“Do you realize you’re already married and can’t just do whatever you want anymore?”

I looked at the angry man in front of me, my husband of two months, and felt a wave of desolation wash over me.

“It’s just that Aria and the others asked me out for a late-night snack, and I don’t eat much,” I said, trying to calm myself down and explain.

I didn’t understand why he was reacting so strongly. I had a barbecue with my best friend. I was not a child; I know I should be careful about certain foods during pregnancy.

But he was like an angry cat, lashing out indiscriminately in the house.

The room was dimly lit; it was already past midnight, and the living room lights were usually off by ten. I complained, “It’s too dark. What if I step on something and fall?”

But he confidently replied, “We have to save money for our future child’s formula. If no one is in the room, turn off the lights. Besides, Mom and Dad have already gone to bed, so you should just stay in your room.”

I had never encountered someone so stingy in my life!

When we were dating, I never cared about who paid for what; we always took turns. But I never imagined that after marriage, he would change so completely and become this miserly.

As I was explaining, my mother-in-law interjected, "That's right. A respectable woman doesn't go out every day, and we have no idea who you could be meeting!"

They stood there, glaring at me as if I had committed some outrageous offense even though I was just meeting a friend and having a meal.

It seemed no one remembered the vows spoken at the wedding, like "We will be a family from now on" and "I will definitely treat you like a daughter."

To them, I was the only outsider in this family, except for the child in my belly.

I sometimes felt like, if they had the choice, they would only want to keep my baby, not me.

"If it weren't for the fact that there's still Turner family blood in your belly, someone like you might not even be included in the family genealogy!"

But honestly, I didn't care.

Caleb and I got married because of the baby. We dated for two years, and our relationship was stable and sweet, so it was natural for us to talk about marriage.

During our time together, he was considerate and caring. He was poor but he promised he'd work hard to earn money and provide a good life for me and our baby in the future!

Back then, I was naive and believed his sweet words, my heart and mind filled with dreams of the happy life we would have after marriage.

I didn’t think too much about it, believing we would work hard together once we were married.

But the reality turned out to be completely different.

The next morning, my mother-in-law made a huge pot of fish soup, saying it was good for my health.

However, when I caught a whiff of the strong fishy smell, I rushed to the bathroom and started vomiting.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to eat; I just had no appetite.

Caleb, on the other hand, seemed to change completely. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, he no longer showed the same concern as before. Instead, he dragged me to the dining table and said, "Mom made this specially for you this morning. If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. You don't have to pretend to vomit!"

Then, right in front of me, he poured the soup into the sink.

I could hear the sound of broken porcelain in my ears, and my stomach was churning uncomfortably.

My mother-in-law, who had promised to treat me 'like a daughter', just looked at me coldly.

At noon, my sister called me and said, 'I have some clothes and diapers left. Do you have time this afternoon? Come and get them.'

"Sure."

I left before mealtime, thinking of going back to my parent's house, where I could at least eat something that suited my taste, instead of the overpowering 'nourishing soup'.

Maybe because of the pregnancy, whenever I thought of the child in my belly, I felt like I had a little more hope.

The bed was full of cute and delicate baby clothes, and I was full of anticipation. 'Sister, is the baby really wrinkled when it is born? Your son was tender, so cute!'

Looking back now, I was too naive at that time.

When I came home with a load of baby clothes, bottles, and diapers, Caleb stood there in silence.

Disappointed, I retreated to my room.

He followed me in, his voice laced with anger. "Where did all this stuff come from?"

After I explained, it was as if he flipped a switch. "Do we lack food or clothes? Why did you go back to your parents' house to get things?" he snapped.

"Since you married into our family, you need to understand the difference between your parents' home and your in-laws' home. Now people will laugh at us!" He continued, "Aren't you worried about getting sick using those second-hand items?"

I couldn’t take it anymore and slammed my phone down on the table. "Caleb, that's enough! If you care so much about appearances, why don’t you think about how much money you make in a month? Since I got pregnant, which prenatal appointment have you actually attended? It’s always me who pays. You come home every day and lie on the bed like a king, expecting me to take care of everything while you do nothing!" I pressed on, “If you’re short on money, stop pretending to be wealthy. What’s wrong with using things my sister gave me? Is your lineage somehow more noble than anyone else's?”

Before I could finish, my mother-in-law heard the commotion and came over.

Without grasping the full story, she started blaming me. "Ruby, calm down. If Caleb has done something wrong, I’ll stand up for you."

At first, I thought she was genuinely trying to mediate, but then she added, "Don’t get angry and affect the baby in your belly! That’s the first child of the Turner family!"

'Does the Turner family have a throne to pass?'

Ever since the wedding, all I’ve heard is about having a son, as if I’m just a chicken meant to lay eggs! I had hoped that after a sweet courtship, our married life would be harmonious.

Instead, it’s turned into a nightmare, and our marriage has been nothing short of disappointing. Reality has hit me hard.

Without telling anyone, I packed my things and decided to go back to my parents’ house overnight. But what surprised me was that the Turner family’s response went far beyond what I had imagined. The day after I returned home, I received a message from Caleb.

[Today is Uncle's birthday. Please don’t be upset. Come over at 7 PM and bring a gift.]

It was 7:30 AM when I finished reading the message.

It had been a full day and night since I returned to my parent's home, and he still hadn’t shown any sign of remorse. I was angry.

'What does the Turner family have to do with me? Besides, he’s just a distant uncle!'

When I didn’t reply, he sent another message at noon. [Ruby, Mom is really worried about you these days. Stop going back to your parent's home for no reason. Let’s sit down and talk as a family.]

Such fluffy words from a man who always spoke with a high and mighty tone.

'Why doesn’t he come home and see me?'

Faced with his irritability and cruelty while pregnant, alongside strong emotional fluctuations and mild miscarriage symptoms, I said nothing. He didn’t ask either.

I’d asked myself more than once if this person was the one I chose to spend my life with.

'No, absolutely not!'

In the evening, my mom called me. “Ruby, come back early tonight. I’ve made your favorite soup, and your dad bought some sea cucumbers too. We’ll stew them for you when your appetite gets better.”

Her care filled my ears. Truthfully, my relationship with my parents isn’t that close. I have siblings, and I was taught to look after them from a young age.

But after getting married, I can feel their support and care behind me, benefitting from the improvements in our family.

I didn’t need to support my brother.

In reality, my family wasn't poor. But Caleb and his family didn’t know that.

Life at home was so joyful. Those happy days always feel short, making me forget about the troubles with my in-laws.

Finally, it was the weekend, yet I was still sleeping at home.

However, there was a noisy commotion coming from downstairs. Arguments and fights.

I immediately wake up and rush downstairs. The two people at the door were Caleb and his mother; Seeing me, his mother immediately grabbed me and said, “Ruby, it’s all Caleb’s fault. Go back with me. I’ll scold him later.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene of “motherly love” unfolding in front of me.

“Mom, are you here to pick me up today?”