“Mrs. Higgins…” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “What are you doing here?”
She smiled at me like I was the intruder.
“Living where I belong. Thomas finally understood that his mother is worth more than a selfish, arrogant wife.”
I looked down the hallway.
Boxes, bags, shoes, medicine bottles, religious statues, and blankets were scattered everywhere. My books had been dumped on the floor like trash.
“This apartment is mine,” I said quietly.
Mrs. Higgins gave a dry laugh.
“Yours? Don’t be absurd, Alice. My son told me the truth. You only put the place in your name because you need control. Thomas pays for everything. Thomas is in charge. And Thomas decided I’m staying.”
Anger rose in my chest, but I refused to shout.
I had bought this apartment before I got married. I paid for it with years of overtime, bonuses, sleepless nights, and cold dinners eaten in front of a computer screen. Thomas had not contributed a single dollar. Not to the mortgage. Not to the taxes. Not even to the curtains.
“I’m calling building management,” I said.
Her smile vanished.
“You don’t want to cause a scene,” she warned. “You’ll only make yourself look cruel. Besides, Thomas already handled the paperwork.”
“Then we’ll check the paperwork.”
I pulled out my phone and called the front desk. I asked the building manager to come upstairs with the ownership records.
Mrs. Higgins began pacing the room. She looked nervous now, though she was still trying to act superior.
