“Grandma, tomorrow there’s a charity event at school,” said Ghani, a five-year-old boy, in a whining tone while slamming his spoon on the table. “All parents have to come.”
Mrs. Medyna only gave a small nod, glancing briefly and then smiling mockingly at her daughter-in-law, Sheena.
Sheena then stood up and walked to the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with a glass of warm milk. With a gentle smile, she approached her son.
“Sweetheart, Mommy can accompany you tomorrow. Don’t worry. Drink your milk first, so you can sleep well.”
Ghani immediately pushed his mother’s hand away. The glass nearly fell, a little milk spilling onto the table.
“I don’t want to!” he shouted loudly. “I don’t want you to come with me! Mommy is so embarrassing! Mommy looks like a clown. I’ll be ashamed if my friends find out I have a mother as ugly as you!”
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.. Medyna only let out a long sigh, as if she had grown used to such quarrels.
Sheena took a deep breath, holding herself back. She looked at her son with calm eyes, not angry, not even crying. She had been insulted by her own son too many times.
“Ghani, don’t talk like that. Mommy is still your mother, and I have the right to accompany you,” she said firmly, though her voice remained gentle.
Ghani snorted, turning his face toward the door. “I still don’t want to.”
At that moment, the front door opened. Gevan Daxon, Sheena’s husband, entered in a neat suit. His hand was holding that of a young blonde woman, beautiful, slender, and confident. She was Claudia Weber, Gevan’s secretary.
“Daddy!” cried Ghani when he saw his father. The boy immediately ran from his seat, but not just to greet his father. He ran and hugged Claudia.
“Auntie Claudia! You came! Auntie, you’re so beautiful. You should come with me to the event tomorrow instead. I don’t want Mommy to come, Mommy is so embarrassing.”
Sheena stood stiffly at the side of the table. Her faint smile did not fade, but her gaze was sharp. She looked at Gevan, then at Claudia, who was still smiling awkwardly while stroking Ghani’s head.
“Ghani,” Sheena’s voice was louder this time. “You must never say such things again. Mommy is not embarrassing. Whatever you think about Mommy’s appearance, I am still your mother. And a mother’s duty is to be there for her child.”
Ghani pouted, still hugging Claudia tightly. “I don’t care! I only want Auntie Claudia and Daddy to come with me!”
Gevan placed his jacket on the chair and glanced at Sheena with a sneer. “Sheena, don’t force yourself. Don’t embarrass Ghani. Just let Claudia accompany him.”
Sheena lifted her chin, staring straight at her husband without fear. “Gevan, I don’t care what you think about me. But don’t teach Ghani to humiliate his own mother. That will damage him for life.”
Claudia looked uneasy, trying to smile to ease the tension. “Maybe just let Ghani calm down first. He’s just a child.”
Sheena turned to Claudia, her gaze cold this time. “Claudia, don’t interfere in matters between a mother and her child. You are nothing here.”
Gevan then wrapped his arm around Claudia’s shoulders affectionately in front of Sheena. “Watch your mouth, Sheen. Claudia is my lover. And I will make her my wife,” he said without an ounce of guilt.
Sheena was silent for a moment, staring sharply at her husband. Her overweight body, nearly ninety kilograms, was clearly incomparable to Claudia’s slim elegance. Her weary face, dull skin, hastily tied hair, and thick glasses made her look far from attractive.
Ghani cheered. “Yay! I agree if Auntie Claudia becomes my Mommy! Auntie Claudia is so beautiful, not like Mommy who looks like a clown.”
Claudia smiled, but tried to restrain herself from looking too pleased. She glanced briefly at Sheena, then lowered her head, as if not wanting to make things worse.
Sheena remained standing tall. “Do you realize what you just said, Gevan?” she asked in a flat yet pressing tone.
Gevan looked at his wife from head to toe, then laughed mockingly. “Sheena, look at yourself. Your body is so fat, your face is dull, your glasses are thick. You look more like a maid than the wife of a billionaire. Claudia is far more suitable to stand by my side. Aren’t you ashamed to see your own reflection in the mirror?”
Mrs. Medyna, who had been silent all this time, chimed in sharply. “Gevan is right. You really don’t know your place, Sheena. All you do is stay in the kitchen, cook meals, do the laundry, and take care of the child. No wonder your husband looks at another woman. A woman should take care of her appearance.”
Sheena gave a faint smile, then looked directly at her mother-in-law. “Ma, yes, I am in the kitchen every day. I wake up at dawn, prepare breakfast, cook lunch, wash clothes, clean the house, and make sure Ghani and Gevan get everything they need. If I look unkempt, it’s because I am too busy taking care of this family. My time is limited, and I don’t have time to take care of myself.”
“That’s just an excuse, Sheena!” Medyna said scornfully.
Then Ghani hugged Claudia tighter. “Anyway, tomorrow I don’t want Mommy to come with me. I only want Auntie Claudia!”
Sheena looked at her son with tearful eyes, but she still did not cry. “Ghani, you may be ashamed of Mommy’s appearance, but don’t forget who carried you for nine months, who gave birth to you at the risk of her life, who cooks your meals every day, washes your clothes, and takes care of you when you’re sick. That is Mommy, not Auntie Claudia.”
Gevan patted his son’s shoulder proudly. “Do you think saying such things will make Ghani understand? He knows who deserves to be his mother, Sheena.”
Claudia quickly turned to Gevan. “Darling, don’t say that. I don’t want to destroy your family. I only—”
“That’s enough, Claudia,” Gevan cut her off, pulling her closer. “You are far more suitable for me. Sheena no longer deserves to be by my side.”
Sheena stepped forward, staring straight at her husband without fear. “If you think being a wife is only about appearance, you are gravely mistaken, Gevan. A good husband should support his wife, not insult and humiliate her in front of their child and family. Have you forgotten that I have stood by your side for the past ten years? We have been together since we were teenagers. From the time you had nothing until you became a billionaire. When you were mocked and underestimated, who defended you? It was me! Me, Gevan! I even gave you my family’s assets to help you build your business! Without my help, you would have never become a billionaire!”
Sheena’s emotions began to flare.
Mrs. Medyna snorted. “Such a calculating woman!”
Sheena turned to her mother-in-law. “I am not calculating! I am reminding you!”
The dining room suddenly fell silent. Claudia lowered her head, Ghani pouted, and Gevan only smiled faintly, as if satisfied with the knife he had just plunged into his wife’s heart.
Sheena drew a deep breath. “Tomorrow, I will still accompany my son. Whether you like it or not, that is a mother’s duty.”