Oliver told me to split all expenses equally before we got married.

I agreed because I was in love.

Later, the love faded. But he still wanted me to have a child.

I smiled and agreed.

Then, I calculated with him the expenses from pregnancy to postpartum recovery, including my lost wages.

These also need to be split equally.

Oh, and the child might not take his last name, Kensington.

That's another price.

***

When I dragged my exhausted body home, I smelled food coming from the kitchen.

But I knew it wasn't made for me.

A week ago, Mrs. Chloe Kensington came to stay with us. The first day she arrived, she accused me with a sarcastic tone, saying,

"Why don't you cook for Oliver? I've never seen a wife like you!"

I ignored her and put the food I made for her in the fridge for the next day's breakfast.

She cursed and tried to follow me into the bedroom.

I slammed the door and slammed her out.

The world is finally at peace.

When Oliver came home and explained to his mom that we split all expenses, she stopped criticizing me.

Then she started watching me the next day, afraid I might take advantage of her son.

Today, I worked late at the office, and Oliver and his mom had already eaten.

Honestly, I was so tired and hungry that I almost wanted to join them.

But I didn't. All I'd get were cold stares and a snide remark, "If you want to eat, pay up."

I didn't want to squeeze into the kitchen with them.

After throwing myself onto the bed in the bedroom, tears rolled down my face.

It didn't feel like a family.

Growing up in a family that favored boys, I never felt warmth, and I didn't expect to feel it after marriage, either.

At that moment, my stomach growled with hunger, and I knew I'd feel sick if I didn't eat.

I had no choice but to get up from the bed, exhausted.

As I drank a glass of water in the living room, I tried to ignore Chloe's stare.

I walked to the fridge to see what was left.

I discovered that half of the eggs I bought yesterday were gone.

Turning to the dining table, I saw Chloe still staring at me, and when I looked at her, she quickly looked away, pretending to be flustered.

There was only one bite of scrambled eggs with tomatoes left on the table.

I sighed.

I thought, "It happened again."

Oliver usually ate out in the evenings, but since his mom arrived, she cooked for him.

However, she never bought groceries, always using the ones I purchased.

The first time I mentioned it, Oliver got upset.

"Mom just came from the countryside. How could she buy groceries? She just used what you bought. I'll transfer you the money."

He looked at me like I was some mercenary woman, full of disappointment.

But until today, Oliver has not transferred a penny to me.

For the past few days, I tolerated it, thinking Chloe wouldn't stay long. I didn't mention it again.

But today, I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Oliver, can you transfer me the grocery money for the past few days?"

Oliver glanced at his mom, then impatiently took out his phone and transferred me ten dollars.

Ten dollars? Today's eggs alone cost more than that.

"Amelia, when did you become so stingy? Other women cook for their husband's mother. You not only don't cook but also keep asking for a few bucks for groceries. Your mind is set on money!"

Oliver threw down his forks, his tone sharp and piercing.

Looking at Oliver yelling at me, I couldn't recall what he was like when we first dated.

"Back then, Oliver was willing to take on a part-time job just to buy me a birthday gift.

In the hot summer, he wore a thick mascot costume to hand out flyers on the street.

I felt sorry for him and told him I didn't need a birthday gift. Just having him with me made me happy.

But he refused and insisted on finishing his part-time job.

When he handed me the gift, his eyes were bright, saying he couldn't let his little princess feel wronged.

He must have loved me then.

I loved him, too, so after three years of dating, I was thrilled when he proposed marriage, even though there was no formal proposal, just an ordinary dinner.

So when he suggested splitting expenses equally, I felt a bit uncomfortable but agreed immediately.

At that time, just thinking about getting married and having my own family made me so happy I couldn't sleep, overlooking Oliver's somewhat indifferent reaction.

Now, as I watched this scene, the more I saw, the more numb I felt.

It was as if another person inside me was coldly observing this scene.

There was no more disappointment because all my expectations had long since been worn away." I thought.

I looked at Oliver, who was now a completely different person, and just as I was about to say something, I was interrupted.

Chloe, feeling no guilt, shamelessly lay on the floor, making a scene. She complained about how Oliver had married such a terrible woman. Not only was I bad to my husband, but I also tormented her, an older woman from the countryside.

