Part 2The Golden Boy's Heir: How I Cut Ties With My Toxic Mother

That night, after another violent bout of nausea, I lay awake in bed.

Scrolling through Facebook, I saw a post my sister-in-law had made earlier that evening.

It was a photo collage of a beautifully set dining table.

Roasted chicken, organic salmon, creamy mashed potatoes... all my mom's signature dishes.

The center photo was a selfie of Brittany, my mom, and my brother Kevin. Their heads were pressed together, beaming brightly.

Her caption read:

[Pregnancy cravings have been tough, but my amazing mother-in-law cooked up a storm for me! So incredibly blessed to have the best MIL in the world!]

I stared at the group photo, my stomach churning again.

That radiant smile on my mom's face in the picture... it was a smile she rarely ever showed me.

Suddenly, a notification popped down from the top of my screen.

Brittany had tagged me in our family group chat:

"Hey Sarah, Mom said your morning sickness is acting up? Don't stress too much! I DM'd you a YouTube video from a top OBGYN, you should watch it. Let's try not to make Mom run back and forth between us, she's exhausted enough taking care of me. Just try to be understanding, okay?"

Between the lines, her smugness was palpable.

I clicked the video she sent. It was just some generic doctor listing basic pregnancy advice.

I closed it after five seconds.

My brother Kevin chimed in: "Yeah sis, you've always been tough, stop whining. Brittany is further along than you, she needs the help more."

When I didn't reply, my mom sent a message:

"Oh, your sister has always been the sensible one. She knows how to look out for her brother's family."

Sensible...

That word was like a needle, piercing the deepest, most vulnerable part of my heart.