The Mother They Used My Daughter's Betrayal

In the third year of helping my daughter raise her child, she gave me a box of ginseng.

My health had been declining, so I opened it and brewed the tea. But when my son-in-law saw the open box, he didn't just get angryhe panicked.

Mom! That ginseng was meant for my mother, Jonathan James snapped, face flushing. "Aria only gave it to you for appearances. How could you actually open it? That thing cost two thousand dollars. Pay me back. Now."

I froze, turning to my daughter. "Is that true?"

Aria Fox wouldn't meet my eyes. "Mom, you're usually so frugal. I assumed you'd insist I return it. I didn't think you'd actually... eat it." She shifted uncomfortably. "So yes. You need to pay us back."

I stared at them both. Then I nodded slowly and transferred two thousand dollars to their account.

The next day, they took that money, picked up Mrs. James Senior and my granddaughter, and went on vacation.

But when they returned, the laughter had turned to tears.

It started on my fiftieth birthday. Aria presented me with a beautifully packaged box of ginseng.

I was over the moon. Finally, I thought, my daughter has grown up. She knows my health is failing and bought this to nourish me.

Not wanting to waste her goodwill, I opened the package and brewed the tea immediately. I even posted a photo on social media, captioning it with a proud note about my daughter's filial piety.

Barely an hour later, Jonathan stormed into the house, dragging Aria and my granddaughter with him.

He grabbed the open packaging and bellowed, "Mom! You opened it? You actually drank it?"

I startled at his ferocity. "Yes. It's the birthday gift Aria gave me. What's wrong?"

He looked as if he'd been slapped. "This ginseng was meant for my mother! Aria giving it to you was just a prop! A gesture! How could you be so thick-headed as to actually consume it?"

A ringing filled my ears. My mind went blank.

"Jonathan," I managed, voice trembling. "Are you mistaken? Aria bought this because I've been unwell. It was to help me recover."

He laughedcold, mocking. "Mom, this costs two thousand dollars." He sneered down at me with absolute contempt. "Did you honestly think Aria would buy something that expensive for you?"

My heart seized. The words lodged in my throat like a fishbone.

I thought back to three years ago, when I moved here to live with them.

Aria was nearing her due date. She'd called me sobbing. "Mom, my mother-in-law claims her back hurts and can't help during the confinement period. The baby is comingcan you please come help me?"

My husband had passed years ago. Aria was my entire world. Hearing her so isolated tore me apart.

I'd just finished processing my retirement. My own backa severe lumbar strainwas flaring badly. The doctor had ordered strict rest.

But my daughter needed me. How could I refuse?

I bought the earliest overnight train ticket and rushed to her side.

That first month, I survived on three or four hours of sleep. Whenever the baby cried, I carried her to the living room, terrified of disturbing Aria and Jonathan's rest. I'd pace the floor until dawn.

By the time the baby slept, the sun was rising. Then came groceries and breakfast.

The days blurred into an endless cyclehousework, diapers, feedings, soothing a crying infant.

For an entire month, I didn't get a single night of uninterrupted sleep. My back pain was so excruciating I could barely stand straight.

But for my daughter's sake, I gritted my teeth and endured.

After Aria recovered from childbirth, I thought it was finally time to return to my own life.

But she clung to my hand, eyes wide and pleading.

"Mom, please, just a little longer. Jonathan is under so much pressure supporting us alone. I want to go back to work to help."

She sighed, putting on a pitiful expression. "Mrs. James isn't in good health, so I can't ask her. You're all we have, Mom. Please, just for a while."

Looking into my daughter's desperate eyes, my resolve crumbled. My heart softened, just as it always did.

That "little while" turned into three agonizing years.

I went from a retiree enjoying her golden years to this household's live-in servant. Grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, childcaremy days began before dawn and ended long after dark. I didn't have a moment to breathe.

My entire pension vanished into this household's expenses. My health deteriorated along with my bank account.

Lately, the toll had become undeniable. Migraines plagued me daily, and my lower back throbbed so violently I couldn't sleep. Every time I turned over or took a step, it felt like needles driving into my nerves.

I assumed Aria had noticed. I thought the ginseng was her way of acknowledging my sacrifice, a gift to help me heal.

I never imagined it wasn't for me at all.

I steadied my shaking hands and turned to my daughter.

"Aria," I asked, voice trembling, "is Jonathan telling the truth?"

