The company distributed a box of oranges, so sour they could make your teeth ache. My pregnant coworker loved them, so I handed them over without hesitation. When my mother-in-law heard about this, she stormed into the company and made a scene, demanding my coworker return the oranges. Shaking with anger, I asked her, “Don’t I have the right to give away my own things anymore?” She sneered, “You belong to our family now, let alone your possessions!” Suddenly, it dawned on me. I had treated them as family, but they saw me as a slave. It seemed some accounts needed to be settled. I was shaking with anger as I asked her, “Don’t I have the right to give away my own things anymore?” She sneered, “You belong to our family now, let alone your possessions!” Suddenly, it dawned on me. I had treated them as family, but they saw me as a slave. It seemed some accounts needed to be settled. 0 I had just finished lunch when I saw my mother-in-law, Linda, walk into the office carrying a thermal lunch box. As soon as she entered, she started looking around suspiciously. I quickly stood up to greet her, “Mom, what brings you here?” “I brought you lunch,” Linda said, slamming the lunch box on the table with a loud thud that startled my coworkers. After living together for half a year, I had come to understand her a bit. Her hands were shaking slightly – a sign she was suppressing her anger. Besides, she had never brought me lunch before. I opened the lunch box to find only some sandwiches, which I disliked. Clearly, bringing lunch was just an excuse. “I heard your company gave out oranges?” Linda got straight to the point. Our company often gave out things as perks, so it wasn’t unusual. This time, the oranges they bought were organic and sugar-free, but they were so sour they could make your teeth ache. My pregnant coworker, Olivia, who was dealing with morning sickness, actually found them appealing. I gave her my oranges to avoid wasting them. Was Linda here for such a trivial matter? Olivia was sitting right across from me; it would be awkward if she overheard this. “The oranges were sour, so I gave them to my coworker. If you want some, I can buy you some after work,” I said in a low voice. “How dare you! You just give things away without asking me?” Linda slammed her hand on the table and shouted. The entire office went quiet, all eyes turning to us in shock. Olivia had just gone to get water and was now waddling back, sensing something was wrong. “Mom, please don’t make a scene. It’s not a big deal. I’ll buy you two boxes, okay? Please go home now,” I tried to calm the situation, feeling utterly embarrassed for the first time in my life. “I’ve never seen such a disrespectful daughter-in-law! What do you take our family for? You just give away things without consulting us?” Linda’s voice grew louder, ignoring my pleading looks. She kept glancing at Olivia, probably guessing from her belly that she was the one I had given the oranges to. I was breaking out in a cold sweat. Olivia’s pregnancy was hard-won, and she had been on bed rest. What if this upset her? “Stop it! Leave now!” I was trembling with anger as I tried to drag Linda towards the door. “Look everyone, this is my wonderful daughter-in-law, beating her mother-in-law!” Linda cried out dramatically as my grip on her arm tightened. My coworkers stood awkwardly to the side, unsure whether to intervene. “Was it really necessary to come here and make a scene over such a small thing? Don’t I have the right to give away my own things?” I asked, my voice shaking with anger. “You belong to our family now, let alone your possessions!” Linda’s words ripped away all pretense between us. So this was how it was. The harmonious family life I thought we had was just my own delusion. “I didn’t take the oranges home, I only opened the box and ate two. Here, take them back, please don’t be angry!” Olivia, also frightened, hurriedly pulled out the box from under her desk. Her coworkers quickly stopped her and went to help. “Emma, come here for a moment,” my manager, Ms. Smith, beckoned to me. My coworkers got the hint. Two of them led me to the manager’s office, while three or four others gently pushed Linda out the door, along with the box of oranges. Linda left clutching the orange box. She had probably come just to humiliate me, and her goal was achieved. Ms. Smith had always been kind to me. She poured me a glass of water and handed me some tissues. Only then did I realize how disheveled I looked. “I’ve been a daughter-in-law and now I’m a mother-in-law myself. I understand this game. It’s an obedience test,” Ms. Smith said. Her words hit me like a revelation. So that’s what it was! 0
