“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” she said finally. “Megan believes your father wanted this land managed for the family.”
“She thinks—”
“Stop,” I cut in. “You don’t get to rewrite Dad’s wishes. He left this to me. Not her. Not you. Me.”
Her voice rose, sharp as I’d ever heard it.
“Don’t talk to me that way. I’m your mother. I watched you run off to the army instead of staying close to home. I supported Megan while you were gone, and now you act like you’re the victim.”
The words stung, but I didn’t flinch.
“You supported Megan because she gave you what you wanted, a daughter who stayed. I gave you something different. I gave you service, discipline, sacrifice, and you never once said you were proud of that.”
Her breathing hitched on the other end.
“Hannah, that’s not fair.”
“No,” I said firmly. “What’s not fair is you sitting silent while Megan humiliated me. What’s not fair is you defending her greed instead of respecting Dad’s decision.”
The line went dead. She’d hung up.
I sat there in the dim light, phone heavy in my hand. The truth was laid bare. Mom wasn’t neutral. She was with Megan.