My Son Charged Me $500 to Save My Life

I had a sudden heart attack in the middle of the night. My son, who drives for Uber, drove me to the hospital. But when we arrived at the entrance, he locked the doors and demanded five hundred dollars for the ride. Clutching my chest in agonizing pain, I looked at him in disbelief. It was only a two-mile drive from our house to the hospital. "Lily and I are getting married soon, and we need every penny," he said coldly. "Mom, you weren't planning on freeloading, were you?" Looking into my son’s icy eyes, my hands shook as I opened PayPal and transferred the money. The moment I was discharged, I called his future mother-in-law and canceled the wedding. Then, I took my savings and booked an all-inclusive VIP package at a luxury retirement community. As for my son’s one hundred and twenty missed calls? I blocked his number without hesitation. It was three in the morning when the sudden heart attack hit me. Pain rushed through my entire body. I dragged myself to my son Ethan's bedroom door, gasping for help. Without saying a word, Ethan grabbed his keys, got me into his car, and sped toward the hospital. When the car finally screeched to a halt in front of the emergency room, I reached for the door handle. But the lock wouldn't budge. "Mom, you haven't paid me for the ride yet. It's five hundred dollars. Just PayPal it to me." Ethan's voice was freezing cold. It was as if I, a dying woman, had absolutely nothing to do with him. The distance from our house to the hospital was barely two miles. "Midnight rides are always more expensive. It's surge pricing," he added casually. I clutched my agonizing chest, struggling to force the words out of my throat. "Ethan... I am your mother!" Ethan just sneered. "I’m an Uber driver, Mom. No one rides for free." "Besides, Lily and I are getting married soon. We have so many expenses!" "You weren't seriously thinking of freeloading, were you?" A surge of anger rushed to my head. I realized that if I kept arguing with him, I would die right there in his passenger seat. With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and sent him $500 via PayPal. The moment the notification popped up, a warm smile instantly broke across Ethan's face. "Now, that’s more like a supportive mother!" Thanks to the emergency room doctors acting within the golden window of survival, I managed to keep my old life. The doctor told me that if I had been even one minute later, I wouldn't have made it. I looked down at myself. I was hooked up to all kinds of tubes and machines. But the physical pain didn't compare to even a fraction of the heartbreak I felt. During my entire hospital stay, Ethan didn't visit me once. My primary doctor called him multiple times, asking him to come check on me. "Why are you calling me?" Ethan had snapped over the phone. "I’m not a doctor. Just treat her however you need to, and stop bothering me!" I turned my head away, and a cold, firm resolve began to take root in my heart. I had gone through four painful rounds of IVF to conceive Ethan. I had cherished him as my ultimate treasure. Since he was a child, no matter what trouble he caused, I had never said a single harsh word to him. And now, this pampered son of mine had put a few hundred dollars over his own mother's life. If this was my son, I didn't want him anymore. On the day I was discharged, I dialed Mrs. Carter's number—Lily’s mother. "Cancel the wedding between Ethan and Lily," I said directly. "Have you lost your mind in your old age?" Mrs. Carter shrieked through the line. "Aren't you afraid your son will hate you forever?" Clattering noises echoed from her end. "Did that heart attack damage your brain? The invitations are already sent out! You can't just cancel it!" But my mind had never been clearer. "Watch your tone with me," I replied coldly. "I don't owe your family anything. If Ethan insists on marrying Lily, go ahead. But I won't contribute a single penny." "You're his mother! If you don't pay for the wedding and the house down payment, who will?" "I don't care. That’s your problem." Lily had been Ethan’s fiancée for five years. To ensure my son had a dignified wedding, I had planned to use the $100,000 life insurance payout from my late husband, Robert. I had even taken out a mortgage to buy them a house. I was using my $2,000 monthly pension to pay off their mortgage, leaving me so broke that I had to collect plastic bottles and soda cans in the neighborhood just to buy groceries. Yet, Ethan still complained that I wasn't doing enough to lift him up. And because of Ethan’s pathetic attitude toward me, Lily and her family had never shown me an ounce of respect. Less than two minutes after I hung up on Mrs. Carter, Ethan’s call came through."Are you insane?" "What kind of garbage did you just say to my future mother-in-law? Lily is crying her eyes out again! Are you happy now?" Ethan’s voice screamed through the speaker. The young nurse who was helping me with my discharge papers couldn't help but look up at me. I gave her an apologetic smile, walked over to a quiet corner of the hallway, and put the phone to my ear. "Ethan, do