I returned to my hometown at the age of 28, carrying little savings and a heart full of sorrow.

My mother was utterly worried sick and busily trying to find me a suitor. "Fiona, today's match is really good. You should seize the opportunity," she nagged.

I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. "Mom, I know."

She gave me a look and sighed. "Don't be impatient. Nathan Morgan is the best option we've seen. He runs a small company, he's 32, honest, and it's his first marriage. You should be grateful."

I mumbled, "At his age and still unmarried? Maybe there's something wrong with him."

"Nonsense! He's just been delayed because of work. I’ve asked around; Nathan is genuinely honest. With him, you might not be wealthy, but you’ll never worry about food and clothes."

"Fine, I got it. Mom, I'm heading out," I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door.

"Wait, wait! Aren't you going to put on some makeup?" she called out after me.

I pouted. Knowing my plain looks, I decided not to bother.

When I met Nathan, I was surprised. He was tall, at least 6'1", and had an earnest face. Not particularly handsome, but not unattractive either. Probably due to his profession, he had an indescribable air about him.

He was indeed the best match I'd seen so far.

Over dinner, we chatted pleasantly and exchanged our contact information.

The next day, the matchmaker came over, saying it was a match, but Nathan had a condition: the wife must stay home and manage household chores after marriage.

My mom was thrilled. "No problem! Isn't that what all women do?" she exclaimed.

I wasn't happy. The idea of revolving my life around my husband, kids, and in-laws didn't appeal to me. I had plans to open a dessert shop near a high school. The location was settled, and I was halfway through negotiations with the landlord. Now, everything seemed ruined.

I was visibly upset, but my mom cheerfully told the matchmaker, "It's settled then, please handle it."

I gave my mom a tug and told the matchmaker, "I need more time to think about it."

The matchmaker glanced at both of us and smiled. "Take your time, but don't delay too long. We need to give them an answer soon."

"Thank you."

In the afternoon, I messaged Nathan, asking to meet again. He quickly agreed, and we planned to meet at 6:30 PM at the seafood restaurant on Zania Road.

When we met, I got straight to the point. "I have a good impression of you, and my family is pushing for marriage. From what the matchmaker says, your family agrees too. This is a good thing, but I can’t accept staying home after marriage. I want to open a dessert shop."

Nathan smiled warmly. "That's my mom's idea, not mine. She worries about me. I also think highly of you. Marriage is imminent, and I believe you'd be a good partner. I'll talk to my parents. Opening a shop is great; you don't need to face the outside world's hardships."

I was satisfied.

Nathan seemed sincere, but he had excellent social skills. He kept serving me food and soup, attentive and considerate.

I teased, "With such charm, how did you end up single?"

He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I dated a few before, but they didn’t work out. It's not the right time yet."

I didn't ask further.

The wedding was set just like that.

Then came the tedious pre-wedding preparations.

My shop began undergoing renovations at the same time. I was spinning around in a whirlwind of tasks.

Fortunately, my mom was there, bustling around and helping me a lot.

On the day of the wedding, Nathan looked at me with a smile on his face, "Fiona, you look so beautiful."

Feeling a bit shy, I lowered my head.

After the wedding, I was so tired that I didn't want to move at all. Nathan's thoughtfulness really showed at this moment.

He helped me get my pajamas, drew my bath, and prepared warm water for soaking my feet.

"Fiona, you worked hard today," Nathan said gently as he hugged me after I finished washing up.

"We have to go through these things; you worked hard too today. Let's get some sleep," I said, feeling quite satisfied inside.

"Fiona, tonight is our wedding night," Nathan whispered.

Although I was somewhat reluctant, I reminded myself that we were now husband and wife. There was no need to be coy anymore, so I smiled and leaned towards him.

The next morning when I woke up, Nathan was already up. As soon as he saw me get out of bed, he hurriedly took care of me.

This made me feel much more at ease.

The days that followed were calm and warm.

Nathan, looking thickheaded but actually quite sharp, always knew how to make me happy.

When he returned from business trips, he would bring me gifts. For every holiday or anniversary, he would deliver presents on time. Cooking and laundry were second nature to him.

Whenever he went out for social engagements, he always reported back. Even when he was away on business trips, he would send videos to reassure me.

My mom often praised Nathan, saying I was very fortunate to find such a good husband. I joked, saying mom would leave people wondering if I was her daughter-in-law.

My mom urged me to appreciate my blessings, saying that there weren't many good men like him in the world.

Although I teased my mom, I actually agreed with her in my heart.

With cheating and scandalous news rampant everywhere online, affairs and extramarital exploits had become common fare. Nathan was a true breath of fresh air.

I thought I would live like this forever. But change came unexpectedly, disrupting everything.

Nathan and I were trapped at home, spending every moment together.

Only then did I realize that my usually considerate husband wasn't as thoughtful as I had believed. He seemed to have become a different person.

I came to understand that the prerequisite for his thoughtfulness was that most of the time, I had already taken care of the housework.

"What kind of dish is this? It's awful!" Nathan scowled at me.

I tasted it myself; it wasn't that bad.

"I think it's okay. Are you upset about work?" I asked.

Nathan pressed his forehead and exhaled lightly. "A little. But I'm serious, don't you think it's too salty? You usually don't cook like this. Didn't you notice?"

I tasted it again and shook my head earnestly. "Didn't notice."

Then I looked up to meet Nathan's exasperated face.

I tried another bite, glanced at Nathan's impatient expression, and restrained myself. "I'll be more careful next time. The food's already made, let's eat it. Food is already in short supply; we can't waste it."

Nathan picked at the food, ate a few bites, and then didn't touch it again.

I sighed, got up, and started clearing the dishes.

Nathan, who used to share housework with me, has been acting like a lord lately, sitting on the couch all day watching TV and scrolling through his phone, without doing any chores.

In Nathan's words: "You don't have to do anything all day, just a little housework. Why do you need me to help?"

I thought, he makes a good point! Damn it! I wish I could stop doing everything too.

The tension accumulated bit by bit, and on the 20th day of the lockdown, it erupted.

We had a fierce argument.

In the end, Nathan apologized. "Fiona, I was frustrated and might have spoken harshly. Please forgive me. I'm really stressed. The company expenses are so high every month, and we can't do anything now."

"Being stressed doesn't mean you should take it out on me!"

"You're right, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Couples fight, but they make up before bedtime.

And so, it ended unresolved.

After reconciling, Nathan remained unchanged, using his words but never stepping up.

The disappointment inside me wasn't just a little; it grew slowly until I stopped thinking about it, and stopped calling him.

I remembered my mom's words: living daily life is just like this, isn't it?

Then the pandemic hit, and business went downhill.

Six months later, my pastry shop closed.

Nathan comforted me. "Right now, there's not much you can do. Just stay home and take care of yourself. Let's have a child."

No matter how much I resisted, I couldn't fight reality.

I agreed to Nathan's suggestion.