I met Ryan at the hospital where he was my father’s attending physician. To be honest, Ryan was quite a catch. A 32-year-old medical PhD, he was the youngest chief of cardiothoracic surgery at their hospital. He was handsome and kept himself in great shape. That period was my lowest point. When my father was suddenly hospitalized, our world fell apart. My mother and I had been so sheltered by my father that we had little life skills. I was running around with a stack of papers, completely lost, when I literally bumped into Ryan. He helped me pick up the scattered papers and patiently guided me through each counter, being gentle and kind. I followed him obediently, tears in my eyes, afraid of losing him even for a moment. From that day on, whenever we had any issues, my mother would remind me, “Ask Dr. Zheng.” Soon after, my father passed away. Ryan helped me handle the funeral arrangements, taking care of everything personally. Our relatives even mistook him for my boyfriend. Later, we naturally got together. He had a clean dating history, being a studious man focused solely on his career. Despite his good looks and no shortage of admirers, he never gave them a second glance. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for you to come along,” he would say. His romantic lines were cheesy, but I loved them. When we were preparing to get married, my mother had a serious talk with me. “You’re my only daughter, and all our family assets are yours. Ryan’s family is from out of town, and he hasn’t been working for long, so he probably doesn’t have much savings. We’ll contribute more financially. You have a long life ahead, and I believe he can give you a happy life.” My mother was heartbroken after my father’s passing, seeing his memory everywhere. She decided to move south to stay with my aunt for a while. We held our wedding at my family home. At that time, Linda was still living in the countryside and hadn’t moved in with us. Linda still maintained the image of a hardworking rural old lady. She had made an appearance when my father was critically ill, bringing some farm-raised chickens at Ryan’s request. After my father passed away, she would occasionally send me some homemade health supplements. In my mind, she was a simple and kind old woman, lacking in education but honest and sincere. After we got married, we were both busy with work. Ryan had a sensitive stomach that needed care, and I didn’t know how to cook, so we hired a housekeeper. But Ryan was extremely picky about the housekeepers, so eventually, we decided to have Linda move in with us. We gave Linda $1,500 a month for groceries, and whatever was left over was her pocket money. At first, she was diligent and uncomplaining, but recently I felt she had changed. Whenever Ryan wasn’t home, she would just throw together something simple for me to eat. I didn’t think much of it at the time. It wasn’t until today, when she pointed her finger at me and scolded me, that I saw her true colors. I spent the rest of the day feeling dejected, constantly reflecting on my marriage with Ryan, wondering where things had gone wrong. Ms. Smith was right, my mother-in-law was testing my obedience. But was this her idea, or Ryan’s? 0
I called Ryan several times, but his phone was off. I understood this, as he couldn’t answer calls during surgery. Some things couldn’t be said over text, so I wanted to talk face-to-face. Just before leaving work, I noticed I had missed a message from Ryan saying he had back-to-back surgeries and wouldn’t be home for dinner. Before entering the house, I took a moment to prepare myself mentally. After what happened earlier, it would be awkward for anyone to face each other. Hearing the door open, Linda poked her head out of the kitchen. Seeing it was just me, her face darkened. “Where’s Ryan?” she asked. “He’s not coming home for dinner,” I replied. Hearing this, Linda turned back into the kitchen. After I finished showering, I found the house unusually quiet. The lights in the kitchen and dining room were off, and there was no food on the dining table. I could have sworn I smelled something delicious when I first came in. Curious, I walked into the kitchen. The stove was clean, and there was only half a sandwich left. Was this an open challenge? Well, fine then. It’s not like I don’t have hands of my own. I took out my phone and ordered a steak dinner set. Luckily, a new restaurant was offering a 12% discount, so the single-person set was only $14. After placing the order, I lazily scrolled through my phone on the bed until the doorbell rang. I have to say, the service from the new restaurant was excellent. The set I ordered came with extras, filling the entire table. I don’t know if it was the aroma wafting into Linda’s room or if she was trying to monitor me, but she suddenly opened her door and came out. Seeing me heartily digging in, she was stunned. “What… what are you doing?” Linda stammered. “Eating. Can’t you see?” I replied without even looking up. “What kind of daughter-in-law are you, indulging like this every day?” Linda angrily slammed the table again. “What kind of daughter-in-law doesn’t need to eat?” I retorted, not even bothering