Chapter 2

It was always "my mom" and "she's got it all figured out."

I felt a surge of anger rising from my stomach, burning my throat.

I said, "So what exactly are her plans? How much money do we actually have in the bank? Can you just tell me the exact number?

"Warren, we're married. I'm the one running this house, and I have the right to know our family's finances."

"What right do you have to know?" he snapped, sitting up suddenly, his voice rising sharply as he slammed his phone down on the bed.

He continued, "You're just being petty. Do you have any idea how hard my mom worked to raise me?

"What's wrong with me giving her my paycheck? That's called respecting your parents! Do you even get what that means?

"All you ever care about is my salary. Are you just waiting for my mom to hand over all the money so you can use it to help out your folks back home?"

His last words were like a dagger dipped in poison, stabbing right into my heart.

My mom was a retired teacher. She had her own pension and her own place. She never needed a single cent from me.

But his family? They were always coming up with new tricks to squeeze something out of our little home.

I was shaking with rage, my lips trembling, but I couldn't say a word.

Every fight we had in the past three years always ended the same way.

I always gave in, and he always got his way.

Keeping peace at home always felt more important than making a scene over stuff like this.

But now I saw it. My patience had let him keep getting away with his shameless, selfish crap.

That night, Hadley showed up again, just like clockwork, carrying a bag of groceries.

She always made her entrance at this hour, strutting in like she owned the place.

She dumped the groceries in the kitchen, all Warren's favorites, like ribs and shrimp.

Then she grabbed the grocery receipt I had stuck on the fridge, peered at it through her reading glasses, and scrutinized every item one by one.

She said, "Oh wow, why is this organic broccoli so pricey? It's twice as much as the regular kind at the local market.

"Katelyn, not to nag, but you really need to watch your spending. Look at this imported milk. How's it any different from the local stuff? Milk is milk, right?

"And this dish soap. Why did you buy such a giant bottle? Who knows how long it'll take you to use it up? Things are better when they're fresh, you know."

She kept going, her tone all soft and gentle, but every word was like a soft knife, slicing away at my dignity bit by bit.

I stood off to the side, clutching an apple so tightly that my nails nearly pierced its skin.

I was just trying to take care of your son's health, hoping to give our family a better life.

But in her eyes, everything I did was just more proof that I was wasting money left and right.

At dinner, I remembered our company was offering a special deal on dishwashers, so I casually mentioned it to Warren.

I said, "Honey, how about we get a dishwasher? That way, we won't have to argue over who does the dishes anymore, and we'll save a ton of time."

Before Warren could even say a word, Hadley slammed her fork down on the table. "Why would you even want one of those? It just wastes water and electricity.

"There are only three of us eating and a few dishes. Just rinse them off, that's all. Young people these days are so lazy; they don't want to do any housework at all."

Warren jumped in right away. "Yeah, Mom's got a point. We need to watch our spending. Buying all those fancy gadgets is just a waste of money."

He shot me a look full of reproach, like I had suggested something completely outrageous.

At that moment, I watched the two of them. One played the good cop, the other the bad cop, working together like a well-oiled machine.

I didn't feel like the wife or the lady of this house. I was a free maid with a tiny paycheck, expected to cover all the bills and do all the chores for nothing.

After dinner, I silently cleared away the dishes, heading into the kitchen.

The cold water from the faucet rinsed the greasy plates, and with every splash, it felt like it was washing over my heart, already battered and broken.

From the living room, I could hear the sound of cheers and gift notifications coming from Warren's phone as he watched short videos.

I dried my hands and walked out, just in time to see a pretty live streamer on his screen, her voice all sweet as she gushed, "Thank you, Warren, for the rocket. You're so generous!"

A rocket cost 200 dollars on that platform.

My blood was boiling.

I marched over and planted myself right in front of him, blocking his screen.

"Warren," I said, my voice shaking with fury.

"What do you want?" he grunted, not even bothering to look up, his fingers still flying across the keyboard.

"So you still get spending money from your mom, besides your paycheck?" I pressed.

"Yeah, my mom wires me 1000 dollars every month. So what?" He finally looked up, clearly annoyed.

"1000 dollars?" I laughed angrily. "So you're blowing your mom's 1000 bucks every month on some flirty streamer, but when I ask for a dishwasher to actually give me a break, suddenly we're broke?"

"You're always on my case. I spend my own money. Why do you care?" he shouted, jumping to his feet and glaring down at me, towering over me.

"Your money? That's our money. Every dollar you waste on those streamers, half of it belongs to me," I shot back.

"You're out of your mind!" He shoved me aside, his face twisted with contempt and disgust. "Katelyn, I've had it with you. You're just impossible!"

He stormed off into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.