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1
My mother was a very rich woman.
2
She built a real estate empire from the ground up.
3
She was a cold woman who only cared about business and her son, my brother, Raymond.
4
Because he was the oldest, and he was just as cutthroat as her, she saw Raymond as the heir to her fortune, while I was just the other child.
5
I learned very quickly to stay out of her way and do whatever she asked.
6
Now, despite all that, I had a good life.
7
I had plenty of money, and I'd found the love of my life.
8
His name was Raj.
9
He grew up in a poor but loving household, the exact opposite of my situation.
10
We'd been together for three wonderful years, and I knew in my heart that he was my soulmate.
11
He proposed on our third anniversary.
12
Best moment of my life.
13
And then I told my family the big news, and everything changed.
14
Raymond didn't seem to care one way or the other.
15
He was already in a loveless marriage, and he couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that I actually had feelings for my partner.
16
But my mother?
17
She was horrified.
18
You can't marry him.
19
He's beneath you.
20
You'll get nothing out of it.
21
But I love him.
22
Isn't that the only thing that matters?
23
Raymond watched with this infuriatingly bemused smirk on his face as mom and I got into a huge argument.
24
She ordered me to call off the wedding, and for the first time, I told her no. She tried everything to convince me to change my mind,
25
but when none of it worked, she walked over and whispered something horrible in my ear.
26
If you marry that man, I don't think it would be safe.
27
I'm worried that he might have an accident I'll always remember
28
that exact moment
29
and it made my skin crawl I felt like throwing up
30
my own mother was talking to me like a mob boss she basically threatened to murder Raj
31
if I went through with the wedding I had heard
32
that she had done some shady things in the years
33
that she had spent growing her Empire but I had never seen this side of her firsthand before.
34
And the way she looked at me, I had no doubt she'd do it.
35
She'd kill the love of my life just because he wasn't a good match.
36
I ended things with Raj that weekend.
37
I didn't tell him the real reason because I was too ashamed.
38
Plus, I was worried that if he found out about my mother's threat, he'd tell me that he could live with the danger and convince me to marry him anyway.
39
I couldn't let that happen.
40
I simply told him that I didn't have feelings for him anymore.
41
Well, a month later, mom came to my apartment with some good news.
42
I was in a deep depression at the time, scarfing down gallons of ice cream and barely leaving the couch.
43
Mom said that she had found me a man, a better man.
44
His name was Steve, and he was the son of a wealthy landowner outside of Miami.
45
If I married him, mom's company could buy all their land and make a boatload of money.
46
It didn't matter that I'd never met Steve before.
47
She wanted me to marry him to help her business.
48
I should have said no. I should have screamed for her to leave my apartment.
49
But I was at the lowest point in my life and I didn't have the strength to stand up for myself.
50
I told her that I'd like to meet him.
51
Three months later, Steve and I were married, just as Mom had wanted.
52
I tried to tell myself that he was a good guy.
53
We didn't have a spark, but he was handsome enough.
54
Okay, in the bed.
55
He spent most of his time driving around in his convertible and playing golf, so I didn't have to see him a lot.
56
For a while, I convinced myself that I was happy.
57
Eventually, the deal with Steve's family land went through, and we all made a lot of money.
58
I accepted the fact that the rest of my life was going to be tolerable, but unfulfilling.
59
And then I saw Raj again.
60
We ran into each other on the beach.
61
I took one look at him and started crying.
62
All my old feelings came back and I knew that I had made a mistake.
63
He was the man I was truly meant to be with.
64
We started talking and I felt better than I had in a long time.
65
Steve had gone to the bathroom at the time but when he returned he saw Raj and me together.
66
Andy saw the smile on my face.
67
He angrily grabbed my arm and led me to the car without saying anything to Raj.
68
I know who that was.
69
Don't you dare speak to him again.
70
That moment was a real turning point in our marriage.
71
Steve became possessive.
72
He started checking in whenever I wasn't at home.
73
He'd wait up for me when I was late, demanding to know where I was and who I'd been with.
74
He knew that I was in love with another man, and his fragile ego had turned him into a jealous bully.
75
After a month of this torture, I had enough.
76
I told him I wanted a divorce.
77
He didn't say anything for a long moment.
78
He just glared at me.
79
If you leave me, I'll take everything you own.
80
With horrifying coldness, he laid out his plan.
81
How'd he get his lawyers to prove that I'd only married him for the land deal?
82
How he would claim I was unfaithful?
83
How he wouldn't stop until all of my property went to him, including my 20 % stake in my mother's company?
84
I didn't care.