to lift my eyelids. “Didn’t I leave you a sandwich? That’s what I ate too. What are you complaining about?” “If you want to eat that, go ahead. I don’t like it,” I said. I had already finished eating. I stood up and packed the leftover food, then threw it straight into the trash. Linda’s face turned green. “How much did this meal cost?” Her eyes were sharp. She picked up the receipt on the takeout box, looked at it, and cried out as if she’d been bitten by a snake, “14 dollars! You spent 14 dollars on one meal?” “Yes, and it was on discount. Usually, it costs 20,” I said with a smirk, looking at her. “But the taste is really good. I might order it more often!” “You wasteful thing! You’re going to be the death of me! This is unbearable!” Linda exclaimed. Just as Linda finished speaking, there was a sound at the front door. Ryan was home. “Weren’t you working overtime? You’re too late to see how impressive your dear wife is. She ordered a whole table of steak just for herself!” Linda rushed to tattle. “You didn’t make dinner?” Ryan frowned, asking Linda. Linda didn’t answer, lowering her head and retreating to the kitchen. In no time, a feast was laid out on the table, and she called Ryan to eat. “If you’re not coming home, this food isn’t for me. Half a sandwich is all I get,” I said, looking at the mother and son pair with my arms crossed, waiting to see what would happen next. “You didn’t ask me if there was food. By the time I came out, you had already ordered,” Linda lied, her expression unnatural. “Can you two please stop? I’ve had a long day, my legs are so stiff I can barely bend them. Please…” Ryan slammed his plate on the table and headed upstairs. Linda glanced at me, then ran back to her room crying. I felt like there was a stone pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Were they ganging up to bully me now? 0
I decided to go upstairs and have a proper talk with Ryan. Ryan came out of the shower to find me waiting sternly in the bedroom. Seeing my expression, he sighed. “Emma, I’m really tired today. My mom’s getting old, just ignore her,” he said. “Do you know what she did today? She came to my office and made a scene,” I said coldly, staring at him. He froze for a moment, then threw up his hands and paced around the room. “God, just kill me now. Can’t I catch a break today?” “You need to understand, it’s not me causing trouble, it’s your mother. It’s not me making your life difficult, it’s her making our lives difficult!” I was at my breaking point. I’m a victim here too, you know? “I get it, I’ll talk to her. She’s just bored. Come on, let’s make love. Let’s give her a grandchild to keep her busy,” Ryan said, leaning in towards me. “What are you thinking? We’re having conflicts without a child, and you think having a baby will solve them?” I pushed him away, clear-headed. “Then what do you want me to do?” Ryan was clearly impatient now. Suddenly, my phone rang. Seeing it was my mother, I quickly answered. “Emma, I’m downstairs. Can you come help me? I have too much luggage to carry up myself,” my mother said. “Mom! You’re back? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?” I said, rushing out. Ryan hesitated for a moment before following. My mother was standing downstairs with two large suitcases. The taxi that dropped her off had already left. “Mom, is everything okay?” I asked worriedly. “I’ve got a minor health issue. I wanted to come back to recover, but I didn’t want to worry you, so I didn’t tell you in advance.” It turned out my mother had developed some skin problems due to the change in environment. Back at home, Linda was also alerted by the commotion. She stood at the door in her pajamas, giving my mother a cold look as she entered. “Sorry for the intrusion,” my mother said with an apologetic smile. She then pulled out a gift for Linda from her suitcase. “You didn’t need to bring anything from so far away,” Linda said, quickly accepting the gift and exchanging a few pleasantries. “It’s too late today, let’s go to the hospital tomorrow. Mom, you must be tired from the flight. Get some rest first,” I said, noticing my mother’s weary face. That’s when I saw Linda and Ryan exchange a glance, and I suddenly remembered the room situation. Linda was staying in what used to be my mother’s room, and the other spare room was occupied by Ryan’s younger brother. He was about to graduate from college and was supposedly staying temporarily. On the second floor, apart from our bedroom, there was a small study, but it had no bed and was quite cramped. Linda exchanged a look with me, then turned her face away. “She can stay in the small room for now,” I said decisively, walking towards Ryan’s brother’s room. He was away at school for exams these few days. Opening the door, I was shocked. A foul odor hit me. I usually didn’t go into his room, and I never imagined a nice room could turn into such a pigsty. The room was a complete mess, with