The Secret of Second Marriage

My blood was boiling, and I wanted nothing more than to rush in and slap my mother-in-law twice.

The mother-in-law whispered, "Son, if she really doesn't want to have a second child, divorce her. Anyway, after the divorce, you're rich, handsome, and have a respectable job, so you won't have trouble finding a wife."

And her? She's unemployed, has a daughter, and is over 30. Who would want her?

I sneered, went back to the bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

My husband and mother-in-law were so frightened by the loud bang on the door that they didn't dare say anything more.

I went back to my room and registered a Douyin account. I was extremely depressed, so I posted the conversation I had just had on Douyin and asked netizens whether I should leave in this situation.

A short while later, my husband came into the bedroom.

He said, "Honey, I need to talk to you about something. Dad's having surgery tomorrow, and Mom doesn't know the way. I have to go to work, so could you go with them to complete the hospital admission procedures?"

"I'm not free tomorrow either."

My heart is as hard as stone.

My husband tried his best to suppress his dissatisfaction and said, "My parents raised me for over 20 years. I know you have a problem with them, but can't you do that for my sake and not make things difficult for them?"

I don't want to argue with him.

I said, "They are your parents, not mine. For so many years, they have been helping your brother take care of his children back in our hometown."

We agreed beforehand that we would pay for our parents' care, and your brother's wife would provide the physical care. Now that your father is sick, why shouldn't your brother's wife take care of him?

My husband suddenly turned grim: "What? Your parents and my parents are all family after they got married. You haven't worked for so many years, and this family still relies on me to support it. If you don't want to go to the hospital to take care of my parents, then forget it."

"So what if my parents didn't help you with your child? Why are you holding a grudge for so many years? Can't you be a little more forgiving?"

After saying this, he closed the bedroom door and left.

I know he's giving me the silent treatment.

I've been married to him for so many years.

Whenever I do something I don't want to do, he gives me the cold shoulder with a long face.

I used to be afraid of losing him and this family, so I always had to compromise and make peace.

But this time, I don't care.

I sneered, took a shower, and went to sleep.

I remember when I married him and supported him through his postgraduate entrance exams, he said that once he made money, he would give my daughter and me a big house, treat us well for the rest of our lives, and never let me suffer the slightest grievance.

But now I realize that he was just spouting nonsense.

Most of the grievances I've suffered in my life have come from him.

His mother has a strong personality and is the undisputed boss at home.

I remember the first time I visited her, she said sarcastically, "You're so thin and delicate, you look like you have no good fortune. I really don't know why my son chose you."

I was so angry that I wanted to break up with him.

My husband held my hand and said in front of his parents, "She's the woman I love, and no one can bully her from now on!"

At that time, I felt like my husband was a hero standing in front of me.

But now I realize that it was just a show my husband put on in front of his parents.

I knew from the time I got married that my in-laws favored the second son.

The parents-in-law worked their whole lives and built a wedding house for their second son in the countryside early on. They gave all the money in the house to their second son to start a business.

The second son is not cut out for business and has lost a lot of money over the years.

My in-laws lent us a lot of money to cover the debts of our second son.

I turn a blind eye to it.

Xue Fan came from a rural area and had a poor family background. He had no money, power, or connections, but I was drawn to his aloof and taciturn demeanor.

I now understand that marriage is not just a matter between two people, but a matter between two families.

I was too young to realize that at the time.

After 10 years of marriage, I became a housewife, while my husband became successful in his career. The status of our relationship has quietly changed.

He had an affair, and I'm left at home living like a widow.

Are you feeling wronged?

Of course I feel wronged.

I'm thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't quit my job and had chosen to be a housewife.

I have also achieved some success in my career.

I will also live independently, with dignity and confidence.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs." One wrong choice back then led to a series of wrong choices.

I stay home doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children. In my mother-in-law's eyes, I have no value.

Ever since my husband started earning more money than me, my mother-in-law has become increasingly arrogant and conceited.

Every time she came to stay with us in the city, she always spoke with a condescending and disdainful tone.

She felt that her son was very capable, while I was just a housewife who couldn't create any economic value.

I can tolerate all of this, but unfortunately my husband has changed his mind.

I will no longer tolerate this. From now on, I will only make plans for myself and my daughter.

My eyes filled with tears, and I wiped them away forcefully with the back of my hand.

The next morning, I took my daughter out for breakfast and then sent her to school.

As for my in-laws, I don't care how my husband arranges things for them, whether they live or die.

After dropping my daughter off at school, I went to my old company to clock in for work.

There are many unfamiliar aspects to the job, but I'm working very hard.

Arrive earliest and leave latest every day, and study carefully any parts you don't understand.

I already had a background in accounting, so I became familiar with the business in just a few days.

President Jiang has seen my efforts.

He's a nice person.

He is 1.85 meters tall, highly educated, from a good family, and handsome.

Although he is the boss, he is conscientious and responsible in his work.

He was always perfectly tactful in his conversations with clients and treated each of his subordinates with great care.

When an employee made a mistake and was criticized, he joked with Vice President Wang Hao, "You can bully me, but you can't bully my subordinates!"

The company atmosphere is quite good.

I became more diligent and motivated, and worked harder.

But at the same time, my relationship with my husband plummeted to rock bottom.

My father-in-law had surgery at a large, top-tier hospital.

My husband hired a caregiver to take care of me.

My mother-in-law noticed that I hadn't shown up at the hospital.

She was dissatisfied and embarrassed, so she started to nitpick at the caregiver, and within a few days the caregiver left in anger.

A week later, I was at work.

The cell phone rang.

When I saw the words "mother-in-law" on the phone screen, my expression froze.

I went to the company restroom and answered the phone.

The mother-in-law's tone was unpleasant: "Come to the hospital after get off work, we have something to say to you."

Without even guessing, I knew that what my mother-in-law was talking about was asking me to take care of my father-in-law.

I heard that my father-in-law has a brain tumor and needs to be taken care of during his hospitalization.

In the past, I would have rushed over to take care of my father-in-law, but to be honest, my heart is hard now, as cold as a stone.

I calmly said, "I'm busy."

"That's illogical. When your father-in-law is sick and hospitalized, what daughter-in-law wouldn't show up and visit him?"

The mother-in-law immediately flew into a rage.

I said, "When I was in postpartum confinement, none of you came to visit me even once. Now I have a job and no time to take care of the elderly. If you have any problems, go ask your son!"

After being a pushover for over a decade, I finally woke up at this moment.

It's meaningless for the husband's family to sacrifice so much for him.

A woman's greatest support in life is herself.

All promises are false and empty.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

Improving your own abilities and being able to support yourself is the greatest source of confidence.

Haha, depending on a man, dedicating yourself, burning yourself out, sacrificing yourself, to please your in-laws—maybe in your next life.

I'm not that stupid.

My biggest regret now is that I should have listened to my husband's nonsense and quit my job to become a housewife.

The mother-in-law angrily yelled, "Is that how you talk to your elders? What kind of manners do you have?"

I couldn't be bothered with her, so I hung up the phone and went back to my office to continue working.

At 6 p.m., my husband, unusually, had time to drive to pick me up from get off work at the company entrance.

His face was a little gloomy. He said, "Wife, get in the car, let's talk."

I don't know what he has to talk to me about.

But I still got on the bus.

While driving, the husband said, "Honey, could you quit your job and focus on taking care of my dad?"

My mother is a rural woman; she doesn't even know her way around the city. Could you please lend a hand? I'm begging you.

I recently got a promotion and a raise, and it's a crucial time for me. Would you like to go to the hospital and help take care of my dad?