85
If anything, it felt freeing to sacrifice all ties to my rich, miserable life and start from scratch with Raj.
86
I told him I'd draw up the papers.
87
He stormed out.
88
I felt weirdly euphoric for the next few days.
89
But that ended when mom came over for a surprise visit.
90
I guess my lawyer had told her about the divorce papers, and mom had gotten him to tear them up.
91
You can't divorce him.
92
I refuse to let that a take 20 % of my company.
93
Of course, all she cared about was her company.
94
It didn't matter to her that she was the reason that I had married that a in the first place.
95
It didn't matter that I was miserable.
96
I told her that I'd made up my mind.
97
Besides, she and Raymond had the rest of the stakes in the company.
98
Steve's minority share wouldn't change anything.
99
For a while, she seemed to back down.
100
But then I realized she was just formulating a plan.
101
Give it a month before you do anything rash.
102
I have a feeling that your problems with Steve will go away soon enough.
103
Once again, she was sounding like a mob boss Her threat against Raj was very real And now,
104
it sounded like she was doing the same thing to Steve She was going to kill him Whatever you're planning to do,
105
don't Just let me divorce him
106
Wait a month
107
I didn't wait a month I found another lawyer who wasn't under my mom's thumb and I drew up divorce documents, giving Steve everything he wanted,
108
including the 20 % stake.
109
To keep my family off my back, I told them that Steve and I were trying to work through our problems, but in reality he had already moved out.
110
And I started seeing Raj again.
111
I told him everything, and he was nothing but supportive.
112
He knew that my family had forced me into this situation, and he was proud of me for finally standing up for myself.
113
I didn't see my mom or brother for weeks, though mom called every few days to check in.
114
She always asked if Steve was okay, and weirdly she kept asking if he had been on any joy rides lately.
115
I thought that was weird.
116
And then, out of nowhere, Raymond showed up at my house.
117
Somehow he had gotten word that the divorce was still going through, but rather than tell mom, he wanted to talk to me directly.
118
He really was our mother's mini -me.
119
I didn't let him inside.
120
We talked on the porch for a while.
121
I listened to him list off all the reasons that marriage shouldn't be about love, but I kept telling him that it was too late.
122
I was divorced, not just from Steve, but from my entire toxic sick family.
123
I told him that Steve had already cleared out all his stuff, aside from his beloved convertible, which he wasn't going to be picking up until that weekend.
124
Raymond's eyes lit up.
125
Once again, all he cared about were possessions.
126
The only non -business conversations he had ever had with my ex -husband were about that stupid car. Can I drive it?
127
I mean, since he's not using it?
128
Knock yourself out.
129
I watched him drive off for a short ride along the coast, shaking my head over how messed up my family's priorities were.
130
And then I went back inside and hugged Raj, glad that he didn't have to hear any of that conversation.
131
That was the last time I saw my brother.
132
A few hours later, I found out that he had swerved off the road and died instantly.
133
I thought it was a tragic accident, until Mom called me that night.
134
Why did you let him drive your husband's car?
135
How could you do this to your own brother?
136
Hmm.
137
So Mom had followed through with her plan to kill my husband.
138
And it worked, just on the wrong person.
139
Now you'd think that would be the end of my story, karmic justice and whatnot.
140
But it gets even crazier from there.
141
A few months ago, I found out that Steve had remarried.
142
His new wife is Raymond's widow.
143
Both of them are perfect together.
144
Cold and money hungry.
145
And guess what that means?
146
Together, they have the majority stakes in Mom's company.
147
Mom lost everything because of her actions.
148
Me, Raymond, and her company.
149
I'd feel sorry for her, but she brought it on herself.
150
Raj and I are married now.
151
We are very, very happy.
152
Hey fam, Mr. Broccoli this side.
153
Do subscribe and hit the like button if you're enjoying this video.
154
My mother spent most of last year in the hospital.
155
She'd been a healthy person all her life, but then she had an accident.
156
I won't go into the specifics, but she fell off of her porch and landed in the wooded area behind her house.
157
She was too wounded to crawl back or shout for help.
158
She spent a full day lying there, going in and out of consciousness before I finally found her.
159
And the worst part was, I should have been there when she fell.
160
If I hadn't cancelled on her at the last minute, I would have seen her fall.
161
Or maybe she wouldn't even have fallen in the first place.
162
I felt awful.
163
The recovery was a long, painful process.
164
Her bones refused to heal, and several of her wounds were badly infected.
165
I took off a lot of work to visit her at the hospital, and that always cheered her up.
166
But as the months went on, I visited less and less.
167
She said she understood.
168
But I knew that if I was there more, her recovery would be much faster.
