All Chapters of A Transactional Mom: I Collect Payment Ten Years Later: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The day I was discharged, Mom dropped me off at the bus stop and took a cab home herself.Her reasoning was simple. She'd already fronted me 600 dollars, so she wasn't about to waste another 20 dollars on a cab for me.I clutched the only two dollars I had in my pocket and took the hour-long bus ride home.When I pushed open the door, my brother, Arnold Baird—who was two years younger than me—was strutting around the living room in a brand-new pair of limited-edition Adidas sneakers."Emily, check these out. Pretty cool, right? They cost over 200 dollars!" he beamed, radiating pride. I looked at his sneakers, then down at my own canvas sneakers—washed pale, the soles nearly worn through—and said nothing. My shoes were "luxury goods" I'd bought for 20 dollars with money saved from three months of collecting junk. Mom poked her head out of the kitchen. When she saw me, her face immediately soured."Finally, you're back. I thought you'd died in the hospital. Hurry up—the dishes i

The day the SATS were over, I tallied up my estimated score; it was 20 points higher than my best-ever practice test. Harboreal College was practically in the bag.When the acceptance letter arrived, Mom happened to be out. My hands trembled as I took the envelope stamped with "Harboreal College" from the mailman. I hid it at the very bottom of my backpack, then picked up the mop and started cleaning the floor as usual.I didn't pack a single thing until the day before classes were set to start. That day, I slammed the acceptance letter and train ticket down on the dining table. "I'm leaving for Harboreal to start college after this meal."Mom was cutting steak for Arnold when she heard me. Her fork jerked, and the meat dropped onto the table.She picked up the acceptance letter in disbelief, staring at the school's name for a long time before finally looking at me. "Harboreal? Why would you go all the way out there? Are you insane? Do you have any idea how expensive the trav

Sure enough, Arnold lost his mind when he couldn't track me down. He actually showed up outside my office building, brandishing a glaring white banner that read, "Filthy rich Emily Baird abandons her ailing mother—where is the justice?"It was the morning rush hour. Passersby stopped to stare, their whispers carrying through the air. "She's all dressed up and successful, but look at the kind of person she really is.""Abandoning her own mother? That's just heartless."I stood in the lobby, watching the hysterical man through the glass door. It'd been ten years since I last saw him. He'd grown fat and sleazy, wearing a designer T-shirt and clutching the latest smartphone while putting on a performance of professional misery. The security guards moved to chase him away, but I stopped them."Let him make a scene."Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911."Hello, emergency services? I'd like to report a disturbance at the entrance of Aurora Tower. Someone is causing distur

Mom lay on the bed, her eyes vacant. When she saw me, her lips trembled."Arnold? Where's Arnold?""Gone," I said coldly. "He ran off with his girlfriend, taking every cent from the sale of that apartment you bought him.""No! That's impossible! He's the most devoted son—""Devoted? Mom, have you forgotten your own parenting philosophy? Quid pro quo."I packed her belongings, speaking unhurriedly. "You spoiled him endlessly since he was a child and gave him everything for free. You taught him that everything was his birthright. "When things come that easily, why would he ever cherish them? Why would he ever learn to give back? You're the one who raised him into an ingrate."She froze, tears rolling from the corners of her eyes and into her hair."What about you? I was so hard on you, so why are you helping me?""Because you taught me how to keep accounts." I stuffed her old clothes into a plastic bag and tied it off with a double knot. "You taught me that in this world, there

The surrounding parents and students began to gather, their whispers rising like a tide as they pointed fingers. "Isn't that the mother and son who've been begging around here?""Who is this woman? She looks successful. Is she the old woman's daughter?""Tsk, looks like it."I looked at the two people before me—the two people who had defined my life through pain. I felt no ripple of pity, no surge of anger. If anything, the situation was almost darkly amusing. "Give you something to eat?" I repeated, a thin smirk playing on my lips. I opened my bag and pulled out a crisp five-dollar bill."You want food? Fine." I pointed toward my BMW parked a few yards away. "See that car? Go wipe the windows. I'll pay you 50 cents per window. There are four side windows, plus the front and rear windshields. That's six in total. Consider this five dollars a deposit on your labor." Mom froze, as did Arnold.The crowd of onlookers fell into a stunned silence. "What's the matter? You thin