Chapter 6 — My Sister-in-Law Is Not My Maid

During this period, every two or three days, he would send a WeChat message, their contents all strikingly similar.

When are you coming back?

My mother is asking if you will be home for dinner this weekend.

Yutong is almost finished with her month of postpartum confinement, can you come back for a visit?

I did not answer a single one. Until the twenty-eighth day, when he sent a completely different message.

Niansuo, I found out you resigned from the institute.

I stared at the message, knowing that what was bound to happen had finally arrived. Five minutes later, another text popped up:

When did you resign? Why didn't you tell me?

And another:

What on earth are you doing?

I put my phone down and went back to sketching. At eleven o'clock that night, his call came through. I answered.

You resigned?

Yes.

How long ago?

Almost a month.

Where are you working now?

At another design firm.

Which company?

That is none of your business.

The line fell silent for a few seconds.

Lin Niansuo, you have changed.

It is you who have never truly known me.

What do you want, ultimately? Name your terms, and we can talk.

I leaned back in my chair, gazing at the architectural rendering of the Lang Ting project glowing on my computer screen.

Zhuo Yuan, my terms have never changed. Your sister is not to step another half-step into my life. But you cannot do it, and you never will, as long as you live.

So you want a divorce?

Do you see any other path left for us?

His breathing grew heavy.

I will not divorce you.

Then we will just drag this out.

I hung up. After Yutong completed her forty-two days of postpartum confinement, Fang Chengtian came to pick her up. This news was delivered by my mother-in-law in the family group chat. She sent a voice message, the gist of which was that Yutong had recovered wonderfully, the two babies were fair and plump, and she thanked the whole family for their concern. Not a single character mentioned me. As though from the very beginning, I had been completely transparent within this family. Three more days passed. One weekend afternoon, while I was drawing in my apartment, the doorbell rang. Expecting a courier delivery, I opened the door and froze. Standing outside was my mother-in-law. Right beside her was Zhuo Yuan. My mother-in-law's eyes were red-rimmed, and the moment she saw me, she grabbed my hand.

Niansuo, my child, I have come to apologize to you.

I stepped back, avoiding her touch.

Why are the two of you here?

Zhuo Yuan spoke up.

I brought my mother here. She wants to talk to you.

I looked at the two of them standing out in the hallway, having no intention of inviting them inside. My mother-in-law looked slightly slighted.

Niansuo, it is hardly appropriate to talk out here in the corridor. Won't you let us in...

Let's talk right here.

The corners of my mother-in-law's mouth twitched, but she held her tongue.

Niansuo, I know I wronged you in the past. How we handled Yutong's confinement was poorly thought out on my part, and it made things hard for you.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching her in silence.

But look, Yutong has already left. Nothing like this will ever happen again. You and Zhuo Yuan are doing well, come back home.

Nothing like this will ever happen again?

I echoed her words.

Never again, never again.

My mother-in-law nodded repeatedly.

Mother.

I opened my mouth.

The first time Yutong came to stay, she said, next time I have a second child, I am still coming to stay at my sister-in-law's house.

My mother-in-law's expression shifted.

Then the second time really did happen. The second time she left, nobody said those words aloud, but on the third time, she came right back anyway.

This time, truly...

I have heard your promises far too many times.

I shifted my gaze to Zhuo Yuan.

And you? Do you have anything to say?

He stood beside his mother, his lips trembling slightly.

Niansuo, come home.

Come home?

I laughed.

Does that house have any place for me? You gave my master bedroom to your sister. My wardrobe was emptied out. I was pregnant and forced to wait on her hand and foot. When I suffered a miscarriage, not one of you came to visit me even once. And now you tell me to come home. Tell me, what on earth would I go back for?

The hallway fell silent for several seconds. My mother-in-law suddenly burst into tears.

I have admitted I was wrong, isn't that enough? Why must you hold onto such a bitter grudge...

Mother.

Zhuo Yuan pulled her back. I looked at the two people before me, suddenly feeling an overwhelming wave of fatigue. Not a physical tiredness, but a bone-deep exhaustion that seeped out from the marrow.

I will say this for the last time.

My voice was entirely calm.

I am never going back to that house. If you agree to a divorce, we can part ways amicably. If you refuse...

Before I could finish, the phone in my pocket vibrated. I pulled it out to look. It was a message from Qing Wan, containing only six words and a screenshot.

Something has happened. Look at this immediately.

I opened the screenshot, and my pupils violently contracted. It was a page from a real estate trading platform. Clearly displayed upon it was the listing for my one-hundred-and-thirty-square-meter apartment. The person posting the listing was none other than Zhuo Yuan. The property had already been put on the market, listed at three million two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand below market value. I raised my head to look at the man standing before me, who was still wearing his sincere expression as he urged me to come home.

Zhuo Yuan.

Hmm?

When did you list our apartment for sale?

The expression on his face froze completely.

You... how do you know?

I turned my phone screen around for him to see. My mother-in-law leaned in for a quick glance, then instantly averted her eyes. She had known all along.