Chapter 2

"Iris, you lazy woman! It's mealtime, can't you come out to eat by yourself? Do you really think you're a queen waiting to be served?"

My mom's loud voice woke me up. My eyes brightened, "Mom, you're back just in time. Ulla..."

Before I could finish, she unleashed a torrent of scolding.

"Well, well, you wasteful woman! It's so cool early in the morning, yet you're hiding in your room using the air conditioner again. The electricity bill is hundreds of dollars a month. Do you think Jack's money grows on trees? Sooner or later he'll divorce you."

I was stunned by the scolding.

Remembering how Iris once said that her mother-in-law was polite on the surface but treated her badly behind my back, I had thought it was just a lie she made up to drive my mom away.

Now that I had become Iris, I truly experienced it firsthand. My feelings were mixed.

"Mom, how can you say that? Babies are afraid of heat. You didn't see how sweaty Ulla was after turning off the air conditioner."

I tried to reason with her, but my mom pressed the air conditioner switch and spat directly in my face.

"What's so hot? You're just spoiled!"

I wiped the saliva off my face, feeling complicated.

In the past, when I came home from work, my mom would always rush to hold Ulla, calling her "sweetheart" and "darling", seeming to love her so much. I never thought she was just putting on an act for me...

I reluctantly followed her to the living room for dinner.

The chicken soup emitted a rich aroma that would usually make my appetite soar, but now my stomach was churning.

I tried to suppress my nausea and reach for the filled bowl, but my mom suddenly hit the back of my hand hard with her chopsticks. I sucked in a cold breath from the pain. She showed no remorse and pushed a small bowl of chicken soup towards me.

"Don't you know the rules? Jack works so hard, and you're trying to steal his food? If it weren't for him working hard to earn money outside, you'd be begging on the streets by now. Don't you know how to be grateful?"

So the big bowl of chicken soup was for "me". Iris had a small stomach and ate less, so this arrangement seemed reasonable.

I endured the pain and tried to pick up some chicken, but after searching for a while, all I could find were chicken butts and necks. When I saw the chicken head, I couldn't hold back my nausea anymore.

"I'm not eating!"

Doesn't she know she's abusing her own son right now!

I angrily ran back to the room and vindictively ordered a big takeout meal.

Estimating the time, Iris should have received the lunch my mom sent over. I couldn't help but text Iris, "Did you eat the chicken soup my mom made?"

"Mmhmm, it tastes okay. You should eat more too, don't let Ulla go hungry."

"It's too fishy, I can't eat it."

"You have to eat even if you can't. Formula isn't safe, breast milk is best - healthy and economical."

I opened my mouth, but Iris was impatient to hear my complaints. She casually said, "I went through the same thing back then. I survived giving birth, which was so dangerous. You're a grown man, surely you can handle eating? Your mom is your own mother after all. Alright, I'm busy with work, can't chat with you anymore."

These words sounded harsh and familiar. I suddenly remembered that when Iris used to complain to me about things at home, I always thought she was being too delicate. I told her not to make a fuss over nothing, after all, didn't all women go through this? Besides, my mom treated her like her own daughter.

It was only now that I understood Iris's difficulties. My heart felt like it was weighed down by a heavy stone.

Half an hour later, the takeout arrived. As I sat at the dining table eating, my hair was suddenly yanked back hard. The hot soup spilled onto my leg, followed by a stinging slap across my face.

I was stunned by the blow and cried out in pain, "Mom, what are you doing?"

"You ungrateful brat! I made such good chicken soup for you and you won't eat it, but you order such expensive takeout instead. My poor Jack is working so hard in the hot sun to earn money. I'll make him divorce you sooner or later and marry a virtuous wife!"

My scalp hurt, my thigh hurt, and my cheek was burning. The one who had reduced me to this miserable state was my own mother with an angry face.

Thinking of how good she used to be to me, and all the grievances Iris had suffered that I didn't know about, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with sadness. My eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.

Choking back sobs, I said, "Mom, I'm Jack, your own son."

"Did the slap make you stupid?" she muttered, ignoring the mess on the floor and slamming the door as she went into her room.