garbage, takeout boxes, and crumpled tissues everywhere. The desk and shelves were cluttered with action figures, and there was barely any space to step. “We’re not allowed to touch Kevin’s room. Last time I tried to clean it, he got angry and chased me out,” Linda said loudly. It was too late to clean the room now, so I turned my gaze back to Linda. “Mom, my mother has bad knees and can’t climb stairs easily. Could you sleep in Kevin’s room for now and let my mother have the bigger room?” “What if Kevin gets angry? I can’t afford to upset him!” Linda immediately refused. “I’ll go find a hotel then. I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” my mother said apologetically. “What trouble? This house is yours, you shouldn’t be the one staying at a hotel,” I said. My words were directed at my mother, but my eyes were fixed on Ryan’s face. His face tightened, and he bit his lip before pulling Linda aside. They whispered something, and Linda reluctantly took her bedding into Kevin’s room. I quickly helped my mother settle in. I hadn’t seen her in a while and missed her terribly, so I insisted on sleeping in the large bed with her that night. Next door, Linda was making some noise, with occasional loud thumps startling us. My mother looked like she wanted to say something, but held back. I knew what she wanted to ask, but I didn’t want her to worry while she was still unwell, so I put on a brave face. 0
The next day, I took a day off to take my mother to the hospital. In the morning, we rode in Ryan’s car. Ryan’s face was gloomy, and my mother kept smiling and trying to make small talk, but he remained cold. Finally, when my mother went to the bathroom to provide a urine sample, Ryan and I were alone. “What are you doing? Keeping that sour face, as if someone owes you something,” I said, almost bursting with anger. “You’re asking me? Yesterday was so awkward. Did you consider my mother’s feelings at all? This is all because you didn’t plan well…” I was about to retort when I saw my mother pushing through the crowd. I quickly shut my mouth. Ryan also stopped talking, playing along. After a morning of tests and consultations with specialists, we learned that my mother had a weakened immune system, and the dampness at my aunt’s house had triggered her condition. “With your constitution, you’ve adapted to the local environment all these years. Don’t change locations. Come back and take good care of yourself,” the senior specialist said kindly, out of respect for Ryan. But as soon as he said this, Ryan’s face darkened. He made an excuse about having surgery and left us. I called a taxi to take my mother home. Linda was sitting in the living room watching TV. When she saw us come in, she immediately turned off the TV and came over. “How did it go? I told you it wouldn’t be anything serious.” “It’s not too serious. The specialist said she just needs to rest and recover,” I said. My mother had been quiet on the way back, and now she looked so tired she could barely sit up. “Mom, why don’t you go lie down in your room?” I suggested quickly. “Yes, get some good rest. It must have been tiring coming all this way,” Linda said, her words loaded with meaning. My mother stiffened, then slowly walked towards the bedroom. “My mother is not leaving,” I said, lowering my eyes as I walked past Linda. “Not… not leaving? Where will she stay?” Linda exploded. I stopped my mother from coming out of the room, gave her a look, and firmly closed the door. “I shouldn’t have come back so suddenly. I’ll book a hotel,” my mother said, panicking. “Mom, this house was given to us by you. At the very least, there should be a room for you. Why should you be the one to leave?” I said. “That’s true, but I came so abruptly,” my mother said with a bitter smile. “Mom, have you thought about this? If I give in to them on everything, what will happen in the end?” I said. “Mom, you need to think about this. If I always give in to them, what will happen in the future? If you can’t be my support, they’ll torment me to death. Mom! Dad is gone, you need to live well and protect me!” I said, bursting into tears. “Alright,” my mother’s voice became firm. I couldn’t count on Linda now, so I went to the kitchen to toast some bread and ordered takeout. Linda seemed to be on the phone in her room. I couldn’t hear what she was saying. I took my mother’s dirty clothes and went to the balcony to put them in the washing machine. To my surprise, when I opened it, a rancid smell hit me. Looking closer, I saw that Linda had washed Kevin’s clothes and forgotten to take them out. Just then, Linda hurriedly came out of the inner room. Seeing the situation, she forcefully pushed me aside and took out the clothes. “Kevin is coming back to stay tonight. I can’t stay in his room anymore. Find a hotel for your mother,” she said, not even looking at me. “Why should my mother go to a hotel?” I felt anger rising. “Then where am I