“And this is what I get?”
No answer.
“You turned my wife into a servant,” I said. “Not with words—but with neglect.”
“That’s not fair,” my mother said.
“Neglect is disrespect.”
I pulled three credit cards from my wallet and placed them on the table.
“Starting Monday, these are canceled.”
Shock hit instantly.
“I’ll cover essentials. Nothing more. If you want extra—you earn it.”
“You can’t do that!” Lily snapped.
I turned to my mother.
“Your healthcare stays covered. But everything else stops.”
I paused.
“You have six months.”
“What?” she whispered.
“In six months, this house goes on the market.”
Silence exploded.
“Yes,” I said calmly. “I bought it.”
“We’re moving. Me, Clara, and the baby.”
I looked each of them in the eye.
“I’m not negotiating anymore.”
PART 4
The house never went back to normal.
It couldn’t.
Something had been exposed—and once seen, it couldn’t be ignored.
The tension lingered. No laughter. No arguments either.
But things changed.