She looked at me with a troubled expression, feigning helplessness. Her voice was soft, almost patronizing.

"Mom, you know Mrs. James has poor health. Why would you assume I bought something this expensive for you?"

Hearing those words from the daughter I had cherished since birth... it was laughable. Truly laughable.

In the beginning, I actually believed the lie about her mother-in-law's frailty.

Because of that belief, I shouldered every burden in this house. I didn't let Mrs. James lift a finger.

I even spent my limited free time brewing restorative soups, intending to deliver them to her as a gesture of goodwill.

But one day, when I arrived at her apartment complex with a thermos of soup, I didn't find a sick woman. I found Mrs. James vibrant and energetic, square dancing in the plaza with a group of friends.

I stood in the shadows and listened as someone asked, "Hey, didn't your daughter-in-law just have a baby? Shouldn't you be over there helping?"

Mrs. James lifted her chin proudly. "My daughter-in-law specifically asked for her own mother. Why should I intervene? I'm just here to enjoy my retirement."

Envious voices surrounded her.

"You're so lucky! Good health, devoted son and daughter-in-law. You get the title of Grandma without any of the hard labor!"

That day, I stood there for a long time, the soup growing cold in my hands.

I wanted to call Aria right then. I wanted to ask if she knew her mother-in-law was perfectly healthy.

But I didn't dare.

I told myself she didn't know. I was afraid my questioning would cause a rift between Aria and her in-laws.

But deep down, I was terrified of the alternative: that my daughter knew perfectly well, and they had conspired to turn me into their beast of burden.

Seeing my silence, Aria spoke again, her tone shifting to mild annoyance.

"Mom, look, maybe I wasn't clear, but you're being unreasonable."

She crossed her arms. "You're always so frugal. You never spend money on yourself. I assumed even if I offered it, you'd refuse and tell me to return it for a refund. I didn't think you'd actually be selfish enough to eat it."

Yes, I thought bitterly. I am frugal. I have never been willing to spend an extra cent on myself.

Because Jonathan has a refined palate, I buy expensive organic produce. Because Aria needed to recover after the birth, I bought premium free-range chickens and high-end supplements. My granddaughter's imported formula costs a fortune per can.

And who paid for all of it? I did. I subsidized their lifestyle with my own pension.

But my funds are limited. After pouring everything into their mouths, I had nothing left for myself.

I stopped buying new clothes. I didn't dare eat a single piece of the expensive fruit I bought for them. I wouldn't even see a doctor when pain wracked my body.

I starved myself to feed them, and now my own daughter called me selfish.

I had always believed my sacrifices were worth it. As long as my family was happy, my exhaustion and suffering were small prices to pay.

I was wrong.

My frugality, my compromises, my endless givingnone of it had earned me gratitude. Instead, my kindness had become a weapon they used against me.

Jonathan didn't give me time to process the betrayal. He shoved his phone in my face, the QR payment code glowing.

"Mom, this ginseng cost two thousand dollars." His tone left no room for argument. "Pay me back. Now."

I stared at the code, then slowly shifted my gaze to my daughter.

"Aria." My voice trembled despite my best efforts. "Do you really think I owe you this money?"

Aria met my gaze. Her expression didn't soften.

"Mom, Jonathan and I work hard for our money," she said. "Just because you're my mother doesn't mean you can bleed us dry. Pay back the two thousand."

Bleed them dry?

Memories of her wedding flooded my mind. Jonathan's family had been poor. Because Aria loved him, I waived the traditional bride price. I gave them fifty thousand dollars of my savingsmy entire nest eggso they could afford the down payment on this very apartment.

I drained my retirement account for their renovations, penny by penny.

I remembered the day they moved in. Aria had hugged me, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank you, Mom," she'd promised. "I'll take care of you forever. I'll make you the happiest mother in the world."

Forever had ended too soon.

No care. No gratitude. Only schemes and accusations.

A small figure suddenly barreled into me.

Lily rushed forward and slammed her little fists into my waist.

"You're bad!" she screamed. "You stole Grandma's stuff! I hate you!"

Pain exploded in my lower back. I gasped, cold sweat beading on my forehead. I stumbled backward, barely catching myself.

Aria didn't move to help. She pulled Lily behind her protectively, glaring at me as if I were the threat.

"Mom, look at what you've done. Even the child can't stand you." Her voice was ice. "Just pay the money."

