Chapter 2 — The Fateful Oath

I pulled a wooden box from beneath the bed with feigned indifference, retrieving a crescent-shaped jade pendant and fastening it around my neck. "Vi, do you love me?" My sudden question caught him off guard. He froze, blinking in confusion. "I... why are you asking that all of a sudden?" "It’s nothing, I just wanted to know. So... do you love me?" "Of course I do!" As the words left his lips, the jade pulsed against my skin. His love was the final boundary of my tolerance. If a man did not love me, why should he enjoy everything I provided? After we married, without so much as a consultation, he moved his parents into the villa my father had gifted me, claiming it was an act of filial piety. In reality, he simply vanished into his own life, leaving me to serve as an unpaid nanny for his entire clan. Every time I suggested hiring a maid, the crowded household erupted in protest, claiming it was a waste of money and that strangers couldn't be trusted. I grit my teeth and endured it. My mother-in-law never ceased her petty criticisms, complaining that I was a year older than her son, calling it an unlucky match. She looked down on me, convinced I was unworthy of her son’s supposedly noble lineage and superior genes. When I complained to Vi, he would pour honeyed words into my ears, calling me the most sensible daughter-in-law in the world. I knew he was exaggerating, but because he had once sworn to protect me forever—a vow the jade had not flagged as a lie—I put up with it all.

Before long, his divorced sister moved in with her unwanted child, acting as if she owned the place. When I complained about them whispering behind my back, Vi merely told me to have more compassion for his sister's suffering. Their little terror of a son even poured boiling water onto the flowers I meticulously tended, claiming his mother was allergic to pollen. If she was so allergic, who had forced them to move into my home? When I tried to discipline the boy, the grandparents appeared out of thin air to shield him. They were nowhere to be found when the water was being poured, but the moment I moved to teach him a lesson, they sprang up like weeds. "You're a grown woman, how can you be so petty with a child? It's just a few pots of flowers! I'll pay you back!" the mother-in-law shrieked. "Fine," I replied. "This purple orchid is worth at least fifty thousand, and this Buddhist pine cost me a hundred and eighty thousand. The others aren't as expensive. I'll give you a discount—two hundred thousand in total. Cash or transfer?" The old woman’s face paled, and she immediately collapsed onto the floor, wailing about her miserable life. Vi chimed in, suggesting that a mischievous child would grow up to be a capable man. I looked at the brat and thought that with his talent for disaster, he’d likely meet his ancestors long before he reached manhood.

My suppressed rage was reaching its breaking point. I needed one last confirmation to see if there was any reason left to endure this. I pinched my arm to maintain my composure and spoke slowly. "Do you have a mistress out there? Is that why you're keeping your distance?" "Thanh, how can you say something so foul? How could I possibly—" "Answer me. Are you keeping another woman?" He didn't deny it immediately; instead, he seemed more offended by the terminology. "No!" he finally snapped, though his voice lacked conviction. A lie. "So... you're saying you're actually impotent?" "Yes," he stammered. "I was in an accident while on a business trip... and I found out then." My blood turned to ice, but he didn't notice. He was too busy spinning his ridiculous web of deceit. "Is that so? I don't believe you." Anxious to end the conversation, Vi gave a dry laugh and held up three fingers in a mock oath. "I swear, I really can't do anything anymore!"

Instantly, the jade on my chest vibrated violently, turning searing hot like a coal. I stood there, looking down at him with a chilling gaze. "I permit your oath... to become the truth." Without another word, I walked into the kitchen and pulled out two large containers of food—fried chicken and braised pork. Ignoring all sense of decorum, I crouched down and began to eat ravenously, stuffing my face like a famished ghost. Vi watched me with a look of pure disgust and contempt, likely thinking I had lost my mind under the stress. I mimicked his expression, feeling a deep pity for him—the man who was now truly "incapable." "Turn off the light and go to sleep," I muttered after finishing. Immediately, I felt a powerful suction within my cells. My stomach, which had been painfully full, flattened instantly.

The next morning, I didn't wake up early to prepare the family's "nutritional breakfast." Instead, I went for a run, stretched, and enjoyed a quiet meal alone at a cafe. When I returned home, the screeching voice of my mother-in-law greeted me. "Son, is your wife trying to starve us to death? A turtle moves faster than her!" The father-in-law added, "In the old days, a clumsy daughter-in-law like this would be made to kneel in punishment every day!" The grandson began to howl for food, and his mother turned her fury on Vi, accusing him of spoiling me. The father-in-law slammed his hand on the table. "Vi! Go see where the food is! Waiting for her to cook is like waiting to die!"

Vi, looking miserable, stood up and caught sight of me standing in the hallway. "Thanh, why isn't breakfast—" He stopped mid-sentence, sensing my cold aura. Realizing I had heard their insults, he tried to pivot into a fake display of affection. "Thanh... is breakfast ready? Let me help you." The house went silent as they all stared at me. Only the brat continued to scream about his "evil aunt" starving him. I looked at them all—these people who lived off my bounty while cursing my name. "I ate out," I said nonchalantly. "Cook for yourselves. Don't worry about me." I turned to go to my room. The child’s screams intensified, and the sister-in-law shrieked in outrage. The mother-in-law’s face contorted with rage, her finger trembling as she pointed at me, unable to find words. The father-in-law slammed the table again. "Disrespectful!"

It occurred to me then: the moment I stopped catering to their every whim, their true, ugly nature was laid bare. Vi lost his temper, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Thanh, what is the meaning of this?" I stopped and looked him directly in the eye. "The meaning? You tell me." "My parents are elderly! You're going to let them go hungry? What kind of wife are you?" "You're well aware they're your parents," I countered. "So why are you letting them go hungry? What kind of son are you? Am I the only one in this house with working hands? Did your family not know how to cook before you married me?"