Chapter 2

The house was buzzing with activity.

As I reached the doorway, I saw Serena sitting on a bench with her daughter, chatting and laughing with Felix.

My father-in-law was still lying in bed.

My mother-in-law was sitting by my father-in-law's side, making small talk with Serena.

My son, who'd been saving his precious candy, handed it over to Serena's daughter.

It was a heartwarming scene, full of warmth and affection.

I walked into the room, and the room went quiet all of a sudden.

Serena stood up, handed me the pork from the table, and said gently, "Devon, Felix brought this pork over this morning, but I'm not really good at cooking, so I thought I'd better give it to you instead of messing it up.

"There are also some eggs and chives here. Maybe you can make something nice for the kids and the elders."

I didn't reach out to take it.

Serena's hand, holding the pork, froze in mid-air, not sure what to do next.

She hurried to add, "Devon, Felix is just looking out for us. It's just me and my kid, nothing more. Seriously, you have to believe there's nothing going on between us!"

I couldn't be bothered to even glance at her and just headed straight for the back room.

Felix frowned and said, "Go make dinner. Serena and Lisa are staying, so cook extra."

I replied flatly, "I've already eaten. I'm not hungry. If anyone wants to eat, they can cook for themselves."

Everyone in the room was stunned. Felix's eyes clouded over, but he couldn't hide his shock.

"Seriously? You ate already, but Mom, Dad, Ivan, and the rest of us haven't. How can you just leave us hanging like that?" Felix said.

Back then, I was always the one taking on too much. That was why his whole family kept leeching off me.

I met his eyes and gave a mocking smile. "They're your parents, and Ivan is your son. I've been married into this family for over five years, cooking three meals a day, every single day.

"Why should I be the one busting my ass while you all just sit around waiting for a hot meal? Are your hands and feet broken, or are you planning to lie around like your dad?"

Felix stood up, but honestly, that spark I used to see in him was completely gone.

"Devon, are you going to cook or not?" he demanded.

"Nope," I replied.

With that, I headed straight for the back room.

After a long, exhausting day, all I wanted was to crash and recharge. I needed every bit of energy for when I head out to Staawood next month. I was going to give it my all.

I would not waste my energy and brains on this family anymore.

After lining up for a whole day and night just to get that pork, it ended up in Serena's hands, and she turned it into a greasy, salty mess that was almost inedible.

But hey, pork was still pork. Even if it tasted awful, people still managed to scarf down two bowls of mashed potatoes with it.

From that day on, I swore off cooking for good.

My in-laws started yelling at me, and even my son jumped in, complaining right along with them.

But I acted like I didn't hear a word.

I told the old folks straight up that I was not the maid in this house.

I said, "If you want to eat, make it yourself! Or go grab something outside! Just don't bother me."

Felix started coming home on time lately, always trying to talk some sense into me.

To avoid fighting with him, I went out of my way to ask my boss for extra shifts.

That just gave Serena the perfect chance to step in.

She started showing up at my place with groceries, jumping right in to cook and look after the kids.

She treated my in-laws like royalty, all just to show off in front of Felix.

Felix saw it all, and you could tell he was falling for her more and more.

I tried to come home as late as possible. I would let those two star-crossed lovers have all the time they need to work on their relationship.

I would let my son see for himself what it was like to have a stepmom's love. I would let my in-laws enjoy being spoiled by a pretty daughter-in-law.

If Serena really wanted to handle everything, then maybe I could finally take it easy.

But she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She couldn't carry anything heavy or even handle the simplest chores.

She almost burned down the kitchen just trying to cook a meal.

Her hands swelled up like a pig's trotters after doing a load of laundry.

All those little chores just piled up every single day.

Everyone just stared at me, expecting me to handle everything. It was always the same old story.

"What kind of wife doesn't do all this? You're such a disappointment to the family!"

"Felix is out there busting his back every day, and you can't even show a little understanding?"

"He's just a kid. How could you let him go without a meal?"

I watched Ivan crying his heart out in my mother-in-law's arms, and honestly, I didn't feel a single thing.

Let him cry. When he cried out, those tears would be gone. Let him fuss. When he was done, he would quiet down.

As for my in-laws, they weren't my family anyway. I could just leave my own kid behind, too.

I just kept going to work, pulling extra shifts, and coming home at night to crash.

After I kept ignoring everything more and more, it became routine.

Felix had no choice but to take care of his parents and Ivan all by himself. He was just too soft-hearted.