“When was the last time you came here just to see me, Wesley?” I asked him. “When was the last time you called without a request for money or a favor?”
He opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. The silence in the kitchen was deafening as he realized he didn’t have an answer.
“One hundred and seventy-four, Wesley,” I said quietly. “That is how many times a month your life is funded by my accounts. I am done being the silent partner in a family that only values my signature.”
Wesley looked ashamed for the first time in his adult life. “We can’t afford that house without you, Mom. We will lose everything.”
“Then you will have to figure out a new way to live,” I replied. “I am not financing my own exclusion anymore.”
He left an hour later, looking smaller and older than I had ever seen him. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched his car pull away, but I knew that the sickness was just the feeling of a long-standing poison finally leaving my system.
The next day, Serena showed up at my door looking like a polished professional in a designer suit. She brought a box of expensive pastries and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.