I looked at the two of themthe daughter I had raised, and the granddaughter I had practically raised again.

I had cleaned their messes. Wiped their tears. When they learned to walk, I hunched over until my spine screamed, guiding their every step. When they babbled their first words, I taught them, patient and tireless. When they refused to eat, I cooked meal after meal until they were full.

And now?

The mother looked at me like a stubborn nuisance. The daughter looked at me like a criminal.

Lily's hostile glare cut deeper than her fists. It triggered a memorya blizzard three years ago. She had spiked a high fever in the middle of the night, screaming in agony.

The snow had been knee-deep. No cars could move. I wrapped her in my coat and ran three miles to the hospital, my legs turning blue, just to save her life.

Her other grandmotherthe one she was defending nowhad only shown up the next afternoon. She glanced at Lily, muttered, "Well, she's not dead," and left to play Mahjong.

Yet in Lily's eyes, I was the villain.

The grandmother who sacrificed everything was the thief. The grandmother who did nothing was the victim.

I pressed my hand against my waist. The throbbing pain there matched the ache in my chest perfectly.

I nodded, my expression unreadable.

"Fine. I'll pay."

I pulled out my phone and scanned the QR code. Twenty thousand dollars, transferred to my son-in-law.

Jonathan checked his screen. The moment the notification chimed, his scowl vanished, replaced by a smug, triumphant grin.

Aria let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, immediately hooking her arm through mine. Her voice dripped with sudden, sickly sweetness.

"See, Mom? That's more like it! Let's just put this unpleasantness behind us. From now on, just be more careful, okay? Don't be so impulsive. It really ruins the family harmony."

I sidestepped, letting her hand drop.

I didn't trust myself to speak.

Just then, Aria's phone rang. She answered, and her mother-in-law's voice blared from the speaker.

"Aria, darling, it's freezing over here! Several of my friends have flown down to Sanya for the winter. I want to go too."

Without a second's hesitation, my daughter beamed. "Mom, if you want to go, then go! Jonathan and I will put in for leave right now. We'll bring Lily along to keep you company. We can make a whole vacation out of it!"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! It's about time you enjoyed some blessings."

I stood there, stunned, watching my daughter eagerly arrange her schedule.

Last month, my back pain was so severe I couldn't get out of bed. I had begged Aria to take a single afternoon off to drive me to the hospital.

Her response had been sharp and impatient.

"Mom, I'm swamped at work. I can't just take leave whenever you want. Do you have any idea how much trouble it causes me to miss even half a day?"

"It's just back pain from being tired. Lie down more and you'll be fine. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill."

In her eyes, my agonypain so intense I felt like I was dyingwasn't worth a few hours of her time. Yet her mother-in-law mentioned a whim to travel, and Aria was ready to drop everything for days?

Watching her fawn over the woman on the phone, a cold realization settled in my chest. I turned and walked back to my room.

It wasn't that my daughter couldn't take leave.

She wouldn't take leave for me.

It wasn't that she didn't know how to be filial.

She just didn't think I was the mother who deserved it.

I shut the door, blocking out the sound of the family of three excitedly planning their tropical getaway.

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

At eight the next morning, they set off. They slipped out like thieves, moving quietly as if terrified I might wake up and beg to tag along.

Once the front door clicked shut, I walked out and surveyed the disaster zone they'd left behind. Dirty bowls and grease-stained plates piled high on the dining table. Toys and crinkled snack wrappers littered the floor.

For three years, I had cleaned up messes like this every single day. I had spun like a top that never knew fatigue, erasing their filth so they could live in comfort.

This time, I didn't move.

I stepped over a discarded toy, walked into the kitchen, and made myself a bowl of noodles. Usually, I ate their leftoverswhatever scraps remained after they'd had their fill.

This was the first time in three years I cooked only for myself in this house.

I cracked two eggs into the boiling watera luxury I usually denied myself. I sat down and ate the entire bowl slowly, savoring every bite.

Then I dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time.

"I need you to handle something for me."

After giving my instructions, I packed a small bag.

I left the mess. I left the apartment. I went back to my hometown in the countryside.

For three days, I lived in peace. I cooked what I wanted, slept when I wanted, and answered to no one. The silence was healing.

On the fourth day, my phone rang.

Aria. Her voice was trembling, thick with panic and tears.

"Mom! Where did you go? Something terrible has happened at home!"