Gifts from My In-laws

Part 1. A Painful Gift

"Sapphire, meet Nika," said my mother-in-law. She, along with Father and my sister-in-law, had just returned from their hometown in Jasperville.

I smiled as I was about to extend my hand.

"Nika is Harry's ex-girlfriend from middle school, Harry's first love," she continued.

I was stunned to hear the words of the woman who gave birth to my husband. My hand hesitated to reach out to the woman she introduced. What did she mean by introducing this woman as Harry's ex-girlfriend and first love? What was the purpose of bringing her here?

"Nika will marry Harry. Since Harry is still kind enough not to divorce you, you have to accept being in a polygamous marriage," Mother said again, immediately making me withdraw my hand.

I covered all their travel expenses, but when they came back, I got a mistress as a souvenir.

I turned my gaze to the man standing behind the woman named Nika. He looked very calm and relaxed, carrying a large bag. Perhaps it was the bag of his future young wife. No wonder he was so eager to pick them up and forbade me to come along. He asked me to cook a lot and make it delicious; apparently, there was something special.

My heart throbbed with pain. It felt like it was about to collapse. Sadness and anger intertwined. Out of the blue, with no sign that could have been a premonition, something this painful happened.

My mother-in-law indeed did not approve of our marriage from the start. In her eyes, I was just a high school graduate, had no job, and was still considered a child because I married at a young age. Another reason she always emphasized was that I was not from the same land as them. I am a native daughter of Brindlewood.

"Isn't there a beautiful Jasperville maiden? Why bring someone from far away Mysthaven," she said when Harry introduced me. However, at that time, Harry insisted on continuing our relationship. He said I was the only one who could make him move on from Nika, who had betrayed him.

Yes!

I knew Nika before. Indeed, she was Harry's first love. I was the second and felt happy because I thought I would be the last. But, it turns out I was wrong. I am not the last.

Harry migrated to the island of Brindlewood to try his luck. He worked as an assistant at a famous palm oil plantation in this city, Mysthaven.

Leaving Nika for a long time made the woman choose another man.

Harry had been betrayed, knew the pain of being hurt, but why now does he dare to hurt me?

It's quite daring if he wants to have two wives. Even though the company's rules clearly prohibit polygamy.

"Come in first. Let's talk inside," he said calmly. However, it sounded nauseating to me. I wanted to drive away that thoughtless woman. She left as she pleased and came back as she pleased when Harry was already my husband. She only thought about her own feelings.

I felt like clawing at the man who had pledged loyalty to me. However, acting harshly is not elegant. It would prove my mother-in-law was right, that I'm still a child.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions and pain that overwhelmed me. I must face everything with grace.

"Please," I said. I stepped aside from the door, giving them room to pass.

Harry placed his hand on Nika's shoulder, gently guiding her to the guest room.

Oh God. My heart felt torn. It was so painful to witness the man who was still my husband behaving affectionately with another woman. My eyes immediately welled up. I quickly took a deep breath. No tears should fall in front of them. That would only show that I am weak. I am not a weak woman.

I headed to the kitchen. I prepared drinks to welcome them and arranged the lunch I had made earlier. After that, I met them again as they were chatting in the family room.

"Do you want to eat right away or rest first?" I asked. I held back my emotions to keep my demeanor and speech calm. I didn't want my mother-in-law to rejoice over my downfall. She needed to see that their plans wouldn't affect me. Even if it was only on the outside. Because my heart was shattered. But they must not see that shattering.

"Let's eat first. I'm already hungry," Harry replied.

"Nika, Sapphire cooked your favorite food," he said to the woman beside him. Her appearance was quite ordinary. Her skin was darker compared to mine. However, perhaps because she was Harry's first love, everything about her seemed special.

I cursed under my breath. It turned out he had asked me to cook beef stew because it was that woman's favorite dish.

I sought refuge in God from the pain, Truly, you and your family have conspired to hurt my heart, Harry. If you really want to practice polygamy, this is not the way. What you have done is truly hurtful. And I refuse to be hurt.

"Yes. Let's eat," I said, still trying to stay calm. Isn't it true that still waters run deep? And deep waters can drown.

They all got up. I went ahead to the dining table, pulling out a chair for Harry. Then I sat beside him.

"Let Nika sit there, you sit over there," Mother said, pointing to a chair across the table.

"Nika hasn't married Harry yet. It's better to keep some distance for now. Not lawful. It's a sin," I replied calmly. I scooped a spoonful of rice for Harry, placed it on his plate, and then poured beef stew over it.

