1 After my year-end bonus hit my account, my husband, Liam, and I went out for the omakase dinner we'd been drooling over for ages. We hadn't even taken a few bites when my mother-in-law called. She was sobbing, out of breath: "Your dad... went to the hospital today." My husband panicked and shot up from his seat: "What's wrong? What did the doctor say? Stop crying and tell me first..." My mother-in-law rambled on, starting from three days ago when my father-in-law chipped his tooth on a hard bone, all the way to how cold the doctors at the hospital were. Half an hour later, she finally got to the point: "The doctor said, in his situation, he needs a dental implant." My husband sighed in relief: "I thought it was something serious. Then just get the implant." My mother-in-law hemmed and hawed: "It's a bit expensive." "How expensive could it be?" "Eighty thousand." My husband fell silent. I quietly savored the delicious food. The anxious and apprehensive mood I'd had for days finally settled completely at this moment. "Liam? Liam? Are you listening?" My mother-in-law's shrill voice seemed to pierce through the receiver. Liam looked at me and said in a low voice: "I'm listening. I'm out right now, I'll call you back later." I sneered inwardly. I'd bet anything my mother-in-law wouldn't hang up. Every single time my in-laws asked him for money, this was the routine. First, my mother-in-law would lead the charge with crying and wailing. If Liam agreed immediately, the call would end there. If Liam didn't agree, then it was my father-in-law's turn. The mother-in-law was responsible for crying, the father-in-law for scolding. Heavy accusations like "unfilial," "raised you for nothing," and "what's the point of living" would come crashing down. In the very end, Liam would always compromise. This time, of course, would be no exception. I counted silently in my head. Three, two, one. Sure enough, the next second, my mother-in-law said: "I'll put your dad on the phone." Liam frowned and sighed. His demeanor was becoming more and more like his father's. On the other end of the line, my father-in-law sighed heavily. "Sigh, I know I'm putting you in a tough spot. Given our family's situation, forget it. It's all my fault for being useless, who told me not to make money when I was young? "I'm getting old anyway. If something really happens, I've lived long enough. Sigh... let's not talk about it. You and Chloe go ahead and enjoy your meal, don't fight over this little thing." Liam anxiously interrupted: "Dad, don't say such unlucky things..." Answering him was the beep, beep sound of the call disconnecting. He hurriedly called back. No one answered on the other end. He stared at me. I stared at the omakase chef's hands. These hands are really beautiful. Just for these beautiful hands, I could eat thirty more pieces. The sea urchin is so fresh. It melts in the mouth. But in the end, I only ate one piece. Because Liam blew up at me. He said: "My dad is in this state, how can you still have the appetite to eat?" 2 Married for three years, I had heard similar accusations many times. The first time was in the third month of our marriage. My in-laws went to a wedding banquet, and it started raining on their way home. Instead of seeking shelter, the two elders just rushed home in the rain. Afterward, they both caught a cold and were bedridden. My mother-in-law called Liam. In my father-in-law's words: "Liam and his wife need to know about this." After I found out, I sent a polite message of concern in the family group chat, telling them to drink plenty of hot water and rest well. The group was dead silent; no one acknowledged me. That day after work, I was opening packages, trying on new clothes in front of the mirror, and casually asked Liam if they looked good. He instantly got angry. "My parents are like this, and you still have the mood to buy clothes? How can you be so selfish and cold-blooded!" The sudden barrage of accusations left me stunned. Then Liam slammed the door and left, not returning all night. At that time, my love for him was strong. Being suddenly called cold-blooded to my face made me very uneasy. I reflected on whether I hadn't done enough. But they just caught a cold, did they expect me to go back and take care of them? After thinking it over, I sent my in-laws a red envelope of a thousand dollars each, telling them to buy something nice to eat to nourish themselves, to spend what they needed to spend, and not to worry about the money. This time, my father-in-law instantly praised me for being filial, and my mother-in-law chimed in saying I was sensible. I didn't say anything, but I felt an indescribable sensation in my heart. The next morning, just as I woke up, I saw Liam wearing an apron, making breakfast for me in the kitchen. He apologized to me. "I'm sorry, honey. Mom and Dad talked to me. It's just a cold, I overreacted. But—" his tone shifted, "as children, we can't just look at the surface, we have to look at the big picture. Why did Mom and Dad catch a cold? Isn't it because they don't have a car? If they had driven home, they wouldn't have gotten rained on, right?" I remained silent. Liam continued: "I looked at a three-wheeled enclosed motorcycle. It's not expensive, just thirty-eight thousand. They can drive it when they visit relatives too." Thirty-eight thousand. A three-wheeler. Not a car worth over a hundred thousand. It seemed... maybe... not too unreasonable? In the end, I nodded. Liam hugged me and laughed, saying the money would come from his savings so I wouldn't have to worry about it. But after that, for a full six months, he didn't contribute a dime to the mortgage or daily expenses. I was dissatisfied, but inexplicably, I couldn't bring myself to fight with Liam over this. I always felt like I was being unreasonable. In the end, I could only console myself by saying he was just being filial. Husband and wife are supposed to support each other. He had no money, I had money, so it was normal for me to shoulder a bit more, right? Besides, situations like this wouldn't happen often. But reality quickly slapped me in the face. The in-laws' second major expense arrived unexpectedly. 