I Worked Three Jobs To Support My Paralyzed Mother-in-law. I Came Home Early And Found Her Dancing While My Husband Filmed Her. How Should I Get Revenge?

Greed over Logic

Returning from the luxurious Park View Towers, I felt like each step weighed a ton. The image of Kevin helping Amber out of the car, the loving gaze he gave her, replayed in my mind, sharp and painful like a knife in my heart. I thought I was strong, but faced with the raw truth of a betrayal wrapped in luxury, my heart shattered. I stopped at a small park near home, sitting on a bench for an hour, letting the wind dry my tears of frustration. I pulled myself together before entering the lion’s den.

When I got home, the atmosphere was suffocating. Helen was watching TV. Seeing me, she turned it off abruptly and looked at me with a mix of scrutiny and fakery. Kevin also came out of the room, a mug of warm milk in his hand. He approached solicitously.

“You’re back, honey? Where have you been? Mom and I were worried. Drink this to get your strength back.”

I accepted the mug, smiling to myself. It was surely another act in their caregiving charade, or perhaps it contained another pill of unknown origin. I pretended to take a sip and set it on the table complaining,

“I had a client meeting. I’m exhausted, honey. This project is urgent, and I’m constantly running around.”

Kevin sat beside me, taking my hand and stroking it. His voice was deep and concerned.

“You see? I told you. If you keep obsessing over work, how is the baby going to be okay? Mom and I have talked about it. Why don’t you quit your job? Stay home and take care of the pregnancy. It’s safer. Going back and forth like this makes me uneasy.”

Helen from the other side of the room added in a preachy tone,

“That’s right, dear. For a woman, the most important thing is her husband, her children, her home. Earning money is a man’s job. Why are you killing yourself competing out there? Kevin’s salary is decent now, enough to support the whole family. Quit, stay home, and Mom will serve you food on a silver platter so the baby grows strong.”

I looked at the pair of them. The disgust rose in my throat. They wanted me to quit my job not for my health or this fake pregnancy, but to cut my social ties, to eliminate my source of income and independence. They wanted to turn me into a dependent woman confined to the kitchen so they could control me as they pleased. Once I had no money and no voice, they could kick me out onto the street at any moment.

I pulled my hand away from his and leaned back on the sofa, sighing with regret.

“I’d like to quit too. Who wouldn’t want to be at home served and attended to?”

I left the sentence hanging, observing their reaction. But Kevin asked eagerly,

“You know my parents promised the $500,000 house, but on the condition that the baby is born healthy. And that we have some money to renovate it to their liking. My dad says, ‘A woman who doesn’t earn her own money has no say.’ They’re afraid that if I stay home depending on you, your family will look down on me. Besides, if I finish this project successfully, I’ll get a bonus of almost $30,000 at the end of the year. With that and my salary for the next few months, I was planning to use it all to make that house spectacular, worthy of the family heir.”

Hearing the figure of a $30,000 bonus and the mention of the house, Helen’s eyes gleamed like headlights. She swallowed hard. Her air of superiority vanished, replaced by cold calculation. Kevin was also stunned; the greed was plain on his face.

“$30,000?” Helen repeated in a trembling voice.

“Yes. At least. Mom, if I quit now, I’ll not only lose the bonus but also have to pay a penalty. And my parents will think I’m lazy. And what if they change their minds about the house?” I said, drawing out the words with a worried expression.

Kevin waved his hands quickly.

“No, no. If that’s the case, keep working. But take it easy, don’t overdo it. Money is important, but the baby comes first. Finish this project, get the bonus, and then you can rest.”

I nodded, laughing inwardly. Money can do anything. Just by appealing to their infinite greed, any argument, love, or feigned concern became irrelevant. I got up and went to my room, leaving them whispering. They were probably already calculating how to spend my non-existent bonus.