169
I always used my job as an excuse, but the truth was, I had plenty of vacation days I could take.
170
The real reason that I was so busy was Rachel, my girlfriend.
171
Rachel demanded a lot of my time, and I thought she was worth it.
172
She was gorgeous, much better looking than me.
173
I accepted that she was high maintenance, even though I always felt guilty that I chose time with her over my own sick mother.
174
Deep down, I knew that she was doing it on purpose, scheduling dates and inviting me over when she knew that I was planning to visit Mom.
175
She was forcing me to pick sides, knowing full well that I'd always choose her.
176
Well, after seven months in the hospital, Mom's phone calls were sounding much more desperate.
177
Honey, I know you have a lot of work, but I'd love to see your face tonight.
178
It would mean a lot.
179
I told Rachel that I needed to visit my mom that evening.
180
And of course she tried to talk me out of it.
181
Oh, but I thought we were going to that movie I keep talking about.
182
It's opening night.
183
I had no idea what movie she was talking about.
184
It was one of her more shameless excuses.
185
And for the first time, I told her no. I said that I really needed to see my mom.
186
She didn't argue, but I could tell she was pissed.
187
I was so glad I went, though.
188
I sat by Mom's bed and we talked for hours.
189
Afterwards, her nurse pulled me aside and said that this was the most energetic that she had been in weeks.
190
That was a turning point for me.
191
I started telling Rachel no a lot more often.
192
I actually stood up for myself.
193
Mom seemed to be getting better just from my presence.
194
And I actually felt more confident in myself.
195
My girlfriend had treated me like a doormat, but not anymore. And then it happened.
196
Mom was finally released from the hospital.
197
She still had a long way to go before she was back to normal, but she could go live at home again.
198
She needed crutches, and a nurse came by every day to check on her.
199
I helped her get settled in, and I visited her for the next few days.
200
I made her promise to stay off the porch.
201
The railing was still broken, and I didn't want her to fall off again.
202
Well, one day, Rachel insisted that she come with me on my visit.
203
She really didn't like my mom, but she said that she wanted to pay her respects, whatever
204
that meant but I had a feeling
205
that she wanted to see how well my mom was doing
206
so that she could tell me that I didn't need to visit her as often anymore.
207
It was a total mind game with her.
208
I knew that now.
209
Well, mom countered with a mind game of her own.
210
On that visit, she acted much more feeble than before.
211
She made a big show of nearly falling off her chair.
212
She dropped her water and asked me to clean up the shattered glass.
213
Now, I hated to admit it, but I thought that the whole situation was hilarious.
214
Mom was obviously exaggerating her illness as a passive -aggressive form of revenge against my girlfriend.
215
Good for her.
216
I still loved Rachel, and I would still do anything for her, but I had a twisted new respect for my mom that day.
217
Anyway, life seemed to go back to normal after that.
218
Rachel and I still spent most of our free time together.
219
I still showered her with presents and spoiled her whenever I could.
220
But once a week, I visited Mom.
221
She seemed to get better every time.
222
And Rachel seemed to get more annoyed.
223
Her possessive streak was really coming out.
224
Just one night a week, she wasn't the center of attention.
225
And that really bothered her.
226
And then, one night, we had a fight.
227
It was our biggest one yet.
228
It came out of nowhere.
229
She said that I had no reason to visit Mom since she wasn't sick anymore.
230
I told her that was an awful thing to say.
231
She stormed out.
232
It was a ten -minute argument, maybe less.
233
I assumed that she'd just cool off and come back.
234
She didn't.
235
The next day, I got a little worried and called her friends.
236
No one knew where she was.
237
I started to get nervous.
238
The day after that, I visited Mom as usual.
239
She seemed in especially high spirits.
240
We had a nice long lunch together, and then I mentioned my fight with Rachel, and a sly smile spread across her face.
241
That's strange.
242
I could have sworn I saw her car parked on the edge of my driveway.
243
Maybe she's nearby.
244
I rushed to the window, and sure enough, Rachel's car was outside.
245
I looked all over the property, but I couldn't find her.
246
Mom waited inside, sipping her juice and watching me rush around.
247
Then I went to the wooded area under her porch, to the exact spot where Mom had her accident.
248
Rachel was unconscious on the ground.
249
Both her legs were broken, and she had scratches all over her body.
250
That's when Mom joined me outside.
251
She didn't bother using her crutches anymore.
252
She didn't need them.
253
Oh, dear.
254
I had no idea she'd fallen.
255
What a horrible accident.
256
The ambulance took Rachel away.
257
Doctors operated on her for hours, treating her wounds and fixing up her five broken bones.