3 At that time, Liam's project had just paid out. A total of three hundred thousand. I jumped for joy, planning to pay off some of the mortgage early. After all, a monthly mortgage of eight thousand was always a heavy burden. Paying off a bit early would lessen the pressure. Liam supported this with both hands raised. He even pinched my nose, praising me for being a virtuous wife, thinking of the mortgage instead of living it up when we had money. But the next day, a neighbor from his hometown called Liam. Saying my father-in-law went up to the roof to change the awning and accidentally fell and broke his leg. My mother-in-law sprained her back while helping my father-in-law upstairs. Now, both elders were immobilized. Liam and I rushed back, only to see my father-in-law with his leg in a cast, lying in bed looking weak as a kitten. My mother-in-law was beside him, holding her back, sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing this, the visiting relatives all started accusing us: "Truly unfilial! Leaving your parents in the village to live in a leaky, drafty house while you hide in the city enjoying life." "Take this situation, for example. If his Third Uncle hadn't come over to visit and found him, to put it bluntly, maybe even..." "Liam, you can't be the kind of person who forgets his mother once he gets a wife, letting someone instigate you to be unfilial." "Chloe, I'm not trying to scold you, but what kind of daughter-in-law lives so far away from her in-laws after marriage? If something happens, how can they rely on you?" "If you don't want to serve your in-laws yourself, at least don't stop Liam from fulfilling his filial duties. You're so immature!" ... Being accused by so many people for the first time, I sat there feeling deeply uncomfortable. Liam, with red eyes and his head down, promised over and over again that this would never happen again. My father-in-law raised a hand, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he coughed so hard he couldn't catch his breath: "Sigh, don't blame Liam. It's hard for him too, it's not easy to ask for time off work now, cough cough cough..." My mother-in-law rubbed his back while wiping away tears: "Yes, yes, we're actually fine. If something really happens, that... that's just fate..." As they spoke, the two elders held each other, weeping silently. Liam dropped to his knees: "Dad, Mom, I'll take you both to live in the city." He looked at me, his tone resolute: "This matter is settled." I opened my mouth, but the words of objection just wouldn't come out, no matter what. Just like that, my in-laws followed us to the city. 4 In a three-bedroom apartment, my in-laws insisted on sleeping in separate rooms, one each. My father-in-law took a liking to the master bedroom, saying the orientation brought him good luck. My mother-in-law picked the second bedroom, saying it had good ventilation. As for Liam and me, my father-in-law said: "If you open up the living room and the study, it's a very big room." Anyone who heard this arrangement would think it was unreasonable. I had a huge fight with Liam, not even bothering to lower my voice. My thought was simple: they can stay, but they can't stay like this. If they just had a little common sense... But who knew that in the middle of the night, my in-laws would leave a note and head back to the village. Even more exaggerated was that they got lost on their way to the bus station. In the end, the police called Liam. The family of three cried in a huddle at the police station. My in-laws insisted on returning to the village, while Liam knelt and begged them to stay. He pulled at me: "Hurry up and come kneel with us." I just thought he was sick in the head. Just as I turned to leave, my father-in-law spoke up. He said: "Sigh, Liam, get up. Your mom and I really want to go home. We can't get used to living at your place. That apartment is too small, it's hard to even turn around... How about this, if you have some spare cash, give us some money, and I'll renovate the house back home..." Liam tearfully agreed and transferred two hundred and eighty thousand on the spot. I made a scene with Liam, and he accused me: "Chloe, I know you have something to say, but you hold it in. I ask you, is this your money? "Can you stop being so possessive over other people's money? "What's wrong with me using my money to fulfill my filial duties to my parents?" I was stunned. He softened his tone: "You saw that old, dangerous house of my family's too. It really needs fixing. "This is the last time. Once my parents are settled, I can finally live a peaceful life with you. Just forgive me this once. I'll figure something else out for the mortgage, okay?" To be fair, he treated me quite well. As soon as his salary hit his account, he transferred it to me, leaving only a thousand for himself. As long as he was home, I hardly had to lift a finger for daily chores. When my mom was hospitalized, he ran around taking care of her without a single word of complaint. As long as it didn't involve his parents, he was indeed a good husband. Now, the