Chapter 10 - The Correction
The silence in the dining room was deafening. You could have heard a pin drop on the hardwood floor.
Martha looked from me to Gloria, her eyes darting nervously. “Oh. I… we didn’t realize.”
“It’s a common mistake,” I said smoothly, leaning against the counter. “Gloria has a habit of confusing reality with the stories she prefers to tell. Eric moved in with six boxes after our wedding. I pay the mortgage. I pay the HOA fees. I even pay for the wine you’re currently drinking.”
Gloria’s face flushed a deep, furious crimson. “Claire, how dare you embarrass me in front of my guests!”
“I’m not embarrassing you, Gloria. I’m just providing factual context to your fictional narrative. It’s my little advertising job at work, you see. We value brand transparency.”
One of the women abruptly stood up, grabbing her purse. “Well, look at the time. We really should be heading to Times Square to catch our show.”
The other women quickly scrambled to follow suit, offering awkward, hushed goodbyes. Within five minutes, the apartment was empty except for me and a seething Gloria.
Once the elevator doors closed, she exploded.
“You vicious, arrogant bitch!” she screamed, dropping the sweet grandmother act completely. “You made me look like a fool!”
“You made yourself look like a fool by lying,” I countered, turning to face her. “You treat my home like a hotel and my bank account like an ATM.”
“Eric is your husband! What belongs to you belongs to him!”
“Not anymore,” I said quietly.
That night, Eric stormed through the front door, his face twisted in rage.
“You humiliated my mother!” he yelled. “Her friends are laughing at her!”
“She lied, Eric. She told them you bought this place.”
“So what?!” he roared, throwing his keys at the wall. “People exaggerate! Why do you always have to hold your money over our heads? You just hate that we come from nothing and you were born with a silver spoon!”
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“I earned this spoon,” I said coldly. “And I’m done letting you use it to feed your ego.”
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