Mary sat quietly in the passenger seat as she and her husband, Ed, made their way toward his mother’s house. They hadn’t even arrived yet, and she was already wishing the visit were over. Spending time with Scarlett was never easy. From the day Mary entered the family, Scarlett had made it clear she didn’t approve of her.
Even their wedding day had been overshadowed by Scarlett’s need for attention. She had shown up wearing an elaborate veil of her own, almost as if she wanted guests to mistake her for the bride. It was just another reminder that she refused to accept her son was an adult with a life of his own.
When they finally pulled into the driveway, Mary took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. She knew there would be criticism waiting for her somewhere inside that house. There always was.
The front door swung open before they could even knock. Scarlett rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Ed dramatically.
“My darling boy! I’ve missed you so much!” she cried.
“Mom, we saw each other last week,” Ed replied with an awkward laugh.
Scarlett barely acknowledged his response. Her attention shifted to Mary, and the warmth instantly disappeared from her expression.
“Well, Mary,” she said, looking her up and down, “it seems you’ve gained a few pounds lately.”
Mary forced a polite smile, though her patience was already wearing thin.
“Nice to see you too, Scarlett.”
Dinner quickly became an endurance test. Scarlett spent most of the evening finding fault with everything Mary did. According to her, Mary couldn’t cook properly, didn’t have a respectable career, and lacked any sense of style.
Mary stayed quiet, refusing to give her the argument she clearly wanted.
Then the conversation took a much more personal turn.
Scarlett leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.
“So tell me,” she said casually, “when are you finally going to make me a grandmother? Or is there some reason that hasn’t happened yet?”
The comment hit Mary harder than Scarlett could have known.
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