I took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn't help, and shouting would do no good, especially since no one in this household was on my side.

After a few comforting words from Oliver, Chloe clutched her chest, pretending to be in pain, and got up from the floor, dragging Oliver back to her room.

Before leaving, Oliver gave me a vicious glare.

As if I was some unforgivable villain.

As expected, the rest of the grocery money was never mentioned again.

I quickly made myself a stir-fry with eggs and collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted even to brush my teeth or wash my face.

I was half-asleep when I was pushed awake.

Maybe it was because I had been reminiscing, but I dreamt of the old Oliver, the one who treated me well.

So when I saw Oliver in front of me, I instinctively showed a happy expression.

But in the next second, his words froze my smile.

"You're taking up too much of the bed. How am I supposed to sleep?"

I felt like a clown.

The dream's sweetness and the reality's bitterness clashed in my mind like fire and ice.

Oliver even pushed me because I reacted too slowly.

I couldn't bear to share a room with him anymore. Hugging my blanket, I ran to sleep on the living room sofa.

Oliver didn't come out to check on me. I guessed he was probably glad to have the bed to himself again.

"Less than three months into our marriage, Oliver was already tired of sharing a bed with me and suggested we sleep in separate rooms.

At that time, I didn't understand and asked him why.

He said he wasn't used to it, felt like he lost his freedom after marriage, and was already exhausted from work during the day. He said I always crowded him at night, making him feel more tired.

I said I could change and asked if we could not sleep in separate rooms.

But Oliver insisted. I don't remember who started the argument." I thought.

It ended badly, and Oliver finally had an excuse to move out.

Since then, except for marital activities, we hadn't slept in the same bed, even though I tried to keep him.

When Chloe arrived, Oliver gave her the bedroom.

The idea of sharing a bed with him only made me feel tired and annoyed now.

My mind, once so sleepy, was now wide awake.

I looked at the moonlight streaming through the window and thought, "I can't keep going like this."

But getting a divorce wasn't easy. Both Oliver and I made the down payment on the house, and the mortgage wasn't paid off yet. I wasn't afraid of hardship, but I feared not having a home.

My parents' home was now my brother's marital home, and my parents had moved back to the countryside.

Besides, my job was here.

I had followed Oliver without hesitation, quitting my job to come to this strange city to start afresh.

Now, I had finally found my footing.

I didn't want to leave.

Before I could figure out how to get a divorce, Chloe had a health issue.

She was diagnosed with kidney stones and needed surgery.

Pre-surgery checks and post-surgery recovery required someone to take care of her.

So, Oliver discussed with me whether I could take a few days off to look after her.

I thought about it and agreed since Chloe was technically still my nominal mother, but I had conditions.

"My daily wage is four hundred dollars. I won't charge for nighttime care. The weekends will be charged at the minimum wage for a caregiver, one hundred and twenty dollars a day. Seven days in total would be two thousand and four hundred dollars. Bank transfer or PayPal?"

"Amelia! Chloe is your mother, too. Do you have to be so calculative?"

Oliver clenched his fists, glaring at me as if I had said something outrageous.

"Oliver, Chloe is your mother, not mine. You're closer to her by blood. Why don't you take leave to care for her? That way, you wouldn't have to transfer any money to me. If you think I'm expensive, you can hire a caregiver. You just see me as free labor, don't you?"

"Don't judge everyone by your standards. Other families live in harmony. Look at us. It's a mess! And it's all your fault!"

"My fault? Oliver? You're the one who proposed splitting expenses equally. When I was sick, you waited for me to transfer the money for medicine before buying it for me! When I took long showers, you charged me extra for utilities! When my parents were hospitalized, you refused to visit with me because you didn't want to pay for travel expenses! Now you want me to take leave to care for your mom, and you know what you're planning!"

"What am I planning? Don't project your love of money onto others. It's just two thousand and four hundred dollars I'll transfer it to you!"

Seeing people around the hospital starting gossip, Oliver couldn't argue with me anymore. He transferred the money and was about to leave.

I stopped him.

"You haven't paid your mother's hospitalization and surgery fees."