car was bought, the house was renovated; the two elders shouldn't have any more major expenses, right? Therefore, I forgave Liam once again. But reality slapped me hard in the face once more. 5 Taking that two hundred and eighty thousand, my in-laws didn't return to the village to renovate the house. Instead, they turned around and bought a three-bedroom apartment in the county town, with a monthly mortgage of one thousand two hundred. They said: "The medical facilities in the county are good. If anything happens, we can get medical attention in time." This move caught Liam completely off guard. He asked who would pay the monthly mortgage. My in-laws looked at him as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "You, of course! We're old, how much longer can we live? In the end, this house will be yours anyway. You're just paying the mortgage for your own house right now." Things having reached this point, what else could he do but grit his teeth and accept it? After that, my in-laws were very quiet for a while. And it was only for a while. Then, they started acting up again. They said they were getting old and had mobility issues, so they needed to hire a nanny. It wasn't expensive in a small place, just two thousand a month. They said a certain miracle drug would make them live to a hundred, and a bottle was only five or six thousand. Not expensive, very worth it. They said a certain magnetic therapy pillow had outstanding effects, and one was only a little over two thousand, with a lifetime warranty. Very cost-effective. ... Every single time, Liam readily transferred the money. He said: "They worked hard their whole lives, it's only right they enjoy some comfort in their old age. Since I can't be by their side to fulfill my filial duties, I should just give them more money." I wanted to say, they aren't old. They're only fifty-three, not even at retirement age. I wanted to say, they haven't even saved ten thousand dollars in their entire lives. I wanted to say, could they live within their means and not force themselves to "enjoy comfort" they can't afford? There were many things I wanted to say. In the end, they all dissolved into silence. Liam was like a pre-programmed software. As long as the topic touched upon his parents, he would react impulsively and become unreasonable. His monthly salary was fifteen thousand. Mine was twelve thousand. We normally ate at the company cafeteria, wore work uniforms, and went back to my mom's place for holidays... Excluding the eight thousand monthly mortgage, we had almost no major expenses, and my mom often subsidized us with shopping gift cards. Yet, after three years of marriage, our savings were less than thirty thousand. My in-laws were like leeches hiding in the dark. Whenever we had a little income, they would suddenly bite and suck it away. And Liam, holding high the banner of filial piety, kept compromising and yielding, like an accomplice to a tiger. I endured my boss's gaslighting, working hard just to make our small family's life better. But just as I was putting my heart and soul into gathering firewood for this home, the person sharing my bed was endlessly supplying blood to his wretched original family. He was holding me back! He was calculating against me! Many times, a person's awakening happens in an instant. One second I was texting Liam complaining about my in-laws, the next second I felt life was utterly dull. This marriage was incredibly meaningless. I wanted a divorce. 6 I thought about it for a long time. I went back to my parents' house and told my mom what I was thinking. My mom said: "Liam is hardworking and ambitious, and he listens to your every word. He even washes your underwear for you. "His parents' spending is indeed a problem, but at the end of the day, no matter how much they spend, how much can it really be? "Just pretend Liam doesn't have an income, okay? If we don't have enough money, Mom will sell that empty old house of ours and help you pay off the mortgage early. How about that?" "Not happening." I flatly rejected my mom. Originally, my in-laws were just sucking the blood of my small family. If my mom did this, wouldn't it mean my side of the family was also paying for their consumption? In the end, I told my mom: "Let's make a bet. Let's see if, push comes to shove, Liam chooses me or his parents." If he chose me, our marriage could continue. If he chose his parents, that meant he was indeed a great, filial son, just not suitable for marriage. Or rather, not suitable for marrying me. This eighty thousand performance bonus was the bait I specifically laid out. Sure enough, my in-laws came running as soon as they caught the scent. And Liam's performance, as always, disappointed me. Right now, he was still endlessly accusing me. I don't know when it started, but whenever his parents asked for money, Liam would use this little combo on me. First, he'd stand on the moral high ground and accuse me. Then, he'd wait for me to respectfully offer up my income. Finally, he'd apologize guiltily and promise there wouldn't be a next time. His promises were bullshit! He'd told the lie so many times, he even believed it himself. But the bank balance told me: it was all fake, all of it! I looked at him quietly: "I worked hard and finally got my performance bonus. Why wouldn't I be able to eat? "As for your dad's tooth, get the implant. It's just eighty thousand, what's the big deal? "Or is it that you've finally realized you have no money and can no longer support your parents' desires?" Liam shut his mouth, his face looking terrible.
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