supposed to stay? Your mother is a mother, but am I not a mother too? She can’t climb stairs because of her knees, but what about my knees? Why can she not climb, but I have to?” Linda put her hands on her hips and started yelling at me, spitting as she spoke, forcing me to take a couple of steps back. “This house was given to us by my mother to live in. How can she not even have a room when she comes back?” I said. “That’s not how it works. That was the condition when you and Ryan got married. That was given by your family! You’ve married into our family now, what does it have to do with your family anymore?” Linda’s words made me laugh bitterly. “Oh really? So I’ve given you such a big house? Then what did your family give?” I asked. “Look at your conditions. Are you worthy of my Ryan? You should be grateful he even married you!” Linda said. I suddenly realized that marrying for love was the biggest lie. I had always considered their family’s interests, but was I wrong? In her eyes, Ryan was too good for me, and I had actively bought the house. If it weren’t for this house, Ryan might not have even wanted me. Just then, the doorbell rang. It must be the takeout arriving. I brought the takeout in, and the toast was ready too. I took it all to my mother’s room. My mother wasn’t lying on the bed but sitting up straight. She must have heard the argument earlier. “Mom, eat first. Don’t listen to that dog barking,” I said. I had just finished speaking when my phone rang. It was a call from the company. There was an important contract that had to be signed in the afternoon. I told my mother to eat well, and that I would go to the company for a while and come back soon. 0
I got busy as soon as I arrived at the company, and it wasn’t until after 6 PM that I finally had some free time. “I’m so sorry, you guys work overtime first. I really can’t get away from home. I’ll make it up to you later!” I thanked my team members with my hands clasped. They all expressed understanding and told me to go quickly. As I was leaving, I ran into Ms. Smith. Seeing me about to call a taxi, she lowered her car window and offered to give me a ride. “I remember you have a car. Why haven’t you been driving these days?” she asked. “My brother-in-law borrowed it. He’s about to graduate and has a lot of errands to run. It’s not convenient for him to take taxis,” I explained with a bitter smile. “Your in-laws are quite problematic, aren’t they? Is the whole family ganging up to try and tame you?” she said. I fell silent. Looking at it now, it did seem that way. Only my mother’s arrival had suddenly disrupted their plans. I told her about what happened last night. Ms. Smith listened and got so upset her breasts felt clogged. “I shouldn’t interfere in other people’s family matters. But in your case, I can’t keep quiet. I’m afraid you and Ryan won’t be able to continue like this,” she said. We had reached my neighborhood. I wanted to buy some fruit to take up, so I thanked Ms. Smith and got out of the car. As I entered the elevator with my bags, I noticed the neighbors looking at me strangely. I didn’t know what was improper about me, so I secretly adjusted my dress. When I got to my door, I still felt something was off. The welcome mat at the entrance was crooked. I opened the door to see Linda cleaning the house, with a pile of garbage by the door that hadn’t been bagged yet. I was too lazy to deal with her now and strode towards the ground floor bedroom. I pushed open the door and froze. My mother wasn’t there, and even her suitcase was gone. I quickly turned back to ask Linda, “Where’s my mother?” “Oh, her? She’s got such a good son-in-law, she’s gone to a nursing home,” Linda said with an eye roll. I was completely confused. I called my mother’s phone, but it was turned off. I had no choice but to ask Ryan. “A colleague came to my place today on business, and I mentioned Mom’s condition. He said they have a specialist there, and even special medication. He suggested Mom stay there for a while,” Ryan said slowly and calmly, making me feel at ease again. “Why is my mother’s phone always off?” I asked. “Maybe it ran out of battery? I’ll give you a number, you can call and ask. It’s the number for the nurse on duty,” he said. “Never mind, I’ll go see for myself. Give me the address,” I said. I was still uneasy. Even if my mother was going to stay in a hospital, I needed to see it with my own eyes to be reassured. “I’ll go with you tomorrow. It’s about to rain, and the nursing home is in the suburbs, too far away,” Ryan said kindly, back to his patient self from before we were married. I ignored him and focused on checking the address he sent. It was indeed far, halfway up a mountain in the suburbs. The environment looked nice, but the transportation was very inconvenient. Suddenly, my phone started ringing. It was a video call request from my mother.
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