After the Divorce, I Shine Brighter Than Ever

After I explained, it was as if he flipped a switch. "Do we lack food or clothes? Why did you go back to your parents' house to get things?" he snapped.

"Since you married into our family, you need to understand the difference between your parents' home and your in-laws' home. Now people will laugh at us!" He continued, "Aren't you worried about getting sick using those second-hand items?"

I couldn’t take it anymore and slammed my phone down on the table. "Caleb, that's enough! If you care so much about appearances, why don’t you think about how much money you make in a month? Since I got pregnant, which prenatal appointment have you actually attended? It’s always me who pays. You come home every day and lie on the bed like a king, expecting me to take care of everything while you do nothing!" I pressed on, “If you’re short on money, stop pretending to be wealthy. What’s wrong with using things my sister gave me? Is your lineage somehow more noble than anyone else's?”

Before I could finish, my mother-in-law heard the commotion and came over.

Without grasping the full story, she started blaming me. "Ruby, calm down. If Caleb has done something wrong, I’ll stand up for you."

At first, I thought she was genuinely trying to mediate, but then she added, "Don’t get angry and affect the baby in your belly! That’s the first child of the Turner family!"

'Does the Turner family have a throne to pass?'

Ever since the wedding, all I’ve heard is about having a son, as if I’m just a chicken meant to lay eggs! I had hoped that after a sweet courtship, our married life would be harmonious.

Instead, it’s turned into a nightmare, and our marriage has been nothing short of disappointing. Reality has hit me hard.

Without telling anyone, I packed my things and decided to go back to my parents’ house overnight. But what surprised me was that the Turner family’s response went far beyond what I had imagined. The day after I returned home, I received a message from Caleb.

[Today is Uncle's birthday. Please don’t be upset. Come over at 7 PM and bring a gift.]

It was 7:30 AM when I finished reading the message.

It had been a full day and night since I returned to my parent's home, and he still hadn’t shown any sign of remorse. I was angry.

'What does the Turner family have to do with me? Besides, he’s just a distant uncle!'

When I didn’t reply, he sent another message at noon. [Ruby, Mom is really worried about you these days. Stop going back to your parent's home for no reason. Let’s sit down and talk as a family.]

Such fluffy words from a man who always spoke with a high and mighty tone.

'Why doesn’t he come home and see me?'

Faced with his irritability and cruelty while pregnant, alongside strong emotional fluctuations and mild miscarriage symptoms, I said nothing. He didn’t ask either.

I’d asked myself more than once if this person was the one I chose to spend my life with.

'No, absolutely not!'

In the evening, my mom called me. “Ruby, come back early tonight. I’ve made your favorite soup, and your dad bought some sea cucumbers too. We’ll stew them for you when your appetite gets better.”

Her care filled my ears. Truthfully, my relationship with my parents isn’t that close. I have siblings, and I was taught to look after them from a young age.

But after getting married, I can feel their support and care behind me, benefitting from the improvements in our family.

I didn’t need to support my brother.

In reality, my family wasn't poor. But Caleb and his family didn’t know that.

Life at home was so joyful. Those happy days always feel short, making me forget about the troubles with my in-laws.

Finally, it was the weekend, yet I was still sleeping at home.

However, there was a noisy commotion coming from downstairs. Arguments and fights.

I immediately wake up and rush downstairs. The two people at the door were Caleb and his mother; Seeing me, his mother immediately grabbed me and said, “Ruby, it’s all Caleb’s fault. Go back with me. I’ll scold him later.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene of “motherly love” unfolding in front of me.

“Mom, are you here to pick me up today?”