Ivory kept clearing her throat loudly. Amara knew Ivory was trying to get her attention, and that she wouldn't like what her mother in law had to say. Ever since Elias had moved in his mother - against Amara's wishes but she was never asked beforehand - everything had gone to shit. She sighed and turned to settle her bright green eyes on her mother in law.
"What?" Amara asked.
"Your hair looks stupid," Ivory said.
"Of course it does," Amara said.
Amara shook her head. She knew before she cut her hair up to her shoulders and dyed it a soft red instead of the medium blonde she sported from nature's side that her mother in law wouldn't approve. Ivory didn't approve of anything Amara did.
"I don't get what my son sees in you," Ivory said.
"I'm great at sucking dick," Amara said.
"How dare you?" Ivory raised her voice. "You're disgusting!"
Ivory stomped off and that was a win in Amara's book. This house had become like a prison to her. Elias would always team up with his mother against her. She and Elias were no longer a team, and they were supposed to get married soon. She sighed when she heard Ivory come stomping back.
"Did you have to think of a good comeback in another room?" Amara asked.
Amara knew she was pushing Ivory's buttons. At first she had tried her best to work with her mother in law but no matter what she did, it was never good enough in Ivory's eyes. Lately she had given up. She was done taken all the verbal abuse without talking crap back. She knew it didn't make her any better than Ivory but she just couldn't take it anymore.
"Careful what you say. Elias listens to me. I'm his mother. If I tell him not to marry you, he won't," Ivory said.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Amara asked.
"It's a promise!" Ivory snarled.
"Alright, let's sit down with him when he comes home. You tell him that you don't want us to get married. Be honest for once. This is what you want. You don't get to say that I said or did something I didn't say or do. You always do that but this time you gotta be honest with your son. If not, I'll play the recording of this conversation for him," Amara said.
Amara held up her phone. She hadn't recorded anything but Ivory didn't know that. Ivory suddenly looked pale when she faced the fear of maybe getting exposed.
"You wouldn't," Ivory said.
"Try me," Amara said.
They both heard the front door open. Elias was home. He walked into the room a minute later. He walked over to his mother first and gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking over to Amara to give her one too. His mother always came first, even with something as small as a greeting.
"Why are you both so quiet?" Elias asked.
"Your mother wants to talk to you about something," Amara said.
"It can wait," Ivory faked a smile. "How was your day, son?"
"It was good. I landed a new client so I'm gonna be busy the next few weeks," Elias said.
"That's good. I'm so proud of you. You really keep this house going with all your hard work. What would we do without you?" Ivory asked.
Ivory gave Amara a look. Amara just shook her head in return. The real question Ivory was trying to ask was what Amara would do without Elias. A whole lot easier would be Amara's answer. Ivory thought Amara couldn't function or pay her own way in life without Elias but that wasn't the case. Ivory didn't know as much as she thought she did when it came to Amara and how much money she had to her name, and Amara was never going to tell Ivory.
"Come sit with me in the kitchen while I cook," Ivory said.
"You're cooking?" Elias asked.
"Of course," Ivory said. "Nothing beats mother's food."
"You're right about that," Elias chuckled. "Give me a second to wash my face and I'll be right there."
Ivory gave Amara a look of triumph and walked out in the kitchen. Amara followed Elias out in the bathroom. He picked up a wash cloth, wetted it under the water, and started cleaning his face.
"Your mother is getting on my nerves," she said.
"All mothers get on their in laws' nerves," he chuckled.
"No, they don't," she said. "I can't take it anymore, Elias. Nothing I ever do is good enough. I'm not good enough. She's so mean to me everyday and you expect me to just suck it up."
"Well, yeah," he said.
"I can't do that anymore," she said.
He dropped the wash cloth in the sink and stared at her. She didn't like the look in his eyes. He had already taken his mother's side.
"That's my mother," he said.
"And I'm supposed to be your wife!" She snapped.
"If you're asking me to choose between you, it won't go well for you," he said.
"I'm not asking you to choose. I'm asking you to set some boundaries and help her find somewhere else to live because I can't take it anymore," she said.
"No!" He said firmly. "I don't care how but you will figure out how to suck it up and deal with it. My mother's staying and that's final. And it's not a bad thing. Why don't you take some advice from her and maybe let her teach you how to cook and clean."
"I know how to fucking cook and clean!" She yelled.
"You're being hysterical," he said. "I can't talk to you when you're this way. Stay out here and calm down. I don't want you around me or my mother when you're acting like a god damn toddler."
He walked out and closed the bathroom door behind him. She stared at the closed door and shook her head. She couldn't believe it. He had just put her in timeout in the bathroom. Once again his mother came out like the good person in his eyes. He was never going to see things her way.
"Maybe you should marry your mother!" She yelled.
She had no idea if he heard her or not, nor did she care. She was just so tired of everything. Tired of her living situation, tired of his mother, tired of him, tired of her own life, tired of this relationship.