Jessica's POV
The living room was the same as the one in my memory. Our family portraits hung on the wall. The four of us - Maddie and I seated, and our parents standing behind us. We all wore matching smiles.
I vividly recall the day it was taken: our high school graduation ceremony. My adopted mother had held my hand, showing me around with pride. I was the best graduating student, and Maddie didn't do well as usual, but that had never been a cause to worry about. My adopted family never cared if I was better than Maddie, nor did Maddie. She was even happy to have me do her homework.
That period was the first time I felt we were a perfect family. My adoptive mother even took me shopping in preparation for college, but as the days to go to college grew close, she changed again and so did the whole family.
My gaze wandered to the other portraits - mine were still there: my wedding day photos with family and few friends, a solo portrait of myself, holding a banquet of flowers, looking my best with a gorgeous smile on my face.
But one notable absence caught my attention - The portrait of Liam and me, after registering our marriage. On our wedding day, he left before the wedding ceremony was completed, but when we registered our marriage, he waited to take a photo before he disappeared.
That used to be the largest portrait, occupying the best spot in the living room, greeting every guest who stepped through the door.
I glanced back at my adopted mother, who seemed to be busy going back and forth, mumbling incoherent words.
"Has my wedding portrait been destroyed?" That was the first thought that crossed my mind. It was something they could do.
"Otherwise? Should I leave it hanging there so it could constantly remind me of your failed marriage?!" she snapped.
'But the others could remind you of my failed marriage too.' The words were already at the tip of my tongue before I regained my senses.
"So, why are you staring at the photos? To reminisce about your failed marriage?" she began. "Jessica, how did I raise you? So what if I talked to you in a manner you didn't like? Am I not allowed to get angry? Have you grown so big that I can't vent anymore?"
She paused to catch her breath. For a moment, I thought I saw a pained look in her eyes, before it disappeared as it came.
"You left this house for two years! Two good years, Jessica, forgetting you have a family. You turned off your phone…" her voice trailed off.
"Mom, that's enough, you have days, weeks, months, and even years to nag her. Right now, I want some peace and quiet. Since she's back and not dead, that's fine."
Maddie said from her massage chair, a facial mask on her face, concealing her expression. But from her tone of voice, it wasn't as harsh as I remembered.
"All the peace you had in this house for two years, what did you do with it?!" My adopted mother barked, her hand shooting in all directions as she told Maddie off, something she rarely did. I was always the one at the receiving end of her anger.
Maddie sighed and didn't speak anymore. The best way to deal with this woman was to ignore her while she nagged. Sometimes, keeping quiet is even worse - talking back or keeping silence triggers her sometimes.
"Are you still standing there? It seems you've forgotten how heavy her hand could be. Your room has not been made into a store room yet. I was just thinking of giving it out on lease next month, too bad you came too soon. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk."
Maddie clicked her tongue. "Do you still recall where your room is? You've been gone for two years. Who knows what hardship you've endured…it might have messed with your memory."
She continued "Mom, get the doctor to check on her. She might be sick. The bill is on me."
"Who gets sick, only to have porcelain skin? She's glowing! She looks like she was dipped in a medicinal bath and luxurious skin care products for two years!"
"What?" Maddie bolted from her massage chair. A look at me and her eyes bulged. She darted over and poked my cheek. "Wow, it's so soft like tofu."
Her gaze trailed down my body and she gulped. "What body lotion are you using? Look at your chest," she poked my breast. "You actually had something there? I used to think you were a man."
She suddenly spun me around and screamed. "Mom! She had plastic surgery!"
A sigh escaped my lips, my head shaking in resignation. They didn't change at all, except that their tongue didn't hurt anymore.
Maddie had always been a die-hard fan of beauty and good skin. You could be her best friend by just being beautiful.
Maddie cleared her throat, standing straight, "You know, I didn't miss you at all. In fact, I'm very angry that you returned. Now, I can't put your room on lease anymore, but that doesn't mean you'll live here for free."
She continued. "You owe me a total of $500,000 for the two years that you went into hiding. Pay up," she stretched out her palm, slapping it with the other hand. "I want to get my car back."
I stared at Maddie's manicured palm speechlessly. This girl… We are of the same age, yet she shamelessly asks me for money.
"I don't have any money," I said calmly.
She looked at me for a long while, deliberating whether to believe me or not, then, she clicked her tongue and took back her hand.
"Whether you go back to your husband or not, every month, you have to pay me whatever you can afford, until you get a job, then we can settle for a reasonable price." With that, she turned and walked back to her massage chair.
"The food in this house might not have a good taste in your mouth anymore, after all, who knows what kind of food you've been eating all these years." She waved her hand, "Go on and eat something. Once you're done, leave the dishes for your sister. Hilda has been patrolling this place for two years, like a hawk after spotting chicks."
"Mom! Why should I wash her dishes? I've been the only one doing the house chores for so long while she was looking beautiful and getting plastic surgeries done!"
She sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. If there was no mask on her face, I swear, she would have been pouting and looking aggrieved.
Was this subtle care I feel?