Chapter 1 — I'm Not A Loser

Since the day I became pregnant, my mother-in-law suddenly changed as if she had become a different person. Every day she wakes up at five in the morning and diligently prepares two boxed lunches for me and my husband. I was so moved that I complimented her wherever I went: "Your mouth is harsh, but your heart is as soft as tofu. Actually, you love me the most." All my colleagues admired me and said I was as happy as being pregnant. Until that morning. I rushed to work and accidentally picked up my husband's lunch box. When I opened it at noon... I was dumbfounded. My lunch box, every day, only has green vegetables, tofu and some overnight ribs. As for his, each layer is neatly arranged, filled with abalone, sea cucumbers, and peeled shrimp. On top, there is also a small piece of paper.

"Son, eat more. Don't let what's in your stomach exhaust you."

At that moment, I understood— Turns out all that “devotion”… was just an act, performed for me. I stared at that piece of paper for a long, long time. The air conditioner was turned on in the office and it was cold, but a thin layer of sweat dripped down my back. The sea cucumbers in the lunch box are neatly cut, the abalone is stir-fried with fragrant ginger, and the shrimp are cleanly peeled. In the next compartment, there is also a small box of bird's nest. As for the portion I brought with me in the morning... the vegetables were yellow, the tofu was leftovers from last night, and the ribs smelled of cold oil. I suddenly remembered the past two months. Every day, when giving me two lunch boxes, my mother-in-law smiled gently and said:

"You're pregnant, eating a little frugally is good for the baby."

I believed. Believe completely. I even showed her off everywhere, praising her as the mother-in-law who loves her daughter-in-law the most in the world. I bowed my head and grabbed the other piece of paper. Then put the two lunch boxes next to each other and take another photo. Just after taking the photo, Ha Xuyen's phone called.

“Did I get the wrong rice?”

His voice was urgent. I said "yeah". He was silent for a second, then immediately said:

"That part was cooked by my mother to nourish me. Don't eat it haphazardly. You shouldn't eat a lot of seafood now."

I tightened my grip on the phone, my knuckles turning white.

“I can't eat, but you can?”

He seemed to see that I was overdoing it.

"Du Sinh, can you please not cause trouble at the company? Pregnancy is supposed to be abstinent, it's for your own good."

I said nothing. He lowered his voice and added another sentence:

“That piece of paper… did you see it?”

This sentence pierces my heart even more than that box of sea cucumbers. I laughed softly.

“I see.”

The other end of the line immediately went silent. A few seconds later, he said:

“I'll explain to you when I get home tonight.”

I hung up immediately. All afternoon, I didn't say a word. Duong Duyet called me to the tea room, but I didn't move. She looked at my face and was startled.

“What's wrong with you, your face so pale?”

I gave her the phone. She finished looking at the paper and immediately cursed.

“That's disgusting.”

"Your mother-in-law gave you leftovers, but she also fed Ha Xuyen these things?"

I nodded. Duong Duyet was so angry that he hit the table.

“Don't be stupid, this isn't bias, it's intentionally humiliating you.”

I closed the lid of the lunch box and slowly pressed it tightly.

"I know."

After work, Ha Xuyen said he would come pick me up. I didn't wait for him, I took a taxi home. As soon as I reached the door, I heard my mother-in-law's voice coming from the kitchen.

“Has it been detected yet?”

Ha Xuyen replied:

“Discovered.”

Mother-in-law smacked her lips.

“Then just say it Pregnant women should not supplement food haphazardly, what does it mean?

"This child is probably a girl, why waste money on raising it?"

"First we have to nourish your body. If you really have a loss of money in the future, we can still move on."

I stood outside the door, my whole body as if nailed to the spot. Ha Xuyen's voice was soon heard in the house again.

"Mom, have you kept the book yet? I'll take it to photocopy tomorrow."

"Don't worry, it's in the bottom drawer of mom's nightstand. It's been stupid all day and doesn't know anything."

I turned on the phone screen. Record button, still red. When I pushed the door open, the kitchen immediately fell silent. My mother-in-law turned her head to see me, trying to force a smile.

"You're home, today I'll stew you some tofu soup."

I looked at her, for the first time seeing that smile as thin as a piece of paper. One poke and it will tear. I changed my shoes and didn't answer. Passing by the dining table, I gently put down two lunch boxes. The other piece of paper, right at the top. Ha Xuyen's face immediately changed. That night, no one spoke first. The mother-in-law brought out the soup and deliberately put the bowl down hard.

“Just because of a lunch box, you show such an expression?”

I sat down, opened each photo on my phone. There's also that piece of paper. I pushed the phone to the middle of the table.

“Explain.”

Ha Xuyen pursed her lips. The mother-in-law was the first to explode.

"What's the point of explaining, is it wrong for a mother to nourish her son?"

"I'm pregnant, so I have to eat less salty food. In case the baby gets too big, can I handle it?"

I stared at her.

“So I eat leftovers every day, and he eats sea cucumbers every day?”

“So I'm a loser in my stomach, and he's your treasure?”

The flesh on her face twitched.

“I just conveniently wrote it that way.”

I nodded.

“Then I can do something conveniently.”

Right in front of them, I opened the banking app and turned off the automatic money transfer function from the family card. Up to now, most of the household expenses have been borne by me. House installment payments, electricity and water bills, supermarket shopping, even my mother-in-law's blood pressure medicine... all were swiped from my card. Ha Xuyen immediately stood up.

“What do you mean?”

“The meaning is on the face of the words.”

I looked up at him.

“From today, I manage my money myself.”

After listening, her mother-in-law's voice was shrill and shrill.

"Since you've married into the Ha family, what else is left to my aunt?"

"In your belly, you carry the blood of the Ha family. You live in this house. If you don't give your money, then who will you give it to?"

I laughed.

“It turns out she also knew I lived in this house.”

“So I ask a question, in this house… why do I have to eat leftovers?”

Ha Xuyen grabbed the phone and wanted to operate it again. I stood up, one hand pressing his hand tightly.

“Don't touch it.”

He stopped. He probably didn't expect that I would dare to talk to him in that tone right in this very house. Before… I wasn't like that. Before, no matter what my mother-in-law said, I told myself to hold back a bit. In the past, as long as Ha Xuyen frowned slightly, I was the first to soften. But now, just thinking about those three words "money loser" makes my stomach churn. If I take one more step back, they could step right on my stomach and walk away. That night, I didn't eat a single bite and went straight back to my room. As soon as I closed the door, the first thing I did was search my mother-in-law's nightstand. House book... no. But Photocopies of my ID card and marriage certificate... were there again. Intact. I took a photo of everything, then turned over a bank receipt. Recipient: Bach Vy. Transfer amount: 28,800. Notes: pre-nutrition. I stared at those three words, my heart getting colder little by little. Pre-nutrition. Turns out... sea cucumbers aren't just for Ha Xuyen. I took the receipt back to my room and had just finished hiding my things when outside I heard Ha Xuyen's voice trying to keep it low.

"Don't rush, I'll be fine with her."

"The money has been transferred, the house is almost done."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your pregnancy. Auntie said she'll bring you soup tomorrow."

I stood behind the door, hearing every word clearly. On the other end of the line was a woman.