258
She was in terrible shape and a lot of pain.
259
Mom and I were both in the waiting room.
260
I was a nervous wreck, but Mom seemed unnervingly blank.
261
Mom, what happened?
262
You saw her fall, didn't you?
263
My mother very casually explained that Rachel had snuck onto her porch and had covered the floorboards with water.
264
She was obviously trying to create an ice patch right in front of the broken railing.
265
She wanted to restage mom's accident to finally get her out of my life.
266
But, as she was doing that, she slipped and fell, suffering the exact same injuries that she had been trying to inflict on my mom.
267
Broken bones, deep scratches, and no one to rescue her as she lay on the ground.
268
It felt like the ultimate irony.
269
Practically unbelievable.
270
But there was something really dark about Mom's expression.
271
I had to ask.
272
You didn't push her, right?
273
Right?
274
Of course not, sweetie.
275
I was sitting on the sectional in the living room, staring at the dust motes dancing in a shaft of afternoon light.
276
My son, Leo, was finally asleep in his bassinet.
277
He was three weeks old, and I was running on caffeine and the kind of hollow, vibrating exhaustion that makes your eyes sting.
278
My husband Mark was still at work pulling a double shift.
279
It was 2 .30pm on a Tuesday.
280
I remember the time because I had just looked at the microwave clock, calculating how many minutes I had before my mother arrived.
281
She was coming over to hold the baby so I could take a shower that lasted longer than three minutes.
282
Then came the knock.
283
My brain, sluggish and fogged over immediately went to, Mom.
284
She usually parked around back and came in through the garage code, but maybe the keypad was acting up again.
285
Or maybe her hands were full of casseroles.
286
I didn't get up, I just shouted, Come in!
287
It's unlocked!
288
Because why wouldn't I?
289
We lived in a subdivision in Ohio where the biggest crime was someone leaving their trash cans out a day late.
290
The door handle turned.
291
The heavy oak door creaked open, letting in a slice of blinding daylight. In here, Mom.
292
Don't wake the beast.
293
He just went down.
294
But the footsteps were wrong.
295
My mother walks with a brisk, purposeful clip.
296
These steps were shuffling, scuffing against the hardwood.
297
Heavy.
298
Uneven.
299
standing in the entryway was not my mother it was a woman I had never seen in my life
300
she looked to be in her 60s
301
but a hard 60s her hair dyed a violent unnatural shade of raven black
302
that showed an inch of gray roots she was wearing a dirty pink windbreaker and oversized sunglasses, despite being inside.
303
She stood there, swaying slightly, looking at my family photos on the console table.
304
Oh, nice place.
305
Real nice.
306
I stood up, instinctively moving between her and the bassinet.
307
Who are you?
308
How did you get in here?
309
She turned to look at me, lowering the sunglasses.
310
Her eyes were watery and pinned.
311
You said come in, she said, a weird crooked smile spreading across her face.
312
I heard you.
313
You yelled it.
314
Come in, you said.
315
I thought you were my mother.
316
You need to leave now.
317
She waved a hand dismissively, taking a step further into the living room.
318
Now, don't be like that, honey.
319
I'm in a bit of a pickle.
320
A real situation.
321
She gestured vaguely toward the front door.
322
My car, it's.. it's dead.
323
Just died right at the end of your driveway.
324
Alternator, I think.
325
Or maybe the spirits got it.
326
She laughed.
327
I can call a tow truck for you, I said, reaching for my phone on the coffee table.
328
My hand was shaking.
329
What's the number?
330
Do you have AAA?
331
No, no, no, she said quickly, stepping closer.
332
Too close.
333
I don't need a tow.
334
I need a ride.
335
Just a quick run.
336
Up to the Sunoco on Route 4.
337
It's five minutes.
338
I just need to get there.
339
I can't drive you, I said, gripping the phone.
340
I have a baby.
341
Bring the baby.
342
Babies like car rides.
343
Put him to sleep.
344
He is asleep.
345
I'm not waking him up to drive a stranger to a gas station.
346
You need to wait outside.
347
I'll call the police.
348
They can help you.
349
At the mention of police, her face changed.
350
The crooked smile vanished, replaced by a sudden, jagged anger.
351
I don't need the cops, she shouted.
352
I need to get to the Sunoco.
353
I have a winning ticket.
354
You hear me?
355
I have a scratch -off.
356
I won 500 bucks and I have to cash it in before the shift changes.
357
That clerk, the one with the lazy, he steals them if you don't cash them quick.
358
I don't care about your ticket, I said, stepping back, shielding the bassinet with my body.
