Chapter 3

3.

Before David went to work in the afternoon, he acted totally out of character and came to apologize to me.

"Mom, please don't take what I said today to heart. I was just putting on a show for Chloe. In my heart, you and Dad are always my closest family."

"Let's not let this cause a rift. Besides, even if you don't like Chloe, Leo and Mia are your own flesh and blood grandkids."

"Those two absolutely can't bear to part with you and Dad..."

At the end of the day, wasn't he just afraid that if Arthur and I left, no one would watch the kids?

With David's current financial situation, he couldn't afford a nanny.

Chloe's parents were busy catering to her younger brother all day, so when would they have time to help her?

Sigh, forget it.

Arthur and I were getting older, and I truly didn't want to hold grudges anymore.

I lifted my eyelids and gave a lukewarm reply.

"Aren't you in a rush for work today?"

Hearing this, my son immediately smiled brightly.

"Work isn't as important as my own mother."

I gave a cold snort.

"Hurry up and leave. Your wife is still counting on you to buy her that bag!"

Not long after my son left, I got up to clean the living room.

Arthur tried to stop me, saying he would do it.

I swatted his hand away and said with heartache.

"Don't think I can't tell your back pain is acting up again. When our pensions come in next month, let's go to the hospital and get it checked."

"No need to waste money. My back is perfectly fine. Look... I can still pick you up."

"Stop joking around..."

Without realizing it, my voice trembled slightly.

My husband was a former bank manager and I was a professor. We each had pensions of a few thousand dollars, but we ended up unable to even afford an X-ray.

My eyes grew moist, but I pretended to be calm and made him rest.

I went to the kitchen to wash the dishes myself.

Then I went downstairs to take out the trash.

I happened to run into my daughter-in-law.

She was chatting with the lady from the apartment downstairs.

"Did you buy those collagen supplements for your mother-in-law?"

Chloe sneered.

"She's practically ancient. Eating that stuff won't do her any good!"

Whatever. I didn't care for her stuff anyway.

When I got home, Arthur was holding his back while answering the phone in the living room.

"Okay, I'll bring it over to you in a bit."

After he hung up, I asked what was going on.

My husband rubbed his back and said our son left his documents at home.

"Is it important?"

He nodded.

"David said it was very important."

I put a pain-relief patch on him first, then prepared to take the bus to deliver the documents to our son.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I bumped into Chloe.

She actually smiled when she saw me.

"Mom, where are you going? Oh, I bought some premium collagen supplements from Mary today. Once she brings them, I'll give them to you to boost your health."

I ignored the latter half of her sentence but replied that I was delivering something to David.

Hearing this, my daughter-in-law immediately offered eagerly, "I'll go deliver it."

When she came back, she had a secondhand necklace in her hand.

"Mom, Dad, I was wrong about this morning. I was too emotional."

"Consider this necklace my apology gift to you."

Arthur thanked her on my behalf.

He pulled me back into our room.

"Chloe isn't entirely unreasonable. She just speaks too bluntly sometimes."

I looked back and glared at him.

"You're always the peacemaker!"

But less trouble was better than more.

However, my mind was as clear as a mirror. Their sudden attitude change simply meant they thought Arthur and I were still useful.

I stared at my husband sitting on the edge of the bed holding his back, and the desire to leave grew deeper.

I figured once my son's company stabilized, I would take Arthur back to the countryside.

But I never expected that plans couldn't keep up with changes.