Zoe:
"I cannot believe that cunning Iris took our children and took them away from us," I hissed, sitting in the living room with my mother, complaining about the sa thing I had been doing ever since she ran away.
"She has a habit of running away. What else did you expect from her?" my mother remarked, shaking her head in disbelief. "This one woman has ruined our peace."
I wondered what we had done wrong to deal with Iris’s behavior. It was as if she wanted attention so badly that she did not even let my brother enjoy his nearly married life.
Although everyone claid that he had gone to the east for power purposes, the truth was that my brother wanted his children back.
As we sat in the living room, talking and having tea like my mother and I always did, my brother’s new wife finally woke up.
I felt bad for my brother and Lara too. She had just gotten married, only to suffer while her husband was away, focused on finding his ex because she had taken the children.
"How about we gift her sothing to cheer her up?" my mother suggested softly.
I nodded happily.
Lara ca out of the room wearing a golden dress, tying her hair as she walked past us toward the kitchen.
"Lara, co have a seat with us," my mother called out.
I quickly made space, getting up from beside my mother and moving to the separate sofa.
"What?" Lara turned around, looking at my mother.
"I said, co here and have a seat with us. I was thinking about getting you so gold items," my mother added quietly.
I smiled, watching Lara’s expression. She would be happy that we cared so much for her.
"Seriously, just let get my coffee first," Lara replied.
However, the way she snapped and raised her hand at my mother, signaling her to stop, made my smile fade.
"Actually, Mother was just worried about you. You look very sad these days," I told her, stepping in. I realized she might be upset that we ntioned gifts instead of helping her in another way.
"If I want to buy sothing, I will buy it myself. I do not need soone to get it for . Besides, I like the things I choose. I do not really like soone else’s taste," Lara responded.
Once again, her tone shocked .
"Oh, that is completely understandable," my mother replied, forcing a smile, while mine had disappeared.
"Now let grab so food first," Lara added.
She did not seem apologetic at all as she wandered away. I turned to my mother.
"Do you believe this?" I asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"Calm down. She is hurting. Your brother has not spent a single day with her. Of course she is upset," my mother explained.
I still did not fully understand. Her behavior had been rude, but my mother’s words made sense. She was probably overwheld.
After a few minutes, Lara ca back and sat on the sofa next to my mother. I started to believe my mother was right.
See, one cup of coffee, and she was already willing to sit with us.
"So, have you planned your honeymoon destination?" I asked Lara.
She took a sip of her drink, then shrugged.
"No, I cannot plan my honeymoon when I do not even know if my husband will be free," she replied quietly.
I pouted and shared a look with my mother. I had been right, and it was all Iris’s fault.
"Okay, so here is the thing. I have decided to gift you a ticket for a world tour. The mont my brother cos back, you can go and enjoy it with him," I said, smiling brightly, knowing it would make her happy.
"Zoe," Lara said, setting the cup down before turning to . "Do you not focus on your own life? I do not want to sound dismissive or rude. I know you are trying to plan a honeymoon for , but you should focus on your own life and your husband."
Her tone was bitter, and this ti I could not force a smile. Even my mother stared at Lara in shock.
"What do you an?" I asked.
"Your husband does nothing. He wastes my husband’s hard-earned money. It also does not help that you are staying here with your brother. Do you not find that strange? Shouldn’t you be living with your husband by now?" she continued. "It is odd. I feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. If I were you, I would never stay with my father and be intimate with my husband in front of him. That is uncomfortable. And I would never take advantage of my brother’s money. I would never let my husband live a life he does not deserve."
She said everything in one breath, making sure each word struck where it hurt.
She did not stop there.
"And you do not have children either, so shouldn’t you focus more on him?" she added. "Who knows, he might start looking for soone else who can give him children."
She clicked her tongue and lifted her mug for another sip.
My mother’s jaw dropped. She looked at Lara, then at , while Lara turned on the television.
I stood up from the couch, slamd my foot against the floor, and rushed to my room in tears.My mother rushed into my room to comfort , but I held up my palm.
"If I had acted even one percent as nice with Iris’s mother," I paused, feeling disgusted by the way Lara had treated . "Iris would have been so grateful that she would have sung a song for ," I finished, tearing up as I thought about everything Lara had said.
"Let’s give her a few days to settle," my mother suggested. "You know she is very nice. You two have been friends forever," she added, reminding that Lara and I used to get along well.
That was before she married my brother. I began to wonder if her attitude would continue. How was I supposed to live here with my brother like this?
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