Her voice broke completely.
“And the worst part is I did it to you. To the woman who helped us get a house, who took care of my children, who gave me a home. I was the worst version of myself with you.”
Daniel looked at her with a mixture of pain and disappointment.
“Why?” he asked. “Why did you treat her like that if you knew how your own mother felt?”
“Because I was afraid,” Emily admitted between sobs. “Afraid the kids would love you more. Afraid Daniel would see that you were a better mother, a better cook, better at everything. Afraid of being seen as the useless daughter-in-law who needs her mother-in-law to keep her house running.”
She closed her eyes.
“So I treated you badly to feel superior. To remind myself that I was the lady of the house, the one in charge, the successful one. And you, you were just the mother-in-law living with us.”
