"So what if she's my mother-in-law? Dorothy, we may be married, but your mother needs to learn some basic boundaries. She can't just ride on the fact that you're my wife to squeeze every last benefit out of me."
"My mother is sitting right next to me!" I screamed, my voice cracking. "She's fine! She's here in the Maldives! The woman on that operating table is YOUR mother. The woman who gave birth to you. The woman who raised you!"
Clay erupted. "Stop making up stories for sympathy! When did you pick up this habit of lying? I know exactly what kind of person your mother is. Today she fakes an illness to exploit the hospital. Tomorrow she'll show up at my door demanding a share of the family assets. Evangeline did the right thing. Don't bother about whether she lives or dies."
His words turned the frantic heat in my chest to solid ice.
My mother wasn't a wealthy woman, but she had spent her entire life being kind and honest. She had never taken advantage of a single soul. When it came to Clay, she had only ever given, never asked for anything in return.