My Toxic Sons Wanted A Free Nanny

My husband, Arthur, and I worked hard all our lives to raise our two sons. After they got married and settled down in the city, we went there to help them look after their kids. But out of nowhere, Arthur suffered a severe stroke that left him half-paralyzed. I suggested moving back to our countryside home so I could take better care of him, but both of our sons flatly refused. "Mom, you can still pick up the kids, buy groceries, and cook for us during the day. At night, you can just wake up to help Dad use the bathroom. It’s not that hard!" "I'll buy you an electric scooter. That way, you won't have to walk so much, and you can use the saved time to rest." As a result, I literally worked myself to death. Arthur passed away not long after I died. Reborn and facing their demands once again, I held Arthur’s hand tightly. "Your father and I are done. Whoever wants to do this job can do it, but I’m out!" My eldest son, James, froze. "Mom, what did you just say?" "If you don't come, we both have to work! What about Henry?" My younger son, Kevin, stepped forward too. "Mom, did someone put some stupid ideas in your head? We’re bringing you to the city to enjoy your life!" "Look at the old ladies in the city. They do line dancing every day. You and Dad are just stuck in this quiet town with no one to talk to!" Hearing this, I dragged them both to the window and pointed outside. "See that? Aunt Betty and Great-Aunt Martha are right out there!" "You think we have no one to talk to?" "I’ve already leased out the farmland. I have a peaceful, easy life here. Why would I leave? If you’re actually filial, just wire me $500 a month for our retirement fund!" Kevin choked on his words. James looked furious. "Mom! Other parents do everything they can to support their kids so we don't have to struggle. Why are you dragging us down?" "Oh, really?" I sneered. "Is Sarah made of stone? Does she not have parents of her own? Why can't her family come and help?" "Why are they dragging you down? No, I need to call her mother right now and ask!" I reached for my phone, and James quickly grabbed my wrist. "Mom, stop! If Sarah hears about this, she’ll start a huge fight with me!" Their wives were currently waiting outside. They had come back for Christmas, claiming to visit us, but they had arrived completely empty-handed. Meanwhile, I had seen Mrs. Miller’s post on Instagram. She boasted about how her daughter and son-in-law had sent her a $10,000 bank transfer and expensive gifts beforehand, even though they couldn't make it home. But when it came to us, they only brought a cheap fruit basket. And yet, they had the nerve to demand we move to the city to be their live-in, unpaid maids. Dream on! Arthur wanted to say something to keep the peace, but I stopped him with a sharp look. I pushed my two sons aside, walked out of the front door, and raised my voice so the whole neighborhood could hear: "Look at these two unfilial sons of mine! They won't support us, and now they want to drag us to the city to be their unpaid nannies and maids!" "Mom! What are you doing?!" The boys panicked, quickly pulling me back inside. Their wives, who were standing in the yard, turned pale with anger. Sarah glared at me. "Mom, what is your problem? You won't come to the city, and now you’re publicly accusing us of not supporting you?" "Show me one sixty-year-old who doesn't help their kids!" As soon as Sarah finished, Chloe chimed in, "Exactly! The janitor in our apartment complex is almost seventy and still works every day!" I rolled my eyes at them. "That’s because her kids are either dead or useless, so she has no choice!" "I’ve worked hard my entire life. Am I not allowed to rest?" "You want me to give up my peaceful life to be a workhorse in the city? You won't give us a dime, yet you demand our labor. Am I lying?" "Save your breath and get out of here. I’m not going to the city, and neither is Arthur!" The two daughters-in-law were so angry their faces turned red. They couldn't find any words to counter me, so they turned their anger on their husbands. "James, listen to me! If your parents don't come, we are getting a divorce!" Sarah screamed. "Divorce! Kevin, go live with your mother then!" Chloe yelled. They threw the kids' bags onto the porch and stormed off. James and Kevin immediately chased after them. Looking at my two young grandsons, I sighed. Arthur walked up to my side. "Maybe we should just help them. It’s not easy for them to make money these days." "No way!" I held his hand firmly. "We have our own lives to live. They only want us there to be their servants. Don't listen to them!" "But..." "No buts. They are grown adults. Their lives are not our responsibility. We need to take care of ourselves!"I left the two kids right there in the town community center and told the staff that their parents had abandoned them. I explained that we were too old and sick to take care of them. The newly appointed town administrator, Tommy, was shocked. He immediately called the police. Before my sons' cars could even reach the highway, their phones were blowing up with calls from the precinct. The community office also called them, warning that if they didn't turn around, the staff would show up at their workplaces the next day. Helpless, the two sons had to drive back. Seeing their children being held and comforted by the police while Arthur and I sat peacefully on the side, ignoring them, the two sons were absolutely livid. "Mom, you are so heartless! These are your own grandsons!" "You were the one who kept telling us to have kids early! Now that we have them, you refuse to help!" "I told you to have kids early for the sake of your health! You two were drinking and smoking constantly. I was worried you’d have fertility issues later. That’s why I told you to plan early!" "It was about healthy family planning. I never once said I would raise them for you!" In my past life, I had worked like an absolute slave for them. Not only did I do all the labor, but Arthur and I also spent all our savings on their living expenses. To make ends meet, Arthur used to sweep the streets in the freezing winter before dawn. His entire monthly salary of $1,200 went directly to them. One winter, he slipped on the icy road, which triggered his stroke and left him half-paralyzed. Even then, they didn't spare me. They wanted to buy me a scooter just