Chapter (1)

"Tae Ri!" The shriek of Tae Ri's mother in law awakened her. Weak sunlight sneaks through the slats of the blinds, casting faint stripes across her body as she lay curled in a fetal position. 'How can it be morning already?' Tae Ri thought, her hand briefly searched for her husband's warmth thinking he had returned home while she was fast asleep but like every day, the sheets beside her were cold and empty, like she's making room for a ghost. Mornings are always the worst time for her. And she hated how empty her bed and life had become ever since she's been married into the Jung's home.

Her husband's family hating her, Tae Ri understands, but she doesn't have any idea why her husband would hate her. Even if she's done something wrong, the reprieve is so cruel. She huddle under the patchwork quilt, feeling as if a heavy weight is pinning her there. Her husband is probably with a pretty young model or wanna be actress right now, his dark cloudy eyes fixed on her as his fingertips trace the curve of her cheek. Sometimes she could almost hear him saying the sweet lies he used to whisper to her when he was courting her 'I adore you. I’m going to make you so happy. You are my world. My heart throbs, each steady beat almost painful.'

Tears began pooling in her eyes at the reminder of how big a fool she had been. At first she suspected his interest in her was scripted, since she wasn't all that y, most popular kind of girl. But it didn’t matter. Ill yoo was caring, charismatic, and accomplished. And she fell in love with him almost immediately, without being able to see beyond his lies and sugarcoated words. How could she when she was too shy to even lock eyes with him? "Deep breaths," she remind herself. Even if It doesn’t work. It never works. 

The wailing of her youngest daughter below accompanied with her mother in law's loud steps towards her bedroom finally prompted her to get out of bed. And immediately went to shower, then blow-dry her hair, noticing her roots are visible. She sighed and reminded herself to touch them up tonight. Because gone are the days when her husband paid lots of money for her classy hair care. 

"Tae Ri!" Her mother in law shouted and aggressively forced the door open she came in uninvited along with her youngest daughter who was clung to her arm. 

The younger girl scoffed and glared at her. "See! I told you she's busy doing make up. Useless makeup because no matter what you try, my brother would never like someone like you." Krystal laughed.

"No child of mine would ever like someone like her." The mother spoke and took two more steps into the room, she stood in front of her and eyed her maliciously. "Do I always have to be your alarm clock? Or do you expect our breakfast to cook it self?"

"I'm sorry Eomeoni, I couldn't sleep early last night, because I was waiting for my husband." Tae Ri apologized with her head down in a deep bow.

"You are nobody's wife, and you know it, I told you to stop waiting for him. Or do you blame him for ditching you? Who in their right mind would want anything to do with you?" The mother looked at her distastefully.

"I think you all want everything to do with her. Why else did you make sure your son married her?" Jessica walked inside the room coolly. "You all are hypocrites and you all need her more than she would ever need any of us." Jessica spoke out of no where, her tone clipped and pissed-off.

"Who invited you in?" Krystal asked sassily.

Jessica began rolling up the cuffs of her egg-white shirt, and flexed her muscles. "You come here, and I will tell you who." She charged at her but their mother was quick to step in between them.

"Jessica, don't you dare." She warned.

"I wouldn't have to, if only you taught your daughter some manners, Tae Ri is obviously older than her and she's her older brother's wife, doesn't she deserve some respect?"

"Who needs to respect who? Me to her?" Krystal laughed historically. "I would never." She said but when she saw her sister charging at her once again, she ran away, her mother following after her.

Jessica turned to face her sister in law. "I'm sorry, Tae Ri-ah."

Tae Ri smiled. "It's okay Sica, I'm already used to that. You don't have to worry."

"I won't have to if you just do as I told you. Divorce my useless mama boy of a brother and earn your freedom. These people are my family and I know they are going to  you dry and then dump you all together. Run while you still can, Tae Ri. Go back to your family." She advised honestly.

Tae Ri only smiled at her again, sadly this time. Jessica would never understand, but the only different thing between the Jung's house and her own house is the presence of her father. Her Mother's hatred for is far worse than her mother in law's, it's how she initially knew she was adopted and not their biological child. "It's okay, Sica. This is part of life, your mother in law doesn't have to like you you know, it's normal. And as a wife, I think I can take as much, for your brother."

"You'll always love him, won't you?"

"He's my husband." Tae Ri chided. "I vowed to love him till death do us part."

"Well, learn to stand up for yourself, if you're to love him till whatever. Or they'll keep on pushing you hard if you always act like a pushover. I would really want to see the day you slap that brat in front of her mother." Jessica laughed, imagining the scene, while Tae Ri playfully hit her shoulder.

"Stop saying that, what if they hear that and then come to take revenge on me?" Tae Ri joked.

"Don't worry, I will be with you all the way and maybe we could revenge on them instead." Jessica and Tae Ri laughed harder, and the sound of her sweet voice made Jessica pause and watched her, wishing Tae Ri could smile and laugh like that all the time, she's a good person, kind and caring and also patient, Jessica wondered why her family... No, why anyone could hate such an angel. "I think you should laugh like this more often, it really suit you."

Tae Ri glanced at her. "I do laugh like this though."

"No you don't, and you need to learn to be happy even when you are living with us horrible people."

"You are not horrible."

"My family are, which means I am too." Jessica said sadly.

"Then you are nothing like your family, Sica. Anyway, I need to go down now if I don't want to be skinned alive." Tae Ri said and hurried towards the door.

"I'll come with, I bet you need a hand in the kitchen." Jessica said and followed suit.

"But you'll be late for work. I will be quick don't worry."

"Do you already forget who the boss is? No one is going to complain even if I don't show up at work at all."

Tae Ri smiled. "Then you can help me chop some veggies." Jessica jumped happily as she followed her sister in law into the kitchen. 

As they work, Tae Ri paused to watch Jessica, thanking God for giving her such a nice friend, and sister in law in this cruel household.


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Looks like I'm gradually getting my writing spirit back on track. I already almost finished this story but it ended up getting deleted too along with lots my of other stories but I'm trying to see if I can recreate them once again. Be patience with me please.