My daughter went crazy when I refused to give her the money from selling my farm. My older son took her side and broke my rib. Twenty minutes later, both of them regretted ever being born.

He got so close to me that I could smell his beer breath on my face and in a threatening voice he said, “Mom, you are going to give us that money.

We are your children and we have a right to it.

If you don’t give it to us nicely, we’ll have to find other ways.” “Are you threatening me, Michael?” I asked him, although my voice trembled with fear.

“I’m not threatening you, Mom.

I’m explaining reality to you.

That money should be for the whole family, and if you don’t understand that, we’ll have to make you understand.” Patricia nodded, fully supporting her brother.

At that moment, I realized that my own children had become dangerous strangers, people capable of anything for money.

“Get out,” I told them in a low but firm voice.

Get out of my house right now, and don’t come back until you are willing to apologize to me for everything you have said today.

The two of them headed towards the door, but not with the defeated attitude I expected.

Instead, they walked slowly, exchanging glances that gave me the chills.

Before leaving, Michael turned to me with an expression I had never seen on his face, a mix of rage and determination that chilled my blood.

This is not going to end here, Mom, he said in a low, threatening voice.

You are going to reconsider your decision because we are not going to stand by while you keep all of our money.

It’s not your money, I replied, trying to sound braver than I felt.

And if you come back to my house with that attitude, I’ll call the police.

Patricia let out a sarcastic laugh.

The police? Why? for coming to visit our own mother.

Mom, I think the loneliness is affecting your mind.

Maybe you should see a doctor.” Her words hit me like stabs.

“You’re telling me I’m crazy.” “I’m not saying you’re crazy,” Patricia replied with false sweetness.

“But you are making very strange decisions for a person your age.

Maybe you need help managing so much money.

Maybe you need someone else to make those decisions for you.

The fear I felt at that moment was different from anything I had ever experienced before.

It was not just physical fear, but a deep terror that my own children were capable of harming me in ways I couldn’t even imagine.

Go, I told them, but my voice sounded weak and broken.

Please go and leave me alone.

We’re going, Mom, Michael said, but we’ll be back.

and next time I hope you’ve reflected on your selfishness.

After they left, I sat in my rocking chair for hours, trembling, not from cold, but from shock.

I couldn’t believe that the children I had raised, to whom I had given all my love and my life, had become such cruel and greedy people.

I felt as if I had met two dangerous strangers, not my own children.

That night, I couldn’t sleep at all.

Every noise I heard made me jump, thinking maybe they had returned.

I got up several times to check that all the doors and windows were properly locked, something I had never done before in my life because I had always felt safe in my own house.

The next day, I tried to continue with my normal routine, but everything had changed.

When I went to feed my chickens, my hands were shaking so much that I spilled half the corn on the ground.

When I tried to water my plants, I couldn’t concentrate and ended up soaking the soil more than necessary.

Around noon, I received a phone call that almost made my heart stop.

It was Patricia, but her voice sounded completely different from how it had sounded the day before.

Now, she spoke with a sweet and concerned tone, as if nothing bad had happened between us.

Mom, she said, I hope you slept well last night.

I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation yesterday, and I think maybe both sides said things we regret.

Patricia, I don’t regret anything I said yesterday.

Oh, Mom, don’t be like that.

You know, we love you very much, and the last thing we would want is to make you feel bad.

Maybe we could find a solution that works for everyone.

Her change in attitude made me even more nervous than her aggression the day before.

At least when she had been angry, I knew what I was dealing with.

This new manipulative version of my daughter scared me much more.

There’s nothing to negotiate.

Patricia, my decision is final.

Mom, why don’t we meet again? But this time in a more relaxed environment.

We could go to lunch at the Golden Corner Diner.

Just you and me, mother and daughter.

No pressure, no arguments, just a civilized conversation.

I don’t want to have any more conversations about this subject.

Mom, please just give me a chance to better explain our situation.

Maybe I didn’t express myself correctly yesterday.

Maybe if you listen to me more calmly, you could understand why we need your help.

Something in her tone of voice made me suspect she had hidden motives, but a part of me wanted to believe that maybe she really had realized her mistake and wanted to genuinely apologize.

Okay, I finally told her, but let it be clear that I am not going to change my mind about the money.

Of course, Mom, I just want us to have a motheraughter conversation.

We agreed to meet the next day at the Golden Corner Diner, a small but cozy place downtown where they served the best homestyle American food in the region.

It was a public place with lots of people where I would feel safe.

That night I slept very poorly again with strange nightmares where Michael and Patricia chased me around the house demanding money.