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THIRTY SIX
SamueladeI apologize for being no show. Work got to me.
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Terms and Conditions THIRTY SEVEN
EDMONDI turned off the headlights of the car so she could see us better. We were both nervous wrecks when we highlighted the car. Without the bright lights of my car blinding my line of sight, I could tell she was not fine. Mom loved to take care of her body. Pilates three times a week kinda routine. She liked her clothes perfectly fitted too. One look at her and I could see two things were wrong. She was thin and not in a healthy way. What made it even more glaring was the fact that her clothes which would usually accentuate her body loosely hung on her skin. She was not being overly dramatic. She was not actually doing so well.“How are you doing, Mom?” I asked, remaining frozen where I was. I did want to run over to her, take her up in her arms, and wrap her in a tight hug till she begged me to stop. But I still felt resentment. It made me feel like a horrible person because she clearly was not doing okay and I was there, holding a grudge. Mom didn’t look at me. No, she had her ey
Terms and Conditions THIRTY EIGHT
MAYEdmond was right. His father exuded an energy of power. It was uncanny. It reminded me of my mother. Something about making that connection made me feel like a horrible person. I knew what it was like. I knew what it was like to be in Edmond’s shoes.“I remember being given a condition. Forget my dreams or walk out of your life.” Edmond clapped back.“You are not the only one with a green memory,” His father continued, refusing to let Edmond have the last word. “You selfishly chose yourself instead of this family. So don’t you act like you were ostracized!”The dining room was ridiculously long and the Patriarch of the Walters family sat at the extreme end with his wife beside him. We made sure to leave a chair empty when we picked our seats. A seat Ronald, Edmond’s brother now sat in. But the length of the table and the space we believed we left open was not enough to stop any of Mr. Walters' assault.“That is about enough!” Mrs. Walters slammed her hands on the table. Silence en
Terms and Conditions THIRTY NINE
MAYHis parents exchanged looks. Looks that were easy to read. His mom didn’t like the threat that Edmond just dropped and the stare she gave her husband was more of a plea that he kept his mouth shut. His father, on the other hand, was still seething. But Mr. Walters also understood that his son was not bluffing and he respected his wife enough to cut the heated conversation shut.“I apologize for losing my temper,” The man forced, licking his teeth before smiling at me. “We are not usually like this May. It just comes as a shock that my son had a whole wife and didn’t bother to tell us anything. Until now. It is wonderful to see you, May. I really hope we can get to know you.”“Yeah,” I nervously answered because there were really no words I could conjure to answer the man. I didn’t want a conversation. I just wanted to survive this dreadful family reunion. Yet, as bad and triggering as being in the Walters family was, I was content. I was at peace. If the night continued, my mind w
Terms and Conditions FORTY
MAYEdmond led me down the grand staircase and towards the sleek black car parked outside. I felt a sense of relief wash over me as we finally made our way toward the exit. It had been a long evening, filled with formalities, fake smiles, and drama, and I was eager to leave. But just as we were about to get into the car, a feeling of panic washed over me. My hands suddenly felt too free, and it was then that I realized I had forgotten my purse inside the house.My hands unconsciously pulled away from Edmond's and I turned to look back at the Walters family home. "Is something wrong?" Edmond asked, his brow furrowing with concern."I forgot my purse," I replied, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. I knew I had to go back inside and retrieve it, but I was eager to leave this place and get away from the pretentiousness of the evening."I'll come with you," Edmond offered, but I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I'll be quick." Was that a lie? Yes. But I didn’t want him to have t
Terms and Conditions FORTY ONE
MAYEdmond's progress with his mother gave me a glimmer of hope. I knew it might be wishful thinking, but seeing him mend his relationship with her gave me a flicker of optimism. It had been four days since that memorable dinner at the Walters' house, and Edmond was still talking to his mother. They appeared to be growing closer, and what's more, Mrs. Walters expressed genuine interest in getting to know me. It was an unexpected and heartwarming development. However, we still kept our little secret about Snuggle, our leachy companion. Edmond promised he would eventually reveal the truth to his mother, but only when he felt confident that she wouldn't freak out.Meanwhile, my mind was consumed with thoughts and worries about how things would unfold with my own mother. I spent the entire week obsessing and stressing over it. I couldn't help but indulge in fantasies of a smooth reconciliation. In my daydreams, my mother would understand, accept, and embrace me for who I was. It was a bre
Terms and Conditions FORTY TWO
MAYThere was barely a moment to catch my breath when another message appeared on my screen, causing my stomach to plummet as I quickly scanned its contents. "Was this the work of that crazy app?" My mother was not one to leave things in the dark. I had unknowingly given her a clue that connected to my current predicament. I knew she would dig into it, especially if it involved Snuggle. If she could associate Snuggle with the app, it meant she already knew a lot about them.Edmond noticed the change in my reaction and inquired, "Is that Snuggle?""No," I replied, showing Edmond my phone. "It's even worse. My mom is in town.""Oh, she sounds angry," Edmond mused. "I can drive you.""No," I refused. "I think I should handle this alone. I don't want my mom to cause a scene in my neighborhood. I may not be popular, but I don't want to become the subject of gossip once all of this is over and I return home.""Okay then," Edmond gave me a wry smile before planting a kiss on my cheek and lea
Terms and Conditions FORTY THREE
MAY*Trigger Warning: This episode contains family conflict, emotional abuse, and Narcissistic behavior*I didn't remember much about my father. The memories of the good times had faded away, although there were photos at home that told stories I couldn't quite recall. One picture stood out to me—the one where we had messy ice cream all over our faces, yet wore big smiles for the camera. But amidst the haze, the memories of the difficult moments remained vivid. I would hide in my room as a child, tears streaming down my face, as the fights grew worse. Thankfully, they were never physically violent, but that didn't make them any less painful.As I got older, I began to understand that my parents didn't love themselves, and the only reason they stayed together was for my sake. However, I couldn't be the glue that held our family together, no matter how much I wished for it. My mom's hurtful words became increasingly unbearable. Eventually, my dad reached a breaking point. One night, he
Terms and Conditions FORTY FOUR
MAYGoodbyes held power, whether it was filled with love or drenched in hate. Love's farewell brought pain and suffering, while hatred's parting was supposed to bring peace. Cutting ties with my mother was meant to bring me the freedom I craved. But one glance at her anguished eyes shattered any notion of liberation. I had seen that look before, hidden behind her false smiles. Every time I did something that reminded her of the man who ruined our lives, I caught a glimpse of that pain. But this time was different. She made no effort to conceal her disappointment and hatred. In her eyes, I was just like my father—a deserter.But there was no turning back. I had reached my breaking point. Enough with self-loathing. Enough with the fear of letting her down and walking on eggshells to avoid triggering memories of my father. I took the first step, walking past her. My body trembled uncontrollably as I brushed past, barely avoiding a collision. It didn't feel good. None of it felt good. Let
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