David was a real piece of work, and nobody knew what kind of trouble he would bring when he got home.
That night, my mother–in–law and Mandy came home, worried, and saw someone lying there. They thought it was David and figured they might have to do something drastic to keep their secret safe.
However, after they were done with their deed, they found out that it was Edwin, who had returned after gambling. David was still out losing money at the gambling table.
When they realized their mistake, my mother–in–law and Mandy were so upset. They cried and wished they could take it all back.
When David finally showed up and found out what happened, he was so mad–especially after losing a bunch of money–that he lashed out at Mandy and ended up hurting her so badly that she did not make
- it.
My mother–in–law tried to step in, but she got hurt as well and ended up paralyzed, which landed David behind bars.
Just like that, my mother–in–law’s actions had torn their family apart.
It was just her now. She was unable to move much, and since I had not officially split up with Edwin yet, I got someone to look after her. I made sure that my mother–in–law could keep up with her penny- pinching habits.
I told the caregiver, “My mother–in–law likes to save on water, so she doesn’t need a bath every day. Don’t worry about towels either. She uses old undies for that. She even saves napkins for later. And make a lot of soup. She likes to make food last a few days to save on groceries and power. Oh, and she loves her pickled cucumbers with every meal, so don’t forget those.”
My mother–in–law looked pretty mad when she heard all that, but she could not say anything.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 10
I just sighed and told her, “After everything that has lippened, with your kids gone and your son–in- law in jail, I’m the only one left to take care of you. Don’t worry. I promise to take care of you just like you like it, right until the end. There’s no need for tears.”
She looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears but not a hint of regret.
Some people just had it coming.
The caregiver was really good at following orders. Every day, she would go out and gather up the unwanted veggie scraps to make soup for my mother–in–law.
One batch of soup would last three days, sometimes even a week. Even if it got a bit funky, my mother–in -law would still have to drink it.
When she soiled herself, the caregiver would just wipe her with napkins, not bothering to bathe her, all
to save water.
Eventually, my mother–in–law’s clothes got so dirty that she could not wear them anymore. She went without them even in the freezing cold, just to save on the heating bill.
I had made a deal with the caregiver that she could keep whatever she saved from the household expenses, so she was super thrifty.
However, my mother–in–law did not make it through the winter.
She had always lived so simply, so I picked the cheapest option for her cremation.
Her bones did not burn all the way, so I paid to have them crushed. In the end, her ashes were just tossed in the trash.
It was not that I did not want to bury her properly, but Teresa’s ashes were handled the same way in my previous life.
My mother–in–law used to say it was silly for a little girl to take up space after she was gone. It was better to save that money for another baby.
So, I saved that money. I did not spend it on a fancy funeral but kept it instead.
Once I had sorted out my mother–in–law’s last affairs, I got back to my regular life.
My parents were healthy, and my little one ran up to me, calling out ‘Mommy‘ with a big smile.
This was the life I was supposed to have, and I was grateful I still had time to spend with my family.
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