“Oh, she’s back,” his parents said with disinterest before turning their full attention to Ian. They surrounded him, bombarding him with questions about his well-being.
My sister-in-law, glued to her phone, didn’t so much as glance in my direction.
It was as if I didn’t exist.
The ache in my abdomen grew sharper, and hunger gnawed at me, the acid in my stomach churning. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I broke the silence.
“Ian, is there a night market nearby? I need something warm to eat.”
My mother-in-law immediately turned her head, her voice hoarse and accusatory. “This is the countryside, not the city. Where would there be a night market? Are you asking just to mock us? What do you mean by that?”
My sister-in-law finally put down her phone and chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Sister-in-law, people here don’t eat midnight snacks. You’re an older mother now, aren’t you? Eating late can easily cause high blood sugar. If you don’t even know that, how can you raise a child?”
My father-in-law took a long puff from his pipe, exhaling a thick smoke ring. “You act like a city woman as soon as you walk in the door. If you’re hungry, there are a couple of steamed buns in the cupboard. Eat those.”
Too drained to argue, I simply turned and retreated to the bedroom in silence.
Lying on the cold, hard bed, memories of life before marriage swirled in my mind.
When we got engaged, my parents-in-law had held my hand warmly, promising, “We’ll treat you like our own daughter.”
My sister-in-law had hooked her arm through mine with a wide smile, saying, “Sister-in-law, we’re family now. If my brother ever dares to mistreat you, I won’t let him get away with it!”
But now, it was all painfully clear. Lies. Empty promises.
I had poured my heart into this family, never failing to bring gifts and red envelopes for every occasion, big or small.
Yet, today, I finally understood that, in the Shaw family, a daughter-in-law would always be an outsider.
Through the thin wooden door, I could hear their cheerful chatter and laughter, a stark reminder of my alienation.
I pulled the quilt tightly around me, forcing myself to block out the noise, and eventually drifted into a restless sleep.
I didn’t know how long I had been out when someone woke me up.
It was Ian.
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at me.