Chapter 7 - The Confrontation at the Door
""Benjamin! Daniel! Open this door right now!"" Mom’s voice shrieked from the hallway.
Ben stopped folding his shirts, his jaw tightening. ""She won't stop until she gets an audience.""
I walked over to the door and pulled it open, keeping the safety chain engaged. Mom stood in the hallway, looking completely unhinged. Her designer trench coat was wrinkled, her makeup was smeared, and her eyes were wild with fury and panic.
""Let me in,"" she demanded, pushing against the door. The brass chain pulled taut with a sharp rattle.
""You are not coming in, Linda,"" I said firmly. ""Ben needs to rest, and you have no business being here.""
""I am his mother!"" she yelled, ignoring the neighbors who were beginning to crack their doors open down the hallway. ""Your father has locked me out of the bank accounts! My card was declined at the grocery store this afternoon! Do you know how humiliating that was? The cashier looked at me like I was a common criminal! And your father's lawyer sent me papers saying he's filing for divorce! He is throwing away thirty-two years of marriage because you two poisoned his mind!""
""You poisoned his mind when you forged Daniel's signature, Mom,"" Ben said, stepping into view behind me. His voice was completely devoid of emotion. ""You did this to yourself. You spent every dime Dad worked for, you treated Daniel like an ATM, and you treated my body like an afterthought. You didn't come here to ask how my shoulder was doing. You didn't come here to ask if I was terrified of going under general anesthesia in six days. You came here because your credit card didn't work at the checkout counter.""
Mom froze. For a split second, a flicker of genuine realization seemed to break through her thick wall of narcissism. She looked at Ben’s arm, which was now strapped into an immobilization sling to prevent further tearing before surgery.
""I... I was going to ask about your shoulder,"" she lied, but the hesitation gave her away instantly. ""I bought special vitamin supplements for your recovery. They're in my car! I wanted to help!""
""We don't need your supplements, Linda,"" I said. ""We needed the money you stole. Dad gave it back. His lawyer knows everything. If you don't leave this building immediately, I will call the building manager and have you removed for trespassing and harassment. The local police already have an informational report on file regarding the bank transfer. Do you really want to spend the night in central booking?""
She took a step back, clutching her designer handbag against her chest as if it were a shield. ""You're monsters. Both of you. After everything I sacrificed for this family...""
""You sacrificed us for your reputation,"" Ben interrupted, his voice cutting through her lament. ""And in the end, you lost both. Please leave.""
I closed the heavy wooden door and slid the deadbolt into place. Outside, the muffled sound of her heels clicking rapidly down the tiled corridor echoed until the heavy fire door slammed shut at the end of the hall.
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Ben stood in the middle of his living room, his head bowed. He took a long, trembling breath, releasing months of pent-up tension. ""It's finally over, isn't it? The illusion. It’s completely gone.""
""It is,"" I said, putting a reassuring hand on his good shoulder. ""And now we focus entirely on getting you healed.""
