7
When the first batch of 300 pounds of durians arrived, my husband quit his job to sell durians full–time from a stall.
Buying at $3 per pound and selling for $10-12 per pound, he made a tidy profit,
Soon, word spread in our neighborhood about my husband’s cheap inventory and big profits. His relatives started visiting more often.
My husband loved to show off. Many people approached me asking where we got the cheap durians, but I said I didn’t know, my husband hadn’t told me. They started criticizing me, saying they had helped me before and why hadn’t my husband beaten me to death.
My husband cared about his image and would never reveal that we got the inventory through my friend. I was glad he said that.
Musang King durians were scarce and not cheap even at wholesale prices. My husband also got some regular durians a few times, which all
sold out.
In just two weeks, my husband made over $10,000. Every day he drove around selling durians with a big smile on his face.
Most of the residents in our complex also came to buy durians from us. My mother–in–law was very proud lately and found more faults with my daughter and me.
My husband seemed to have forgotten about “training” me and started hooking up
a
woman in our complex.
That woman was even two years older than my husband, divorced and living with her mother. She always dressed provocatively. Her mother was also known in our complex for being difficult to deal with.
Now that my husband was making money, my mother–in–law started thinking about finding him the bride price paid earlier, even though that $20,000 was originally my money.
Both mother and daughter had bad reputations. When my mother–in–law found out, she blamed check, saying my useless womb couldn’t even produce a son.
me for
not being able to keep my husband in
a
wife. But she was reluctant to give up
One morning, I came home from grocery shopping to find women’s underwear and clothes strewn on the living room floor. I could hear my husband and the woman’s disgusting moans coming from the bedroom.
My daughter was curled up behind the sofa, looking up at me helplessly. In that moment, I almost went to the kitchen to grab a knife and end it
all with that beast!
“Chloe.”
I covered my daughter’s ears. Though she was too young to understand those dirty things, I hugged her tightly and took her to the side bedroom. To my surprise, my mother–in–law was lying on the bed scrolling through Tik Tok.
Seeing us come in, she snorted in displeasure and kept staring at her phone, laughing “hehe.”
“Mom, you don’t care what your son does, but how can you leave Chloe in the living room…”
As soon as I spoke, my mother–in–law threw down her phone and got up, pointing at my nose and cursing.
“You want to die? You can’t even keep your man and you dare yell at me?!”
The old woman was about to hit me. I turned my back to protect my daughter in my arms.
The old woman pounded heavily on my back several times, her mouth spewing vile curses.
I endured it, a cold smile tugging at my lips. No rush, the good show was still to come!
I put my daughter by the window and gave her a picture book to look at. She obediently flipped through it, not fussing or crying, not clinging to
- me.
When I left the room, that woman came out wearing just a slip, her face still flushed from their activities.
“Ava, I heard Jack say you’re a great cook. I love fish. It’s almost lunchtime, why don’t you go to the market and buy some fish to cook.”
Amber smiled coquettishly as she ordered me around, provocatively showing off the marks on her neck.
My husband came out of the room and looked embarrassed for a moment when he saw me, then blatantly put his arm around Amber.
12:28
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My husband came out of the room and looked embarrassed for a moment when he saw me, then blatantly put his arm around Amber.
“Jack, I want red–braised fish but sister Ava won’t make it for me.”
Amber pouted as she snuggled against my husband. The two of them almost started going at it again right in front of me.
I held back my disgust, but my expression must have been too obvious. My husband kicked me in the stomach: “What are you staring at? Are you deaf?!”
I staggered backwards, barely managing not to fall. The newly healed ribs ached terribly.
“Wow Jack, you’re so manly. I love it.”
Amber hung all over my husband. His face was full of pride as he berated me some more.
I left without a word. Outside, I ran into Amber’s mother. Seeing me pale and clutching my stomach, she said gleefully, “Did little Jack beat you again?”
I ignored her. She caught up and started earnestly advising me to get a divorce.
Divorce, to make room for her daughter?
