Chapter 6: My House, My Rules

Marcus hurried to the main road, waited for a pickup, paid a few bucks, and rode to the city.

He went straight to the hardware store he ran with Sam Riley.

He wasn’t a dumb guy.

Sam always said business was bad and didn’t share profits, but the store stayed open.

"Marcus is here."

"A thousand bucks, with interest it’s twelve hundred. Hand it over."

Sam tried his old tricks, saying the store didn’t make money.

Marcus slapped the counter, "Either I take half the store’s goods today and you settle up for the past year, or you give me twelve hundred and we’re done."

Sam opened his mouth, then said, "Wait, I’ll get the cash from the back."

The store was Sam’s family business. It had almost closed for lack of money.

They were old friends. Sam knew Marcus had savings and invited him to partner, even writing a contract.

But people change.

Marcus counted the money, tore up the contract, and left the store.

Carrying the cash, he went to the pharmacy.

He felt a bit uncomfortable, and secretly resolved not to be so naive again. Now he’d married the girl he’d wanted since childhood.

He was a husband, head of the family, and would be a father.

He had to feed and clothe his wife and kids, save money, so even if something happened to him, his family wouldn’t suffer.

At the pharmacy, Marcus stammered his reason for coming.

The pharmacist was experienced and led him to the back room...

I had never seen such bratty kids.

They actually went to complain to my mother-in-law, saying I didn’t give them cake.

Mother-in-law didn’t scold them or me.

But their mom, Taylor’s second sister-in-law, came to my door with a fake smile and called, "Natalie."

My hand with the needle paused.

"Second sister-in-law, what’s up?"

"Natalie, it’s just cake, not worth much. Why not give it to the kids? You’re the grown-up, you can’t be stingy."

Second brother’s sons were wild, clearly following their mom’s example.

Sharing cake wasn’t a big deal.

If I were really stingy, I wouldn’t have shared it at all.

Second sister-in-law was setting me up, but I wasn’t rattled. I smiled and said, "You know, my mom always told me—if you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll want the whole jar. Maybe you should set a better example for your boys."

"What? What did you say?"

Second sister-in-law shrieked, incredulous.

"You want my things so confidently, so I want money from you. That’s only fair. Judging by your reaction, are you the stingy one?"

I’m not a troublemaker, but after working in a wealthy home, I know the importance of standing your ground.

But things are different now.

I’m married, part of the Taylor family.

If I was weak today and didn’t push back, the second branch would keep testing and bullying me.

"You’re crazy, how did your family raise someone like you..."

"Say one more word about my folks, and you’ll see what standing up looks like."

My voice was cold, my face fierce. Second sister-in-law was scared and stepped back.

Mother-in-law, who’d been pretending not to hear, saw her daughter-in-law lose, rushed over, pretended to mediate but was biased, and scolded me.

"Such a small thing, is it worth fighting over? Natalie, you’re new here, you should respect your sisters-in-law and be kind to the kids..."

"Mother-in-law, have you heard the saying, ‘Kids don’t get along because grown-ups play favorites and don’t set a good example’? Today you don’t ask what happened, don’t care about right or wrong, just take the second branch’s side. What, isn’t Marcus your son? Am I not your daughter-in-law?"

"You, you... You dare talk back? I’ll have Marcus divorce you."

"Divorce me? Fine. However you brought me in, send me back to my family, or my brothers won’t let it go."

After saying this, I ignored their dark faces, slammed the door, and closed the window too.

"You’re awful, awful..."

"Mom, mom..."

I lay on the bed, clutching my pounding chest in fear.

I didn’t know whose side Marcus would take when he got home.

No one called me to work or eat lunch.

Mud was thrown at my window, but I ignored it, lying flat.

When I was hungry, I ate all the coffee cake and kept lying down.

Half-asleep, I heard crying.

"Marcus, you’re finally back. That little brat from the Smith family is bullying me to death."

The villain complains first. Unbelievable.

I thought Marcus would come question me, but instead I heard him laugh: "Mom, you’ve finally met your match. Good! Don’t come complaining to me anymore. If my wife bullies you and me, what then?

I married a wife to live with, not to fight."

Marcus’s voice was loud, almost gleeful.

I couldn’t help but laugh inside.

Just as I sat up, he pushed the door open.

He carried a big Dutch oven on his back, a cloth bag in front, and a wooden box in his hand.

"Honey, I’m back."

"You just woke up? What did you eat for lunch?"

At the mention of lunch, I felt a bit wronged.

"What’s wrong? Tell me, I’ll stand up for you."

I naturally wanted Marcus to take my side, so I told him everything.

"No one called you to eat?"

I nodded lightly.

Marcus was silent for a moment, then patted my head like I was a puppy.

"From now on, we’ll cook for ourselves. You can eat whatever you want."

Are we splitting the family?

"Here’s nine hundred dollars, keep it safe."