Chapter 4
At 8:17 PM, Emily posted something new.
The title was just one line: [I've Got My Husband's Mother Wrapped Around My Finger, But She Totally Miscalculated]
My hand shook a little as I clicked on it.
[Today, my husband's mother called me over for a talk. She pretended to care about us, but really, she just wanted to push me into having a baby.]
[First, she went on about how we'd be lonely and miserable in old age without kids.
[When I shot that down, she switched to the money talk—maternity care centers, nannies, postpartum helpers, tossing out dollar amounts like it was nothing. Like, just because she can pay, my womb is up for grabs?]
[Honestly, I kind of feel bad for her. Women from her generation treat their bodies like tools, kids like insurance, and marriage like some business deal.]
[I told her straight up. I'm not some baby factory. I married into the Miller Family for love, not for money.]
[Her face turned ashen, but she didn't dare blow up, so she just forced a smile and said, "Fine, you two do whatever you want."]
[Seriously, girls, the feeling is unreal.]
[When you've got your own money and your own mind, your husband's family can't touch you. All they've got is cash, and if you don't care about that, they're totally stuck.]
She posted a selfie, with the luxurious and spacious living room of their newlywed home as the backdrop.
It had racked up over two thousand likes already.
The comments were blowing up.
[You're so fierce. Seriously, you make us independent women proud!]
[She thinks a maternity center can buy your womb? As if!]
[I bet she was fuming behind that fake smile, lol.]
[I wish I had your guts.]
I scrolled through Emily's social media posts one by one, and the more I read, the more shocked I became.
[What to Do When Your Boyfriend's Family Is Super Rich? Remember These 3 Tips, Marry Up and Still Hold Your Head High]
[Husband's Mother Wants Grandkids? I Shut Her Up in 3 Sentences]
[Setting Boundaries Is the Ultimate Adulting Skill, No Arguments]
I put my phone down and just sat there for a long time.
I remembered what Alex said, "If she doesn't want kids, there's always someone else who will."
And that comment from the well-meaning stranger: [Careful, or your marriage might just turn into a quick wash, nothing deep, nothing lasting.]
And then there was what Emily wrote: [All they've got is money, and if you don't care about that, they're totally stuck.]
Did she really think she didn't give a damn about any of it?
The luxury condo she lives in? I bought it. That custom wedding dress? My money. Thirty tables at the reception, French champagne, sparkling jewelry, every bit, paid for by me.
She didn't care, and the rest of us were stuck?
All of a sudden, I burst out laughing.
Jack walked in, saw me laughing, and looked startled. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I said. "I just figured something out."
"What did you figure out?" Jack asked.