Chapter 3

The customers waiting behind me were already getting impatient. They told me to hurry up and stop holding up the line. I quickly apologized. My mind went blank.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. My mom's missing, and my phone's with her, so I can't pay. You can go ahead first."

I hurriedly shoved all the scanned items back into the cart. I was prepared to go look for her.

A store employee immediately stepped forward and blocked my path. "What are you doing? You can't leave without paying."

The sight of the employee finally snapped me back to reality. I grabbed her hand and said, "My mom disappeared. Please help me find her."

They brought me to the manager's office, where the staff made three or four announcements over the intercom, but Mom still didn't show up.

Left with no other choice, I went to the security office to check the surveillance footage. That's when I finally found out where she'd gone.

With my purse in her hand, she kept walking all the way back toward the entrance. She actually left the grocery store through the front doors.

I immediately felt furious. I knew she did it on purpose. She just wanted to embarrass me.

My face turned red. Suddenly, it felt humiliating to even look at all the food piled inside the cart.

If this had happened in the past, I probably would have given in. But this time, I wouldn't let her have her way no matter what. I was leaving with these groceries one way or another.

I borrowed an employee's phone and called my best friend, Melinda Graham. I asked her to come pick me up at the grocery store.

She happened to be shopping nearby and arrived quickly. She paid for everything for me.

I loaded all the groceries into the trunk. Thankfully, I still had my car keys on me, so at least I could drive home.

When I got back, Mom was already sitting on the couch. She looked at me smugly. "Oh, your'e back? I told you not to buy those things, but you wouldn't listen. I had to come home first."

She deliberately brushed past the fact that she had abandoned me at the grocery store.

I was furious, so I ignored her completely and carried the three heavy bags of groceries into the house.

"How did you buy all that? Your phone was with me!"

She saw me carrying all that stuff and immediately sprang up from the couch. The calm expression on her face vanished.

"So you really did do it on purpose. You took my phone because you wanted to humiliate me.

"But let me make one thing clear. It won't work anymore. I'm an adult now. You can't control me anymore."

I stared directly into her eyes as I spoke each word slowly and clearly.

"H-How can you say that to your mother? I'm doing this for your own good. None of that food is good for you, but you insist on arguing with me over it.

"You're my only child. Why would I ever want to hurt you? Return all this stuff. You really can't eat it. I mean it."

Even after I brought everything home, she still refused to give up. She still wanted me to return it all.

"Enough!" I finally snapped and shouted at the top of my lungs.

"What is wrong with you? I'm spending my own money. What does any of this have to do with you? If you keep trying to control me, I'll move out permanently. Don't make me go that far."