CHAPTER 3
1006 Words
I got home in Tagaytay tonight. I feel really cold even though I'm wearing long sleeves.
I do have warm jackets, but I didn't bother to find them earlier in the condo. It was a hassle coming straight from a meeting.
I frowned when I saw the front door unlocked. I went inside carefully.
"Where's your wife? Why are you alone?" It was Grantt's mom.
I could see them both from where I stood. I wasn't sure if she had just arrived.
"Mom, I told you Yongsann is at work."
From his tone, I knew where this was going. I've known for a while that my mother-in-law doesn't like me.
I get it. I used to date one of her sons who disappeared, and now I'm married to her other son, who always seems to have issues with me.
What kind of situation have I walked into? I never expected it to be like this.
"Work again? I've been here many times, and she's always not here, Grantt. Are you sure your wife isn't with another man?"
I clenched my fists. I didn't understand why she was getting more hostile. I wasn't doing anything wrong.
Is having a stable job a bad thing? Seriously? Some people get kicked out of their homes for being jobless.
When her son's spouse is struggling without a job, she's probably even more stressed. She might even curse me.
"Mom! Here we go again! It's the same thing over and over. Why do you want Yongsann to quit her job? She doesn't want to, right?"
From Grantt's voice, it was clear he was getting annoyed with his mother. I wanted to join their conversation, but for some reason, I couldn't move.
"Why doesn't she want to quit her job then? I told her to stay home, didn't I? That's why you haven't had a child because she's always too busy for you."
"What's the connection, Mom? We both don't want children. You know our marriage isn't that happy, and besides, Dad was the one who insisted we marry each other!"
I bit my lower lip. I wanted to leave to avoid hearing more, but I couldn't. I was still too curious.
"Do you want me to hire some help for your home so that someone can take care of things here? It seems like you don't really have a spouse. If you can't make your marriage work, why not consider divorce?"
"Mom!"
"Did you get married just to make your life miserable, Grantt?"
Hiring help? What's going on?
I couldn't take it anymore and purposely made noise while closing the door. They both turned to look at me.
I locked eyes with Grantt, gave him a blank expression, and then turned my attention to Mommy Gretchen. I put on a forced smile and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.
"I apologize for being late, Auntie Gretch," I said politely, but I was intentionally trying to annoy her.
"Auntie? Why do you still call me that after being married to Grantt for years? Are you teasing us, Yongsann?"
She raised an eyebrow. What could I do? Calling her that feels more comfortable. Plus, they already know what's really going on between Grantt and me.
"I didn't know you were coming today," I responded. She examined me from head to toe and then burst into laughter.
"Because if you knew, you probably wouldn't have come, right? Don't you know how to do housework, Yongsann? Your kitchen is a mess, and even the living room is chaotic. Is your bedroom the same? My son got married so someone could take care of him, right? And..."
"Mom, I'm the one who..."
"I'm sorry, Mom. This won't happen again. I'll make sure to take care of this house even though I have a job," I interrupted Grantt.
They were about to argue again because of me. I'm so tired from work that my mental health might crumble too.
"It's good that you understand me. Maybe you have another man on the side? Come on, Yongsann."
Do I look promiscuous? If anyone is misbehaving here, it's your son, not me!
"I don't have another man. I'm too busy for that. Excuse me, I'll just change my clothes," I quickly excused myself and turned away from them.
"That's good because if you did, I'd understand why Greel left without even saying goodbye to you."
Those words hit me hard, like a hammer to the chest. It was one of the most painful things I've ever heard in my life.
We know we're hurt when we can't find the words to say, but tears well up in our eyes involuntarily.
I felt my hand tremble as it gripped the doorknob of our bedroom. I tried not to show them that my eyes were swelling, and the words from Grantt's mother were affecting me greatly.
Why are there people who don't know how to be considerate of others' feelings?
"Who was it again, Grantt? Your girlfriend, Wendy? Why not just go with her."
See? She doesn't want me to have another man, but it seems like she supports her son having another woman.
Wow, just wow. This family is really something else. What did I do in my past life to have such a miserable life now?
"Don't take what I said personally, Yongsann."
That's how we are, right? After hurting someone else's feelings, we act as if we didn't say anything wrong.
"Mom, let's go. I'll escort you outside," I heard Grantt say, and their footsteps leaving. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I quickly went into the room and changed into casual clothes, an oversized shirt, and shorts. I tied my hair up in a messy bun and went to the kitchen.
I felt like I wanted to lose my mind because of the mess on the table. So, that's what triggered Grantt's mother's anger towards me again.
Aish, that jerk! You should be thankful I'm not in the mood for an argument because I'm tired.
- Writer