Mother sneered, "Be patient, Nika. Tomorrow you'll marry Harry. You are Harry's first love. Both of you are graduates. You are more suitable to accompany Harry than she is. Just wait until you're married, you'll definitely be the one who is favored," she said, like salt water pouring over my heart's wound.

My chest tightened. I wanted to pour the beef broth over their faces. However, my mind still worked, realizing that it was not wise.

Harry held my hand, "Calm down, dear. I will try to be fair," he said.

I stayed silent.

Darling ... darling, you're kidding yourself. If you really loved me, you wouldn't cheat, I thought.

Fairness? Even now, it's clear how I'll be treated. The way he looks at her, asks me to cook her favorite dish, and eagerly picks her up at the airport already shows that she is the priority.

"Your first love who once betrayed you. Watch out, you might get betrayed again," I sneered.

"Don't speak recklessly if you don't know the real story," my mother-in-law retorted.

"Oh ... so what's the true story then?" I asked casually while eating my food. I struggled to keep the food down because, honestly, my appetite disappeared the moment Mother introduced that woman.

I saw Mother swallow hard. Meanwhile, Nika looked down.

"What is it?" I asked when they remained silent for a while.

"It was just a misunderstanding back then. Nika often contacted me, but since I was in the plantation, there was rarely any signal. Nika thought I had turned away," Harry explained.

"Oh ... Why didn't she just come after you to Mysthaven back then?" I asked, staring sharply.

"It's not appropriate for a woman to follow a man. It's not polite," my mother-in-law defended.

"Well, chasing after someone else's husband is even more inappropriate, right?" I sneered, "She should have just come after you back then, clarified things first, and asked why she couldn't reach you. Regret it now? Instead of being reckless now, he's already married, you know. And it seems like Nika needs to prepare a strong mentality. Because people might start calling her a homewrecker." I placed my hand beside my mouth, whispering the last sentence. The woman looked down.

Ah, is she looking down because she feels guilty or just acting to look oppressed?

"Don't play games. If Nika gets mistreated by the community, I assure you, you'll be divorced. You're the homewrecker. You stole Harry from Nika," Mother threatened cynically.

I snorted. No need to wait for Harry to divorce me. I'll be the one to file if he really plans to cheat.

"Nika was married before us. There's no way I could have taken Harry," I replied calmly while taking a sip of the beef broth. I didn't care about Mother's sharp gaze.

"Enough, Nika let's continue eating. Don't listen to the words of a heartbroken person. She won't dare to do anything. What can she do without Harry," she said while stroking Nika's hand extended on the table.

I pursed my lips into a wry smile. Mother always thought I depended on Harry. She thinks I control my husband's entire salary.

Harry's salary as a plantation assistant sounds quite large, nearly 500 dollars per month. However, the size of the income is relative, depending on lifestyle or the size of expenses. When it comes to wealth, a little is enough, a lot is spent.

My mother-in-law never knew that as an online seller, my income is greater than my husband's. I have a store, and its location is unknown to her. I deliberately kept it vague because if she knew how much I earned, she'd demand a bigger monthly allowance.

I only occasionally monitor the store. Its management is entrusted to two high school friends whom I trust as my right-hand assistants. I started my online business back in tenth grade. Initially, I was just a dropshipper, then as the profits grew, I expanded to become a reseller by stocking goods little by little.

I indeed only graduated from high school and am still young. However, the harsh trials of life have shaped me. My father passed away when I was in the fourth grade. This was followed by my mother, who was always sick due to the shock of my father's passing four years later. Since middle school, I have been an orphan, living with my aunt and having to do household chores like an adult. Not daring to ask for school money pushed me to find creative ways to earn my own.

In the twelfth grade, my online business started to soar. I had dozens of active resellers. The following year, I was able to buy a BTN housing unit, which is currently used as a storage warehouse a.k.a store.

If my mother-in-law asks what I can do without Harry, then let her see what Harry can do without me. Or let her feel what it's like without me. I am the one who has been covering the gaping holes in their family's expenses all this time, including the tuition fees for Shane—my sister-in-law.

"Anyway, Mother fully supports you and Harry. For Mother, you two are a perfect match," she continued. I just shrugged. Even though my heart is extremely hurt. It's like thin slices of meat being cut with a razor blade—painful.

The woman nodded and smiled. Perhaps it was a victorious smile, having the future mother-in-law on her side. She started to eat the food on her plate. I stared at her sharply.

"After eating, rest, Nika. You must be tired. Leave the dishes. I'll take care of them later. It might be the last time I wash dishes in this house," I said. Then I turned my gaze to Harry, glaring at him as he looked back at me, confused.