you even remember you have a mother? Do you have any idea that because of your petty five-hundred-dollar ride fee, I almost died?" Silence stretched over the line for a few seconds. "What is that supposed to mean?" Ethan scoffed. "Let me tell you something. Even if you're my mother, you don't get to dictate who I marry. Now, hurry up and transfer the wedding fund to my card. Don't keep Lily waiting." I let out a cold laugh. "You truly are an ungrateful parasite. I’ve been hospitalized for two months, and you haven't visited once. Yet, you have the audacity to demand money? Not a chance!" Without waiting for his response, I hung up. I walked back to the front desk, and the nurse handed me the final paperwork. As she passed the documents, she whispered, "Ma'am... your son really didn't come even once in these two months, did he?" My hands paused. Looking at the pity and indignation in her eyes, I gave her a gentle smile. "Sweetheart, thank you for your concern. But I don't have a son." A look of surprise flashed across her face, followed by instant understanding. I wasn't just talking. I truly wanted to sever ties. I really did not want this son anymore. Leaving the hospital, I didn't go back to my house. Instead, I drove straight to the most luxurious retirement community in the city. "We offer different tiers of packages, ma'am," the receptionist explained warmly. "The budget tier is $1,500 a month, premium is $3,000, and our All-Inclusive VIP package is $30,000 a year. What is your budget?" Looking at the beautiful, resort-like pictures in the brochure, I took off my reading glasses and rubbed my temples. "All these numbers are giving me a headache. Just give me your absolute best package. I'll take the VIP annual plan." The receptionist stared at me, surprised. "Ma'am, are you sure?" I couldn't blame her. To support Ethan, I had never spent a single extra penny on myself. The clothes I was wearing were five-year-old rags with visible patches. "I'm not joking, dear. I can pay right now." When $30,000 was swiped from my account, I didn't feel an ounce of pain. Instead, an indescribable sense of relief washed over me, as if a massive boulder had been lifted off my chest. In the past, I had constantly stressed over my bank balance. Even with Robert's $100,000 insurance payout, I always felt it wasn't enough. I had pushed myself every single day to save more for Ethan. But human greed is a bottomless pit. The more desperately I saved for him, the more aggressively he tried to drain me. Lying on the plush, king-sized bed in my new suite, my phone suddenly buzzed with notifications. "You actually dared to hang up on me? You think you're tough now?" "Apologize to Lily and her mother right now, and maybe I'll forgive your little tantrum." "Also, Lily is demanding the down payment. Transfer it immediately." Reading Ethan's SnapChat messages, I felt so disgusted that I literally spat at the screen. Even at this point, he still expected me to blindly sacrifice myself for him. What a joke! I had wanted to leave him with a tiny shred of motherly dignity, but now I saw there was absolutely no point. I didn't reply to Ethan. Instead, I opened Instagram. I posted nine beautiful photos of my new luxury suite and the stunning gardens of the retirement community, along with a caption: "This premium retirement community is amazing. $30,000 a year, and it's worth every single penny!" After posting it, I silenced my phone, threw it onto the nightstand, and closed my eyes for a peaceful sleep. When I woke up the next morning, my screen showed one hundred and twenty missed calls.They were all from Ethan. I could easily picture his furious, veins-popping face right now. With a smirk, I blocked his number and all his social media accounts. I was sixty years old. I was going to live the rest of my days entirely for myself. A few days later, Ethan managed to track me down. He showed up at the retirement community lobby, and he had brought Lily with him. I knew he wouldn't let this go easily, but I never expected this disgraceful excuse of a son to bring his deceased father’s funeral urn with him. Looking at him holding Robert's urn like a prop, I wanted nothing more than to smash my cane over his head! The residents in this community loved drama. Seeing the commotion, a crowd quickly gathered around us. And that was exactly what Ethan wanted. He pulled out a megaphone and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Scam retirement home! Stealing an old lady’s life savings!" Beside him, Lily held up her phone, recording everything for TikTok. "Look at this place! They scammed my mother-in-law's money! What kind of place charges thirty thousand dollars a year?” “They're taking advantage of a confused senior to steal her money! That was the money she saved for her own son's wedding! How can these people sleep at night?" Some of the onlookers whispered, thinking we were staging a scene. "This must be a scam. They're trying to blackmail the retirement home. I've seen this online before." But others looked at Ethan with disgust. "If the elderly lady wants to live here, let her. What kind