Chapter 4 I casually mentioned that I was craving meatballs , and the next morning , Albert's parents left the house early , beaming with excitement , saying they were going to buy fresh beef to make it for me from scratch . A part of me was still touched by their thoughtfulness . But that warmth didn't stop me from installing hidden cameras in every corner of the house . Once everything was in place , I sent Albert a message . Me : [ Got a last - minute notice - company's sending me out of town for a week . ] He responded on Facebook with all kinds of clingy , reluctant messages . Not long after , his mother texted too : Mom - in - law : [ Come home soon , we'll have meatballs waiting for you ! ] If this had been before , I probably would've cried halfway through the ride , overwhelmed with gratitude . Instead , I quietly drove back to the house my parents bought for me before I got married . It had been a long time since I'd been here . Back then , that house with Albert felt too full of happiness to ever leave . Now , I sat on the old sofa in silence , clutching the tablet in my hand , dreading what I was about to see . With a short moment of hesitation , I tapped the link . With every rotation of the loading circle , my heart sank lower and lower . Finally , the image sharpened . There it was , my carefully decorated living room . And in it , my mother - in - law , the same woman who had smiled at me every day for the last ten years , was sitting close beside Leah , sweetly holding her hand . My hands and feet went cold . Even my breathing skipped a beat . Before I could process it , the second feed came online . On screen , Sam sat with Leah's daughter , happily eating chicken nuggets . Halfway through , he picked up a French fry and ran over to her with a bright smile . " Mommy Leah , you have some too ! " My hand jerked , and hot coffee spilled across my skin . But I didn't even feel the burn . All I could see was my son , the child I had carried for ten months , endured two hemorrhages to bring into this world . He was always possessive with food . If I so much as sipped from his water bottle , he'd frown and say it was unsanitary . And now ? Now he was offering his favorite snack to Leah like it was the most natural thing in the world . In another feed , my mother - in - law looked on , eyes filled with approval as she held Leah's hand with a loving smile . She said , " Leah , I wish Albert had met you earlier . Joyce is always working - since they got married , she's never cooked for him even once . Poor Albert … If it weren't for me and his dad , I don't know how he would've survived ! " Leah gave her hand a soft squeeze , her voice sticky - sweet . " Please don't blame Joyce , Mom . She's been through a lot too . " My mother - in - law let out a light , almost playful laugh . But I saw it . The sneer . The disdain . She continued , " Albert's the one who's really had it rough . At work , he has to tiptoe around colleagues . At home , he has to deal with her Chapter 4 3.45 % moods . Me and his dad , we've been holding it together for his sake . If we take on more , maybe Albert won't have to suffer so much . " She sighed , like the most tragic mother in the world . " We may not have much , but thank God my son's finally making something of himself . Once he gets promoted , we won't have to put up with her anymore ! " I stared at her twisted and smug face on the screen and listened to those words pour from her mouth like venom . My hands went numb . Tears slid down my cheeks before I even realized it . For all these years , I had truly believed I'd been blessed with the best in - laws in the world . I grew up spoiled , protected and adored by my parents . So yes , I had a temper . But never once had I lost it with Albert's parents . Albert and I had what I thought was a normal marriage . We had our fights , sure , like every couple . But to hear my mother - in - law describe me like that … Still hurts . That woman who held my hand for a decade , who once told me I was the best daughter - in - law she could ever ask for . The same woman who hugged me tightly every time I brought her a gift , saying Albert was the luckiest man alive to have me . Turns out , the " luck " she spoke of … Wasn't me . It was my family name . Turns out , being a " good " daughter - in - law just meant helping her son gain a foothold in this city . Chapter 4