"Hi, good morning," I greeted with a bright smile, walking past the front desk. At the bench beside them, there sat my mother who wore the biggest agitation on her face.
'I have the biggest feeling that this conversation won't go so well,' I thought to myself.
"Hi, Mama," I said as soon as I reached her.
With a huff, she stood up and marched closer towards me. "Where the hell have you been? Is it a custom here to make their guests wait that long?" she ranted immediately as I stood before her.
Heels clicking approached me from behind. I turned around and one of the receptionists stood before me, worried. She started, "My deepest apologies if we made your mother wait for too long, Miss Ryuk."
"No, it's okay," I comforted her, shaking my head. I continued, "You were only doing your job. This is out of your control."
Mama suddenly snapped, "I wouldn't mind waiting if I was given something to eat or drink."
"First of all, you shouldn't be here during working hours, Mama," I spatted back as I turned around to face her. I proceeded to scold her, "As a working person, you know above everything else that visitors during working hours are prohibited. Second, if you needed some refreshments while you waited, the coffee machine was right there," I pointed across to us.
She turned her head briefly before returning to me. "Why should I get the coffee myself when that's the purpose of your receptionist?" she remarked.
"Did you come to complain about not being treated like a queen? Or shall we get down to what you really came here for?" I snapped, raising my tone a bit. I continued, "Because Mama, I still have a lot of things to do. I still have work to do. So, please, stop wasting my time with unnecessary rants and just get to the point."
"Okay. Fine, then," she replied as she fixed herself, making her look presentable. "Where were you this morning? I received a call from your sisters, complaining that there was no prepared breakfast for them."
My eyes widened in shock. My ears flared as I heard her complain. Did she really think that I would take the time to prepare breakfast for Jaeyun and Narae? Only she insisted on still cooking breakfast for them when they were already beyond the age of being cared for like children.
And just because I took care of the children, that didn't mean that I would do the same for her two other daughters.
She added, "Why didn't you prepare breakfast for them before you left for work? You know that when I'm still at work, it's your responsibility to take over the whole household."
"Since when did I agree that I will also take care of Jaeyun and Narae?" I questioned, crossing my arms. I continued, "Also, I only cook breakfast for your grandchildren. My love and care for my nieces and nephews does not and will not extend to your two other children."
"And why won't you do the same for them? They're your siblings. They came first before the children," she argued.
I groaned. "First of all, both of them are of legal age. Which automatically means that they are capable of taking care of themselves. So, stop seeing them as little kids because they aren't. They already have kids of their own," I said.
"Second," I continued, "In reality, they should be the one taking care of me. I've done so much for them but I get nothing in return. That isn't fair."
Stunned, Mama froze. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
I added, "Must I remind you again that I'm also your daughter and not just some maid or servant that just can look after your house whenever you want."
Suddenly, she scoffed as she rolled her eyes. Briefly, she looked away and chuckled before she returned to me. "So, this is what happens when you work in an office, huh? You suddenly think you're better than anyone else? You suddenly think you should be served?" she remarked, mockingly.
As expected of her, she would never admit her fault. Instead of apologizing for what she said and what she did wrong, she would instead pass the blame on me. And she would make it an even heavier kind of problem.
She continued, "Just because you work in a prestigious office, that doesn't mean you can step over me and your sisters like we're nothing. You still live under the same roof as us. You're nothing special."
I put my hands behind my back as they slowly clenched into fists. Mama's words were out of line and below the belt. She might be an adult but how badly I wanted to smack her across her face. She didn't know how to respect me anymore.
"I never said I'm stepping over you and them, Mama," I gritted. I continued, "I'm merely doing the best that I can to make things lighter and easier for you. But the more I put effort into helping you, you see it as me, being an ungrateful child. And that's not fair."
"Then, why didn't you cook breakfast for your sisters?"
I raised my voice a little as I replied, "I'm not my sisters' babysitter, Mama. They're grown women with children. They can do everything by themselves. They don't need me, you or other people to make food for them. So, please, stop acting as if they will die if there's no prepared food for them."
She scoffed, taking two steps back away from me. She then chuckled and remarked, "Wow, what a daughter! You're not even that far from where I'm standing with my career. You're not even half of what I've accomplished."
"Why are you making it look like I'm trying to outdo you? I'm only doing my job to help you around the house. On the contrary, my sisters should be doing what I'm doing. You're supposed to be looking after me as well. But you don't because you're too focused on Jaeyun and Narae."
"Oh, wow, is that what this company teaches you? To be disrespectful and to talk down on people?" she asked, raising her voice even more. Everybody in the office began to stare at us as her voice echoed throughout the lobby. She continued, "Well, what do I expect from a well-known and very successful corporation? All you care about is making money and making even more money!"
I was about to stop her from talking when someone spoke from behind me, "Excuse me, but is there a problem here?"