Chapter 2 - The Mother-In-Law’s Victory Lap
The next morning arrived with blistering sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom. I had already completed my five-mile run, showered, and dressed in a bespoke charcoal pantsuit by eight o’clock. Down in the kitchen, Alexander was rummaging through the stainless-steel refrigerator with desperate, frantic energy.
There was almond milk, organic greens, and pre-portioned cold-pressed juices—all purchased under my personal delivery accounts. Beside the refrigerator sat the professional espresso machine, its digital touchscreen displaying an administrative passcode lock.
“You locked the espresso machine?” Alexander whined, looking disheveled in his wrinkled dress shirt. “Eleanor, are you insane? I have an executive team meeting in forty minutes! I need caffeine!”
“That machine was purchased with my consulting earnings,” I remarked, pouring myself a fresh cup of dark roast from a thermos I had brought from my office upstairs. “Maintenance and imported beans run three hundred dollars a month. Since you believe spreadsheets are an unnecessary worry, you won't mind stopping by a local coffee shop on your commute.”
Before he could unleash another torrent of complaints, the heavy chime of our front doorbell echoed through the foyer. Alexander hurried to the door, hoping for a delivery, but instead, the door swung open to reveal Margaret.
His mother stood on our doorstep draped in a brand-new mink stole, carrying a bright orange Hermès shopping bag that had clearly been purchased within the last twenty-four hours. Her face was painted in heavy makeup, her diamond earrings catching the morning light. Behind her stood Alexander’s younger brother, Bradley, a twenty-six-year-old college dropout who had never held a steady job for more than three consecutive weeks.
“Good morning, my darlings!” Margaret trilled, sweeping into the marble foyer without wiping her feet. “Oh, Alexander, my precious boy! Your generous gift cleared into my checking account first thing this morning! I always knew you were the only son who truly appreciated your mother’s sacrifices!”
Bradley grinned, twirling a set of car keys around his index finger. “Yeah, big bro! Mom just put down a five-thousand-dollar deposit on a new BMW lease for me! Finally, I don’t have to drive that beat-up civic around town like a loser!”
Alexander blinked, his jaw dropping slightly. He glanced from Bradley to Margaret, his hand tightening nervously around the doorknob. “Mom... you spent five thousand dollars on a car deposit for Bradley? Already?”
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“Well, of course, darling!” Margaret said, dismissing his concern with a flick of her manicured wrist. “Bradley needs reliable transportation to go on job interviews! A mother must look after all her children. And besides, you promised me ten thousand dollars every single month! That means another check is coming in just four weeks! A successful vice president like you doesn't need to count pennies!”
Margaret turned her gaze toward me, her smile hardening into a smug, condescending sneer. “Oh, Eleanor. Good to see you’re finally learning your place. A good wife doesn’t hoard her husband’s hard-earned wealth. Alexander belongs to the family that raised him. If you want luxury, my dear, you should learn to work harder.”