so I could rush through my chores faster. I am made of flesh and blood, not iron! Looking at them now, I felt nothing but disgust. After hearing our side of the story, the police officers gave the young couples a harsh lecture. The two daughters-in-law were so embarrassed they didn't even get out of the car. They just grabbed the kids and pulled them inside. Before leaving, they threw a threat at us: "You two will regret this!" I knew I wouldn't regret a thing. The only thing I regretted was listening to them in my past life, which led to a miserable end for both Arthur and me. I wasn't going to be that stupid again. Once they left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I immediately took Arthur to the city hospital for a full medical checkup. Arthur had chronic cardiovascular issues, but with insurance, his medication only cost about $100 a month. We organized our backyard, set up a small greenhouse, and planted some vegetables. For heavy chores, we hired local helpers. We had a decent amount of savings anyway. When we were young, I ran a small grocery stall and Arthur worked as a carpenter on construction sites. That was how we made enough money to buy houses for our two sons. We also had our social security pensions—about $1,000 a month each. For two seniors living in the countryside, this was more than enough. Plus, growing our own food saved us a lot of money, and we raised some chickens and ducks. The countryside wasn't isolated anymore. A local butcher truck came by every week, and delivery vans brought groceries right to our door. Arthur and I had a great life. We didn't have to worry about being taken advantage of anymore. My sons thought we would break under the pressure. They tried to turn our relatives against us by telling lies. But I beat them to it. I sat with our relatives, crying and telling them how unfilial my sons were. "They gave $10,000 to their mother-in-law, but they gave us rotten Walmart apples!" I sobbed. Hearing my side, the relatives turned around and gave my sons a piece of their minds. My eldest son, James, called me in a rage. "Mom! Why are you spreading rumors? Why are you telling everyone I'm unfilial?"I was so angry I could laugh. "Oh? Are you saying you are filial? Did I lie?" "Since the day you got married, how much money have your father and I spent on you? We gave you our life savings, and you’re still not satisfied!" "Now you want to suck us dry! How have you ever shown us respect?" "You sent ten thousand dollars to your mother-in-law, but what did you give me? You just want me to be your servant! Did a dog eat your conscience?" My son choked up. "But..." "But what? You just want free labor, don't you?" Since I had exposed him, James softened his tone. "Mom, can you stop watching those toxic videos on TikTok? I'm your son. If you don't help me, who else are you going to help?" "Do you have any idea how much pressure young people are under these days?" "No matter how much pressure you have, it’s nothing compared to the hardships we faced. I am at an age where I deserve to enjoy my life. I am not coming." With that, I hung up the phone. James immediately sent me a text message: "Fine, Mom. Don't regret this. When you get old and can't move, don't expect me to take care of you!" I wasn't even invalid yet, and they were already treating me like this. The moment things didn't go their way, they threatened me. Who knew if I could even rely on them when I actually became old! Memories of my past life flashed before my eyes like a movie. The thought of how I had died made my blood boil. Now, no matter what he said, I would never help him again. After hanging up, Arthur and I went back to our peaceful life. But a few days later, my younger son, Kevin, called. "Mom, Chloe fell and broke her arm. She's in the hospital. I sent Leo to Mrs. Davis's house, but I'm completely overwhelmed. Can you please come and help me for a couple of days?" Hearing that my daughter-in-law was hurt, my instinct was to rush over. But the moment I got off the bus, I stopped. I opened my phone and checked Mrs. Davis's Twitter. Sure enough, she had just posted a photo of herself enjoying a walk at a beach park! Kevin’s claim about sending the kid to her house was a complete lie! I took Arthur to the hospital with me, but I asked him to wait in the lobby while I went up alone. When I entered the room, I saw Chloe lying on the bed with a small bandage wrapped around her arm. Seeing me, she quickly said, "Mom, thank you so much for coming!" "I came to see how you were. How did you get so careless?" I asked, looking around. "Where is Kevin?" Chloe sighed. "He has to work to pay for the baby formula. I couldn't let him take time off. I’ve been here alone all day." "Where is your mother? Why is she not here?" Seeing that I had arrived with bags, Chloe assumed I was there to move in and take care of her. She immediately started giving orders. "Mom, here are our apartment keys. Go buy some groceries. I want ribeye steak and lobster mac and cheese tonight." "Also, Leo is at my mom's. Go pick him up, give him a bath, and make him some scrambled eggs." "Oh, and on your way back, grab my Amazon packages from the locker. I need them urgently." As soon as she finished speaking, I dialed Mrs. Davis's number on speakerphone. "Mrs. Davis, did you hear all that? Make sure you get on that right away!" Chloe froze. "Mom, what are you doing?" "I was talking to you! Why did you call my mother?" I hung up the phone and raised an eyebrow. "I came here to visit a patient, not to be your maid." Chloe’s voice pitched up, her face twisting in anger. "What did you say?! What do you mean 'patient'? What's wrong with you?!" I lowered my voice, acting weak. "Your father has cardiovascular issues, and I have high blood pressure. It's such a tragedy... our sons don't care about us, and our daughters-in-law..." Hearing this, she looked extremely embarrassed. Just then, a nurse walked in. "Patient in Bed 32, you're cleared for discharge." Chloe gasped. "Discharge?" "It’s just a minor scrape. Why are you occupying a bed we need for actual emergencies?" the nurse said bluntly. I looked at Chloe, pretending to be shocked. "You faked it!" "Chloe, you actually faked an injury to trick me into coming here so you could use me as your maid!" "I cannot handle a daughter-in-law like you. Tell Kevin that from now on, he doesn't have a mother!"