James Mitchell was 34, a quiet high school history teacher making $58,000 a year. He lived in New York with his wife, Catherine, who came from a very rich family, the Westbrooks. For eight years, James had tried to fit into their world of money, luxury, and status. But to them, he was always “the help,” never really one of them.
On a cold November day, James stood soaking wet in the hallway of Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan. It was his father’s funeral. His cheap suit was drenched from the rain, and he could see through the doorway into the reception room where his in-laws were laughing, drinking expensive wine, and talking like it was a party, not a funeral.
When he tried to enter the room, Catherine’s mother, Patricia, stopped him loudly so everyone could hear.
“The help doesn’t belong in here during family time,” she said. “Though I suppose he thinks he’s family now.” James had gotten used to these insults over the years, but hearing them at his….Read Full Story Here…..
