4
Lilian’s face lit up, but before she could speak, my mother cut her off.
“But I have conditions.”
“First, you blinded one of my eyes. You will pay for all the surgery and hospital bills.”
“Second, as for a bride price… I don’t think that’s necessary. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re my son’s girlfriend, I’d have called the police. With an injury like this, if I reported it, you’d be facing jail time.”
The idea of no bride price displeased Lilian, but the moment she opened her mouth to protest, my mother threatened to call the police again.
I quickly intervened. “Lillan, once you’re married, we’re family Talking about money just hurts feelings. Besides, right now, you and my brother aren’t married. If Mom really calls the cops, what will you do? This isn’t a domestic dispute, this is assault. You’d have a criminal record! Think about it–if you have kids with Mark, they wouldn’t even be able to get a government job.”
The no–bride–price deal was a win for Mark, so he immediately sided with us, helping to persuade Lilian. One against three, she eventually caved.
When Lilian’s parents heard their daughter had blinded her future mother–in–law, they didn’t dare protest either.
Because of my mother’s surgery, there was no wedding. They just got a marriage license, and that was that.
My mother’s eye was removed, leaving an empty, dark socket. I bought her a stylish eye patch to cover it.
Lilian moved in, and my mother spent all her time finding ways to make Lilian’s life miserable. Her attention was completely off me. For a while, though, as newlyweds, Mark and Lilian seemed happy enough.
But Lilian’s paranoia was a sickness that couldn’t be cured.
One day, she asked Mark to drive her to her parents‘ house. When she got in the car, she noticed the passenger seat had been moved forward.
This time, she was a little more rational Instead of throwing a fit, she quietly filed the information away
When she got back, she asked me casually, ‘Sarah, did you ride in Mark’s car recently? Did you adjust the passenger seat?”
Ifeigned confusion ‘Adjust the seat? No, why?”
Lilian was silent for a moment. ‘Maybe I was mistaken. My eyesight, you know
“Yeah, I added, “I’m half a head taller than you. If I adjusted it, it would be backward, not forward.”
As spoke, Lilian’s hand clenched into a fist.
She was short. A seat moved forward meant the person who sat there was even shorter. It had to be a woman. In her mind, this was a deliberate provocation. This mistress was brazen.
But thatwas fine. She had her ways of dealing with them.
saw the cruel smide on her face and knew what she was thinking I quietly retreated to my room to avoid the fallout.
That evening, Mark, who was usually home by 6.30, was late. My mother tried calling him, but he didn’t answer
Lilian smiled. “Mom, don’t wait for him. Let’s eat. He’s probably going to be a while.”
hot My mother snorted. “Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know. My son works so hard all day, and he can’t even come home to a
Lilian was in a good mood and didn’t argue.
meal.
A little later, the front door opened.
Mark stumbled in, looking dazed, his forehead beaded with sweat. He looked at the three of us, his eyes scanning our faces.
Then, through gritted teeth, he asked, “Which one of you assholes put super glue on my car seat?”