of son makes a scene like this over his mother's money? How embarrassing!" Clutching my cane, I walked over to Lily with a freezing expression and spat right in her face. "Get lost! Who are you calling your mother-in-law?" I slapped the phone out of her hand. "Stop recording me!" She had been so used to me being submissive and quiet in the past. My sudden ferocity terrified her. "Ethan! Your mother just spit on me and broke my phone! Do something!" "Mom!" Ethan yelled, holding up the urn. "When Dad died, what did you promise him? You said you would do whatever it takes to see me married and settled! And now?” “You’d rather throw thirty thousand dollars at a retirement home than give it to me? What kind of mother are you?" When Robert passed away, I indeed had promised to help Ethan build a family. And I had tried my best. But what about Ethan? When I was having a life-threatening heart attack, all he cared about was squeezing $500 out of me. Even if Robert were alive today, he wouldn't tolerate such a heartless monster! "Ethan, how have I ever failed you as a mother? Since you were a child, did you ever lack food or clothes? Did you ever have less than the other kids?" "And look at you! What kind of son charges his own mother for an emergency ride to the hospital? If I hadn't transferred that five hundred dollars to you that night, would you have just sat there and watched me die?" The moment those words left my mouth, the crowd gasped. "Oh my god, what an absolute monster. Charging his own mother for an emergency ride? I've never heard of such filth!" "If that were my son, I would have broken both his legs!" "Breaking his legs is too gentle. I would cut him off completely!" Seeing the security guards approaching and the crowd turning against them, Ethan’s face paled. He grabbed Lily's arm, preparing to flee. "Wait a minute," I called out. Ethan stopped and turned around, a smug look returning to his face as if he thought I was backing down."What? Regretting it now? It's not too late to get a refund from the staff. I’ll go with you, and you can transfer the money back to me. I won't hold today against you." I stepped forward, raised my hand, and delivered a swift, hard slap right across his face. The entire lobby fell dead silent. Ethan clutched his cheek, staring at me in absolute shock. "That slap," I said coldly, "is for your utter disrespect toward your deceased father. He has been gone for years, and you dare to use his ashes to pull a cheap stunt!" Before Ethan could even speak, I swung my hand and slapped him again on the other cheek. "And this slap is for your complete disregard for human life. You care about nothing but money!" Both of Ethan's cheeks were now swelling red. But I still felt the burning anger inside me. I raised my hand for a third strike. Lily suddenly grabbed my wrist, snarling through her teeth, "Have you lost your mind? That’s enough!" Without a second thought, I slapped her across the face instead. "Since you care about him so much, you can take the third one for him." Lily raised her hand to strike back, but seeing the dozen security guards surrounding them, she had to stop. She knew very well that if she dared to touch me, I would have her thrown in jail instantly. "Are you going to give me the money or not?" Ethan growled, his fists clenched. The look in his eyes was pure, unadulterated hatred. There was no trace of familial love left. I chuckled coldly. "Not only am I not giving you a single cent, but I've also decided to stop paying the mortgage on that apartment. Enjoy waiting for the bank to foreclose on it!" Ethan looked like he was about to explode. "Did your heart attack fry your brain? I charged you five hundred dollars for a ride! Is that really worth ruining your own son’s life over? Where am I supposed to live if the bank takes the house?" "Even if you end up living under a bridge, it has absolutely nothing to do with me anymore." "You old hag... you really want to play dirty? Don't you dare regret this!" In the end, Ethan and Lily stormed out of the lobby, humiliated. And I kept my word. I stopped paying the mortgage. My monthly pension was more than enough for me to live a luxurious life. But Ethan had insisted that Lily wouldn't marry him unless they had a three-bedroom apartment in the city center. So, I had forced myself to pay the hefty down payment and used my entire pension to cover the monthly mortgage. I had lived on pennies, scraping by and collecting recyclable bottles just to make ends meet. And my son had never once asked if I was doing okay. A few days later, as I was walking back from the community gym, I noticed several residents whispering and glancing at me. "That's her. That's the one." "At her age, she has no shame at all." I glared at them, and they quickly shut their mouths. As I reached my door, my next-door neighbor, Arthur, sneaked over with a sly grin. "Hey, Sarah. Is it true? Between you and Leo, the delivery guy?" I frowned. "Leo and me? What are you talking about?" "Oh, come on, stop playing innocent with me. Everyone’s saying you're paying that young delivery boy for... services. You didn't know?"