But Ivy kept on talking. "Since you have moved to this house, you can't be too selfish and only think about yourself.”
“Everyone knows how nice it feels to have the air conditioner on, but you can’t indulge yourself and forget about others!"
I trembled with rage. “How am I being selfish? How am I ignoring your well-being? Is turning on the air conditioner for a few hours enough to kill you?”
Ivy shouted, “Of course it could! You don't know the cost of living unless you're the breadwinner.”
“We young people have parents to support and children to raise—the pressure is immense. We don't ask for your sympathy, but we'd be grateful if at least, you don’t drag us down.”
I was about to speak, but my son pulled me aside and sighed. "Mom. I think Ivy is right. Look at our family … car payment, mortgage, kids' tuition... Everything needs money.”
“We can't even afford to run the AC. So maybe you shouldn’t either.”
“How about this — you write a statement saying you won’t use the air conditioner anymore and this matter ends here.”
As I looked at my son, my heart turned completely cold.
I had worked hard to raise him and send him to college, but I didn't expect him to treat me like this.