Divorce? What kind of outdated idea is that? I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore. “Fine, let’s divorce. Jackie, do you think I even want to live with you?”
Jackie was so anxious, he seemed deaf and couldn't hear me.
Instead, he went about coaxing my mother-in-law, "Okay, Mom, Lilian didn't mean it."
"How about this? Let Lilian cover this month's living expenses. Consider it an apology. Can you forgive her just once?"
"What did you say?" I couldn't believe my ears.
Just because a piece of meat, I had to pay for a month's living expenses?!
He was being a goody-goody. Seeing my sullen expression, Jackie grew impatient.
"Lilian, can you please stop being so ungrateful! We don't even have to get a divorce, what else do you want? Is a monthly living allowance a lot for you? You earn so much, what's wrong with spending a little more on your family?"
Seeing my expression darken, Jackie just crossed his arms and looked down at me like he was giving a lecture.
"Look at other wives. They don't have the same luxury you do. Their husbands earn money while their mothers-in-law take care of the children! You just spent a little money and have such a happy family, yet you're not happy and insist on breaking it up?"
Seeing Jackie acting like he'd given me a great gift, I was furious.
Because of childcare, I had to pay my mother-in-law an extra 300 dollars a month for living expenses. I clearly didn't have to give this money. According to the AA system in marriage, I could have shared childcare responsibilities with Jackie. Each of us could have taken care of half, and we could have easily managed the workload.
But he insisted on having my mother-in-law come, under the pretext that she could help me with the housework and relieve my stress. Truth was, I didn't feel any relief.
On the contrary, her arrival caused a significant increase in living expenses, and the house became messy and dirty. My mother-in-law always wanted to eat and drink the best. She bought bird's nest and abalone every day.
Since living expenses were monitored by the system, Jackie and I split the bill. Not only did I not get to eat a single bite of the food, but I had to pay for half.
Several times, when I came home from get off work, I'd catch my mother-in-law and Jackie sneaking around enjoying delicious food. The garbage bag at the door was filled with leftover crayfish and barbecued steak.