Years passed. Liam grew older, no longer needing a babysitter. Suddenly, Courtney found a new reason to push Edith out.
“Henry,” she whined. “Your mother—she’s completely dependent on us. She doesn’t help with anything, and, honestly, she—she smells bad. It’s getting too hard to live like this.”
Henry refused to listen at first. “She’s my mother, Courtney. I won’t put her in a nursing home.”
But Courtney was relentless. She kept exaggerating, claiming Edith was becoming a problem.
Then, one day, Courtney got sick. A minor illness, nothing serious. But she saw her opportunity.
“Henry,” she said weakly from bed. “I know you love your mother, but today could’ve been worse. I ate the lunch she made, and now I’m sick. What if next time, it’s the kids?”
“But Mom doesn’t even cook anymore!” Henry argued.
Courtney wiped fake tears. “I don’t know, Henry. Maybe she forgot, maybe it was an accident—but it’s clear. We need to send her to a nursing home. For our children’s safety.”
Henry fought with himself, but in the end, the fear for his children won. He made the painful decision.
“Mom,” he said at dinner that night, avoiding her gaze. “I think a nursing home would be better for you. You’d get proper care there.”
Edith’s hands trembled. “A nursing home? But Henry, I don’t need extra care. I’m fine here.”
“No, Mom,” he said, voice firm. “It’s final. Pack your bags. I’ll take you in the morning.”
Courtney smirked across the table, victorious.
Heartbroken, Edith gave up. “Can I ask one favor before I go?” she whispered. “Will you visit me? Just on weekends?”
Henry forced a smile. “Of course, Mom.”
But he never did.
Three years passed. Henry’s life crumbled.
Courtney cheated on him with his best friend, took everything he owned, and divorced him, leaving him homeless. She poisoned Liam’s mind, turning their son against him.
“I don’t want you around!” Liam screamed at him one day. “I hate you!”
That was the moment Henry realized his mistake. He had abandoned the one person who truly loved him—his mother.
Desperate to make amends, he rushed to the nursing home. But Edith was gone.