Chapter 2: The Woman Behind The Smile
The next morning, I woke up expecting anger.
I expected yelling.
I expected Nia to tell me I had crossed a line.
Instead, the house was silent.
Too silent.
I walked into the kitchen and found my mother making coffee.
She looked exhausted.
Like she hadn't slept.
"Mom.""
She turned.
"Morning, baby.""
I hated how normal she was trying to act.
"Did you sleep?""
She smiled weakly.
"Of course.""
I knew that smile.
It was the same smile she used when I was a child and she couldn't afford to buy me something I wanted.
The smile that said, "I'm fine," when she wasn't.
I sat beside her.
"Mom, you don't have to pretend.""
Her hands stopped moving.
"I just don't want you to lose your marriage.""
I looked toward the hallway.
"Nia made a choice yesterday.""
Mom sighed.
"Marriage is complicated.""
"Respect isn't.""
Before she could answer, Nia entered the kitchen.
Her face was expressionless.
"Can we talk?""
I stood.
"Sure.""
She looked at my mother.
"Alone.""
My mother immediately understood.
"I'll go upstairs.""
After she left, Nia closed the kitchen door.
"You embarrassed me.""
I stared at her.
"Your concern is embarrassment?""
"You made my mother leave.""
"No. I stopped you from forcing mine out.""
She rubbed her forehead.
"You don't understand.""
"Then explain.""
She was quiet.
Finally she said:
"My mother has nowhere else to go.""
"And mine?""
"Your mother is stronger.""
I laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"That's your reason?""
Nia looked away.
"My mom is struggling.""
"So was mine when she raised me.""
"Marcus—"
"No. You don't get to compare them.""
She sat down.
"I thought you would support me.""
"I thought you would never make my mother feel unwanted.""
Her eyes narrowed.
"You always put her first.""
That sentence stayed between us.
Because it wasn't about yesterday.
It was about something deeper.
"What does that mean?""
Nia looked uncomfortable.
"Nothing.""
"No. Say it.""
She stood.
"Sometimes I feel like there's no room for me in your life.""
I stared at her.
After everything?
After she made my mother pack?
"You could have told me that.""
"I have.""
"When?""
She didn't answer.
That was when I realized something.
There were conversations happening in my marriage that I was never invited to.
Later that afternoon, I found my mother sitting outside in the backyard.
She held an old photograph.
I sat beside her.
"Who is that?""
She looked down.
"Your father.""
I smiled sadly.
"You miss him?""
"Every day.""
She touched the picture.
"But he taught me something.""
"What?""
"People show you who they are when they think nobody is watching.""
I looked at her.
"What does that mean?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she handed me the photograph.
And my blood turned cold.
Because behind the picture frame was a folded piece of paper.
A document.
With Nia's name on it.
"Mom?""
Her face changed.
"Marcus...""
"What is this?""
She looked terrified.
"I wasn't supposed to find that.""
I unfolded the paper.
The first line made my chest tighten.
It was a bank statement.
A very large one.
And it wasn't mine.
It wasn't my mother's.
It belonged to Nia.
Then I saw the date.
Six months earlier.
The same month my mother moved in.
The same month Nia started saying we needed "more financial space.""
I looked at my mother.
"Why do you have this?""
Her hands began shaking.
"Because I found it when I was cleaning.""
"What else did you find?""
She opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
"Mom?""
May you like
She whispered:
"Marcus, I think your wife has been lying to you.""