359
I don't have a car seat installed in my truck right now.
360
I can't go anywhere.
361
This was a lie.
362
The car seat was in the jeep.
363
But the lie felt safer than the truth.
364
you don't have a car seat no for a baby it's in my husband's car She looked at the bassinet,
365
and then back at me, her expression twisting into something grotesque.
366
She pointed a finger at me, the nail bitten down to the quick.
367
That's just inappropriate!
368
She screamed.
369
The volume made me flinch.
370
Leo stirred in the bassinet, letting out a small whimper.
371
Quiet!
372
I whispered furiously.
373
Get out!
374
Inappropriate!
375
She yelled again, stepping forward.
376
She was in the living room now, fully inside.
377
You have a baby and no car seat?
378
What kind of mother are you?
379
What if there's a fire?
380
What if you need to run?
381
That's neglect.
382
That is purely inappropriate behavior.
383
Get out of my house.
384
I'm calling 911 right now.
385
You have five seconds.
386
You think you're better than me?
387
She screamed.
388
She looked around the room, her eyes darting frantically.
389
Sitting in your big house with your big TV?
390
You won't even help a fellow citizen cash a ticket.
391
I need that money.
392
It's mine.
393
I earned it.
394
I'm dialing, I said, thumbing the emergency button on the iPhone screen.
395
She lunged, not at me, but toward the side table where my purse was sitting.
396
Give me my 20 bucks, Dad, she screamed again.
397
If you won't drive me, pay for my Uber.
398
That's fair.
399
That's the best thing to do.
400
I don't have cash.
401
Liar, everyone has cash.
402
She grabbed the strap of my purse.
403
I dropped the phone and grabbed the other end of the strap.
404
Let go!
405
I screamed.
406
You selfish fk.
407
That's inappropriate.
408
Harding it all.
409
Leo started to cry.
410
A full -blown lung -clearing wail.
411
The sound seemed to break something in her.
412
She let go of the purse so suddenly that I stumbled back, hitting my hip against the wall.
413
She looked at the crying baby, her face twitching.
414
You woke him up, she muttered.
415
You woke him up, bad mother.
416
Get out, I roared, grabbing a heavy glass vase from the mantle.
417
I didn't care about the flowers.
418
I held it like a club.
419
Get out.
420
She looked at the vase and then at me.
421
For a second, I thought she was going to charge me.
422
Her hands were balled into fists, trembling.
423
Then we heard the sound of tires crunching on gravel, the sound of an engine cutting, the heavy thud clunk of a car door closing.
424
Hello?
425
My mother's voice floated through the open front door, cheerful and oblivious.
426
Sarah, why is the front door wide open?
427
You're letting the A .C out.
428
The old woman's head snapped toward the door.
429
The color drained from her face beneath the tan.
430
The bravado evaporated instantly, replaced by the scurrying panic of a cockroach when the lights flick on.
431
I'm leaving.
432
You're a terrible mother, she muttered.
433
She spun around and sprinted, actually sprinted, toward the door.
434
My mother was just stepping onto the threshold, holding a Tupperware container of lasagna.
435
She froze as this wild -haired woman barreled toward her.
436
Excuse me!
437
The woman yelled, shouldering past my mother hard enough to knock the lasagna sideways.
438
Hey!
439
My mom shouted, spinning around.
440
Who the hell don't touch me?
441
The woman screamed over her shoulder.
442
She didn't head for a car.
443
She ran across the lawn, cutting through the neighbor's side yard, disappearing into the wooded buffer zone that separated our cul -de -sac from the main road.
444
There was no car at the end of the driveway.
445
She had walked here.
446
I dropped the vase.
447
It didn't break, just thudded onto the rug.
448
My legs gave out, and I sat down hard on the floor, shaking so bad my teeth chattered.
449
Sarah!
450
Mom rushed over, dropping the food on the table.
451
Oh my god, who was that?
452
Are you okay?
453
Is Leo okay?
454
Lock the door.
455
Lock this door, Mom.
456
We called the police.
457
Two deputies came out about 20 minutes later.
458
They took a description.
459
Pink windbreaker, bad dye job, obsession with inappropriate car seats.
460
They look tired.
461
Oh, we've had calls about her, the older deputy said, scribbling in his notebook.
462
She hangs up by the gas station on Route 4.
463
Usually just harasses people for cigarettes or scratch -offs.
464
Never heard of her entering a home before.
465
That's escalation.
466
She said she needed to cash a ticket, I said, holding Leo tight against my chest.
467
Yeah, that's her bit.
468
Always a winning ticket.
469
Always an emergency, he sighed.
