When I Cut Off the Payments, My Mama’s Boy Husband’s Family Panicked Chapter 05
The next morning, I took Lily and left.
My parents’ house was a thirty-minute drive away. I packed only two suitcases: Lily’s clothes, her medicine, her picture books, her stuffed rabbit, and the photo from Family Day.
Before I left, I glanced at the living room. Ethan’s shirt from the night before was still piled on the sofa. The unopened toy sat on the coffee table. Two unwashed bowls sat in the kitchen sink.
In the past, I would have cleaned everything before leaving.
That day, I did not.
I left Ethan a note.
“I’m taking Lily to stay at my parents’ house for a while. I stopped the household payments. Handle them yourself from now on.”
As the car drove out of the apartment complex, Lily hugged her stuffed rabbit and asked, “Mommy,
are we going to Grandma’s house to play?”
“To stay for a few days.”
“Is Daddy going?”
“He has work.”
She gave a small “oh,” then lowered her head and fixed the rabbit’s ears.
When my mother opened the door and saw my face, she did not ask anything. She carried Lily inside first.
“Grandma made scrambled eggs. Does Lily want some?”
Lily nodded.
My throat tightened as I stood in the entryway.
My father came out of the kitchen and took the suitcase from my hand.
“Your room is ready.”
My mother served Lily food and said, “Eat first. No matter how big the problem is, we’ll talk after dinner.”
I sat at the dining table. There was hot soup, vegetables, and fish. Ordinary homemade food.
I took one bite of rice, and my tears almost fell into the bowl.
My phone began vibrating that morning and did not stop. Ethan texted first.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you mean, you stopped the payments?”
“The car loan didn’t go through today. Why didn’t you tell me first?”
“The HOA called too.”
I did not reply.
In the afternoon, he called. I answered.
“Olivia Carter, are you done making a scene?”
P
“I’m not making a scene.”
“You stopped the payments. Who is the bank supposed to call?”
“You. Your name is on the mortgage too.”
The other end of the line went quiet for a few seconds.
“Do you have to be this ruthless?”
“I handled it for six years. Now it’s your turn.”
“My money is with my dad.”
“Then ask your dad for it.”
“He spent a lot on Ryan’s engagement. Money is tight right now.’
I laughed softly.
11
“Your daughter was hospitalized, and he was tight on money. Your brother got engaged, and suddenly he wasn’t.”
i heard his breathing through the phone.
“Come back first. We’ll talk face-to-face.”
“Talk about what?”
“Household expenses.”
“Household expenses are simple. From now on, you pay the mortgage and car loan. We split Lily’s costs in half. We open a shared account for living expenses. You can give your dad whatever you want, but not at the expense of your own household.”
He answered immediately.
“We can’t change that much all at once.”
“Then there is nothing to talk about.”
I hung up.
That night, Robert called me. As soon as I picked up, he started yelling.
“Olivia Carter, look what you’ve done to Ethan. So now you run home to your parents because you can’t manage your own household?”
Iturned on the recording.
“Dad, I’ve been paying the mortgage and the car loan this whole time. I can’t keep doing it.”
“If you can’t, find a way. Ethan’s money is for me. That’s how he shows respect to his father. What right do you have to cut me off?”
“Lily is his child too.”
“Children are closer to their mothers. Isn’t taking care of her your job?”
My palm went cold against the phone.
“Dad, I’ve been married to Ethan Walker for six years. I’ve spent $230,000 on this family. You’ve taken his $480,000 salary. Now you’re telling me to keep finding a way?”
His heavy breathing came through the line.
“Stop trying to scare people. A woman shouldn’t keep score like this in marriage. Women like that never end up happy.”
I said nothing else. I hung up and saved the recording.
Madison Reed was my college roommate. She was a lawyer now. I sent her the bank records and the recording.
She replied quickly.
“Save the originals. Stop hashing this out over the phone. Either rebuild the family financial rules, or prepare for divorce negotiations.”
I stared at the word divorce for a long time.
Lily was in the living room playing with blocks with my mother. She built a little house and placed two figures beside it.
One was Mommy.
One was Baby.
There was no Daddy.