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When I cried as a toddler,she let me wail for hours,calling it“controlled crying method.”
I almost passed out until an elderly neighbor comforted me.
To build“responsibility,”she made me cook at a young age.
When I burned myself while handling boiling water and sobbed,she sneered,“Lazy moms raise hard workers.I’m toughening you up—don’t be ungrateful!”
Her mantra?“I’ve been through hard times,so I won’t shelter my child from hardships.They need to suffer like I did to appreciate me.”
As I grew,she dressed me in hand-me-downs from relatives,while she spent hours on makeup and designer outfits.
Her home videos showed her looking glamorous,sipping lattes,eating pastries.
“Moms,don’t lose your sparkle just because you’re a parent!”
Some moms ate it up,calling her“Fiona the Queen.”
Tasting success,she leaned harder into her“modern woman”persona,and grew more cruel.
That day,she started another live stream.
“Mom squad,is my parenting vibe iconic or what?Time for Fiona’s masterclass…”
I ignored her toxic pep talk.Sweaty,I headed to shower.
After drying off,I heard the door creak and her streaming voice.
“Fam,my daughter’s been showering for over 15 minutes.Should I teach her a lesson?”
Panicked,I dressed fast,knowing she’d barge in.
As I finished,the door flew open,and she splashed me with a bucket of ice-cold water.
I was soaked,shivering.
“Mom,what is wrong!”
She grinned,gloating.“Emily,you’re dawdling in there forever!”
“If you love showers,here’s a big one!”
She winked at the camera.“Don’t worry,it’s warm water!I love my girl—no abuse here!”
But it was freezing,and I trembled.
“Fiona’s so fierce,I admire her!Strict moms save kids from mistakes!”
“She didn’t do anything wrong,just took a long shower.We don’t time ourselves,do we?”
Some questioned her.
“She’s shivering—cold water?”
“Even if it’s warm,a bucket’s harsh!”
Hearing dissent,my mom went theatrical and hugged me.
“Sweetie,you’re my flesh and blood.I’d never hurt you!”
“This teaches you:only parents tolerate your breaking the rules.The world won’t.”
“And you’re my daughter!Whatever I do,you owe me gratitude!”