470
We'll patrol the area, ma 'am.
471
Keep your doors locked.
472
Don't yell, come in, unless you know who it is.
473
i felt stupid i felt small i felt like i had endangered my son
474
because i was too lazy to get up off the couch i will be careful next time
475
when mark got home
476
that night i was a wreck he went around the house checking every window every lock he held me
477
while i cried telling me it was over.
478
She was gone.
479
Just some crazy lady off her meds.
480
I barely slept.
481
Every creak of the house sounded like a pink windbreaker swishing against the drywall.
482
Around 3 a .m.
483
I heard the noise.
484
Glass breaking.
485
It came from the driveway.
486
I shot up in bed, my hand instantly shaking Mark's shoulder.
487
Mark, Mark, wake up.
488
What?
489
He grunted.
490
Class, outside.
491
Mark was up in a second.
492
He grabbed the baseball bat he kept under the bed.
493
A cliche until you actually need it and went to the window.
494
He peeked through the blinds.
495
Son of a b*h, he whispered.
496
Is it her?
497
Is she back?
498
someone's in the truck i'm calling 911 don't go out there
499
i begged he didn't we waited for the lights the response time was faster this time blue
500
and red strobes washed over our bedroom walls in under six
501
minutes by the time the cops got there the driveway was
502
empty mark went out to talk to them i watched from
503
the window they were shining flashlights into the bed of mark's ford f -150 When Mark came back inside, he looked pale.
504
Furious, but pale.
505
What happened?
506
Did they take the stereo?
507
No, they didn't touch the cab.
508
They broke the back window of the camper shell.
509
Mark ran a side hustle.
510
He worked HVAC during the day, but his real money came from flipping high -end commercial espresso machines and restaurant equipment.
511
He'd buy them broken from bankrupt cafes, fix them up, and sell them for a massive profit.
512
They took the La Marzocos, he said.
513
The espresso machines?
514
Those things weigh like 80 pounds each.
515
They took three of them, and the box of grinders.
516
That's ten grand, Sarah.
517
Easy.
518
How?
519
How did they know they were in there?
520
The shell has tinted windows.
521
You can't see in.
522
Mark looked at me, and the realization hit us both at the same time.
523
The woman, I whispered.
524
She wasn't crazy, Mark said grimly.
525
Or maybe she is crazy, but she's useful.
526
The police put it together later.
527
It was a ring operating out of the next county over.
528
They used so -called walkers, usually older, mentally unwell, or homeless women who looked harmless enough to be ignored or pitied.
529
They'd send them into neighborhoods during the day to knock on doors.
530
If no one answered, they'd check the side yards.
531
If someone did answer, like I had, they'd make up a manic story, act unhinged, and cause a scene.
532
But while she was inside screaming about car seats and scratch -off tickets, she wasn't just being crazy.
533
She was scanning.
534
She was looking for keys, for alarm pads, for anything of value.
535
And when she walked up the driveway, she wasn't just stumbling.
536
She was looking through the windows of the vehicles.
537
She wasn't a lost old lady looking for a ride.
538
She was a spotter, a bird dog pointing the way for the hunters.
539
She knew the husband wasn't home, and the wife was distracted with a newborn.
540
The police didn't catch her, and I never saw her again.
541
My mom took me to Starbucks to have a private chat.
542
She didn't tell me what it was about, but I knew that she wanted to tell me something serious.
543
I got there first and drank my iced tea, nervous about what my mom was going to tell me.
544
When she finally arrived, she seemed perfectly fine.
545
She ordered a coffee for herself and then sat across from me.
546
She smiled and asked me about my day.
547
I told her that I was fine and everything was normal.
548
Good to hear, she said.
549
Unfortunately, I have some bad news.
550
She went on to tell me that she was planning to divorce my father.
551
She wanted to tell me in person before she filed the paperwork.
552
I was absolutely floored.
553
My parents have been married for nearly 30 years, and they always seemed so happy together.
554
I never saw them argue you.
555
I asked her what had changed, and she said, sometimes people grow apart.
556
There was obviously something she wasn't telling me.
557
I'm 26, but at that moment, I felt like a little kid.
558
I didn't want my parents to break up.
559
I wanted to argue with her, tell her to reconsider, but I stopped myself.
560
It wasn't my decision to make.
561
I asked her, does dad know?
562
Oh, he knows.
563
The tone of her voice proved that there was definitely something she wasn't telling me.
564
Okay.
565
Well, I love you both, and I'm sorry this has to happen, I said.
566
I didn't know what else to say.
567
We stayed at Starbucks for a couple more minutes, but I really didn't have anything else to talk about.
