked at Cornelia, standing there like she owned the world.
I thought about the day I gave birth, how she'd wheeled her suitcase out the door without a backward glance.
The vacation photos she'd posted on social media all month, beaming in every single one.
Seth's words echoing in my head: "Your mom is an outsider."
And just like that, something inside me went still.
"Fine."
"I'll pay on my mother's behalf."
I pulled out my phone, ready to transfer the money.
Cornelia's brow creased immediately:
"Absolutely not. You're a James family wife. Your money is James family money."
"This is money your mother owes us. If anyone's paying, it should be her."
My mother grabbed my hand, fumbling for her own phone, her voice gentle and quick:
"Prudence, I have the money. Let me pay. It's fine."
I slipped her phone back into her pocket, then turned to Cornelia, my voice flat and cold:
"Seth and I have always kept our finances separate. What's mine is mine."
"Today, either I pay this fifteen thousand on my mother's behalf, or you don't see a single cent."
Cornelia glanced at Seth, looking for his answer.
He nodded. Said nothing.
Only then did Cornelia wave her hand, granting permission like she was doing us a favor:
"Fine, fine. Since you gave the James family a son, we'll let it slide this once."
I transferred fifteen thousand dollars to Cornelia on the spot.
The moment the money hit her account, she and Seth were grinning ear to ear.
What they didn't know was that the fifteen thousand wasn't a lodging fee.
It was a lesson.
One they would never forget.
With the money in hand, Cornelia called a cleaning crew right away.
My mother said nothing. She went quietly into the bedroom and started packing her things.
I followed her in and found her in the far corner, wiping her eyes where no one could see.
The second she noticed me, she dried her tears like a child caught doing something wrong.
Then she carried on packing, as if nothing had happened.
That was my mother.