Chapter 1A Spotless Life

Three months postpartum, and I broke my leg.

My husband, Mark, felt terrible for me. He spared no expense, hiring the most sought-after maternity nurse in the city. The deposit alone was five thousand dollars.

My mom was looking over the nurse’s resume, gushing with praise and just about to call to have her start the next day.

I pressed the end-call button on her phone.

“Don’t bother. Aunt Brenda is about to swoop in and try to steal her.”

For as long as I can remember, my mother has played the role of a living saint. The second my aunt’s family started crying poor, every good thing we had was offered up to them first. My mom proudly called it “helping others,” oblivious to the fact that behind her back, Aunt Brenda called her a “gullible fool.”

But my mother insisted I was the cynical one, that her sister-in-law wasn't that kind of person. She picked up the phone to dial again.

Just then, the door swung open. It was Aunt Brenda, grabbing my mother’s hand and immediately starting to dab at her eyes. She wailed that her daughter-in-law’s milk hadn’t come in and begged my mom to let them have the maternity nurse.

My mom stood there, phone in hand, looking utterly mortified.

I crossed my arms, a cold smirk on my face.

“Well, Mom? What’s it going to be this time? Yes or no?”

* * *

Aunt Brenda wiped at tears that weren’t there, her eyes darting to my mother’s face.

“Sharon, you know my grandson was born premature. He’s so fragile, and his mother can’t produce any milk. If we don’t have a professional looking after him, I’m afraid the baby might not…”

She let the sentence hang, swallowing the word “die” but leaving the terror of it to poison the air.

My mother, predictably, took the bait.

She glanced at my leg, hoisted high in its plaster cast, then at my daughter sleeping peacefully in her bassinet.

My mom bit her lip and turned to me.

“Anna, you heard her. This is a life-or-death situation for your aunt’s family.”

“Your leg is already broken. It just needs time to heal. But if that baby dies, it would be a terrible sin.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

I pointed to my leg, then to the bassinet.

“Mom, I am your daughter. Your daughter. I just gave birth, I have a broken leg, and I can’t even take care of myself.”

“Mark paid a five-thousand-dollar deposit for this nurse specifically because she has a background in physical therapy and rehabilitation.”

“And you want me to just give her away? What about me? What about your granddaughter?”

My mother’s brow furrowed, as if I were being completely unreasonable.

“Why do you have to be so selfish?”

“You have money. You can just hire another one. Your aunt’s family is struggling; they can’t afford someone like this.”

“Saving a life is the greatest good you can do. Don’t you understand something so simple?”

Sensing my mother’s resolve wavering, Aunt Brenda immediately pressed her advantage.

“That’s right, Anna. We all know you’re doing well for yourself, not like us, poor as church mice.”

“About the nurse’s salary… we could chip in a few hundred bucks, you know, as a token of our appreciation. For the rest, maybe you could…”

Unbelievable. Not only did she want the nurse, but she also wanted me to foot the bill. She wanted me to pay for someone to take care of her grandson.

And my mother was actually nodding along. “A few hundred is a nice gesture. Anna’s not short on cash.”

A fire ignited in my chest. This wasn’t my mother; she was an unofficial member of Aunt Brenda’s household.

I grabbed the mug from my bedside table and hurled it to the floor.

CRACK!

The sharp sound echoed through the room. Water splashed everywhere, and a shard of ceramic skittered to a stop near Aunt Brenda’s foot.

She shrieked and jumped back. “My God! Are you trying to kill me?”

My mom, startled at first, shot me a thunderous look. “Anna! What is wrong with you? Have you lost all your manners?”

“You want manners? Fine.”

“This nurse is under an exclusive contract. The cancellation fee is ten thousand dollars.”

“Whoever wants to take her can put that ten grand on the table right now.”

“Furthermore, her services were approved as a special benefit through my husband's company. Transferring her privately could be considered fraud. We can call the police right now and see what a judge thinks about that.”

The mention of “ten thousand” and “police” made Aunt Brenda’s face go pale. People like her were terrified of spending money and even more terrified of jail time.

Her eyes shifted nervously. She resorted to whining. “Oh, Sharon, look at your Anna. The richer she gets, the stingier she becomes. Who is she trying to scare…”

“Fine, don’t lend her to us! Why go crazy over it? It’s true what they say: the rich forget all about their poor relatives!”

Muttering under her breath, Aunt Brenda stormed out, spitting on the floor for good measure on her way through the door.

I thought my mom might ask if I had hurt myself in my anger.

Instead, her face was a stony mask as she pointed a finger at me and began her tirade.

“You chased your aunt away over such a trivial matter. How am I supposed to face our relatives now?”

“Everyone praises me, calls me a saint, and you! You’re determined to ruin my reputation!”