568
She thanked me for understanding, and then I left.
569
I didn't do anything for the rest of the day.
570
I was too distracted.
571
Honestly, I was mostly worried about my dad.
572
Unlike a lot of families, my mom was the breadwinner, while dad was the stay -at -home spouse who took care of me and my sister.
573
What was he going to do after the divorce?
574
He hadn't had a real job in decades, so he'd have to maybe work at some fast food restaurant or something.
575
The next day, I called in sick to work.
576
I still wasn't in the right headspace, and I needed to see both my parents face to face.
577
Maybe then I'd hear the full story.
578
I called mom to say that I was coming over, but she didn't answer.
579
A little before noon, I drove out to their house.
580
Both their cars were still in the driveway.
581
I knocked on the door, but no one answered, so I let myself in.
582
That's when I saw my dad's body lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor.
583
He had a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.
584
I screamed.
585
From the other room, I heard my mom's voice.
586
Jane, is that you?
587
I followed her voice to the bathroom.
588
She was sitting on the floor, trembling.
589
Is he gone?
590
At first, I thought she was talking about my dad, but then I realized she was talking about someone else who murdered my dad.
591
Chills ran down my spine.
592
The killer might still be in the house.
593
I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door behind me.
594
Tell me what happened.
595
Mom breathlessly explained that dad had gotten mixed up with some shady people.
596
She didn't know all the details, but she told me that he owed them a lot of money.
597
That was the reason why she wanted to divorce him.
598
She said that she was in the bathroom when she heard the man come in to argue with my dad.
599
Then she heard the gunshot.
600
I love my father so much.
601
I really couldn't believe that he'd get mixed up with all these criminals.
602
It was just too much to process.
603
I pulled out my phone and called 911.
604
The dispatcher said that they would send someone right away.
605
I begged her to hurry, because I didn't know if the killer was still here.
606
Just stay where you are and keep the doors locked, the lady on the phone told me.
607
That was the best she could do.
608
I hung up the phone and then sat next to Mom on the floor.
609
I wrapped her in a big hug and told her how sorry I was.
610
Even though she was planning to divorce Dad, I knew that she still loved him.
611
I could feel her trembling arms.
612
We waited until the cops to arrive.
613
I glanced at the door, trying to hear any noises or footsteps outside.
614
The house was completely quiet.
615
I can't believe he's dead, she muttered.
616
At least she didn't have to see his body.
617
She heard the gunshots, but she didn't have that terrible image in her head.
618
Dad lying dead on the ground.
619
It was all I could think about.
620
He had his problems, Mom continued.
621
But no one deserves to get shot in the head like that.
622
I instantly pulled away from her.
623
What did you say?
624
She looked at me confused.
625
You didn't see what happened, right?
626
So how do you know he was shot in the head?
627
Mom's face went instantly blank.
628
Oops, she said.
629
I jumped to my feet.
630
You?
631
Slowly, she stood up as well.
632
Damn it, Jane.
633
You're too smart for your own good.
634
She stepped closer, her face blank, and placed one hand on my shoulder.
635
You're not going to tell the police, are you?
636
I didn't answer.
637
I could barely breathe.
638
He was going to take everything in the divorce, she said.
639
I couldn't let him do that.
640
She squeezed my shoulder hard enough to hurt.
641
Mom, I said very slowly, where's the gun?
642
Disposed of, she said.
643
Don't worry, I won't hurt you.
644
I didn't believe that.
645
If she could murder her husband of 30 years, what would stop her from killing me too?
646
I pushed her away.
647
Please, Dane, it'd be so much easier if you just play along.
648
I opened the bathroom door and ran out.
649
But Mom surged forward and grabbed me by the waist.
650
I was surprised at how strong she was, and she shoved me to the ground.
651
Desperate, I grabbed a lamp from the table next to me and held it up as a weapon.
652
If she tried to attack me again, I would slam it into her.
653
Stay back, I screamed.
654
That's when the front door opened and three policemen charged inside.
655
Mom looked over towards them and screamed.
656
Help, she wants to kill me too.
657
The policemen pointing their guns at me.
658
Drop the weapon, one of them ordered.
659
It's not me, I tried to explain.
660
Drop the weapon.
661
I put the lamp back on the ground, and the cops rushed out to handcuff me.
662
I'm in a holding cell now, waiting to tell my side of the story.
663
I know that Mom spent a lot of time covering her tracks, but I pray there's something she forgot.
664
Something that'll prove that I'm innocent.
665
For now, all I can do is wait.
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Từ vựng và ghi chú luyện nói cho bài học này
Video này có 665 câu và 6287 từ để luyện shadowing. Phần lời nói dài 41:20. Người nói nói với tốc độ tự nhiên, khoảng 152 từ mỗi phút, gần với hội thoại hằng ngày. Chỉ 80% số từ nằm trong 3.000 từ tiếng Anh thông dụng nhất, nên từ vựng khá khó.
Từ vựng quan trọng trong video
15 từ đáng học trong video, kèm phiên âm và nghĩa:
| Từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa |
|---|---|---|
| divorce danh từ | /dɪˈvɔːs/ | ly hôn |
| knock động từ | /nɑk/ | gõ |
| instantly trạng từ | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | tức thì |
| argue động từ | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | tranh luận |
| marry động từ | /ˈmæɹi/ | cưới, lấy vợ |
| cop danh từ | /kɑp/ | cớm |
| shake động từ | /ˈʃeɪk/ | lắc, lay |
| scratch động từ | /skɹæt͡ʃ/ | gãi |
| stake danh từ | /steɪk/ | cọc |
| bone danh từ | /boʊn/ | chất xương, xương |
| convince động từ | /kənˈvɪns/ | thuyết phục |
| wound danh từ | /ˈwund/ | vết thương |
| blank danh từ | /ˈblæŋk/ | mẫu in |
| shout động từ | /ʃaʊt/ | kêu la, la hét |
| purse danh từ | /pɚs/ | ví tiền, ví |
Cụm động từ bạn sẽ nghe
| Từ | Nghĩa |
|---|---|
| come back động từ | trở lại, trở về |
| get up động từ | dậy |
| stand up động từ | đứng dậy |
| clean up động từ | quét dọn, quét tước |
| go out động từ | ra, chết |
Ngữ pháp trong video
Những cấu trúc người nói dùng nhiều nhất, kèm đúng cụm từ trong video:
| Cấu trúc | Trong video |
|---|---|
| Câu điều kiện if + mệnh đề, will/would + động từ — điều kiện và kết quả | If you leave me, I'll take · If no one answered, they'd check |
| Câu bị động be + quá khứ phân từ — nhấn vào việc xảy ra, không phải người làm | was horrified · was divorced · was pissed |
| Thì hiện tại hoàn thành have/has + quá khứ phân từ — việc đã xảy ra nhưng còn liên quan đến hiện tại | have fallen · we've had · has tinted |
| Mệnh đề quan hệ who / which + mệnh đề — thêm thông tin về người hoặc vật | woman who only · women who looked |
Phát âm cần chú ý
Người nói dùng 151 dạng rút gọn, ví dụ didn't, don't, wasn't. Hãy nói theo dạng ngắn đúng như bạn nghe.
- Âm “th”: beneath /bɪˈniːθ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, breathe /bɹiːð/, wealthy /ˈwɛl.θi/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
- Âm “sh” và “zh”: rush /ɹʌʃ/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, shout /ʃaʊt/, shell /ʃɛl/, shady /ˈʃeɪdi/
- Từ dài — đặt trọng âm cho đúng: inappropriate /ˌɪnəˈpɹoʊpɹi.ət/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, minority /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/, practically /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.k(ə.)li/
Cách luyện với video này
- Nghe hết video một lần, chưa cần nói, và ghi lại những từ bạn chưa biết.
- Bắt đầu ở tốc độ 0,75×, nói đuổi từng câu, rồi quay lại tốc độ bình thường khi đã quen.
- Ghi âm giọng mình rồi so với bản gốc, chú ý các từ như divorce, knock, instantly.
Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?
Shadowing là kỹ thuật học ngôn ngữ có cơ sở khoa học, ban đầu được phát triển cho chương trình đào tạo phiên dịch viên chuyên nghiệp và được phổ biến rộng rãi bởi nhà đa ngôn ngữ học Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Nguyên lý cốt lõi đơn giản nhưng cực kỳ hiệu quả: bạn nghe tiếng Anh của người bản xứ và lặp lại to ngay lập tức — như một "cái bóng" (shadow) đuổi theo người nói với độ trễ chỉ 1–2 giây. Khác với luyện ngữ pháp hay học từ vựng bị động, Shadowing buộc não bộ và cơ miệng phải đồng thời xử lý và tái tạo ngôn ngữ thực tế. Các nghiên cứu khoa học xác nhận phương pháp này cải thiện đáng kể phát âm, ngữ điệu, nhịp điệu, nối âm, kỹ năng nghe và độ lưu loát khi nói — đặc biệt hiệu quả cho người luyện IELTS Speaking và muốn giao tiếp tiếng Anh tự nhiên như người bản ngữ.