My husband cheats on me with a university student when our daughter is two years old.

My mother-in-law says I'm unworthy of being a woman. So, I back out, and he marries his mistress.

When my former father-in-law cheats on my former mother-in-law, she gets a stroke. My ex-husband ends up behind bars, and his mistress abandons their child to be with another man.

I stand before my former mother-in-law's bed. "Ask your new daughter-in-law to care for you!"

"Hey, the college girl last night was really good. She only charged 100 dollars per session. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll drink to that."

The all-too-familiar voice came through the receiver. He was my boyfriend of six years.

My hands, which were busy with laundry, froze. Trembling, I ended the call.

Eli Daugherty had cheated on me. Just a moment ago, he had said on the phone, "I'll be back early, sweetheart."

A second later…

"Mom," my daughter cried out in the living room, adding to my distress.

Eli and I had been dating since high school. At 21 years old, I broke up with him after discovering that he was flirting with other women.

One month later, I found out that I was pregnant. The doctor had told me that if I didn't keep this baby, it would be hard to conceive again, especially when I had already lost a child with him when I was 19.

I contacted Eli again, and he was overjoyed. He appeared in front of me within an hour after the call.

I sat on the couch as he knelt before me, crying and begging me to keep the baby. He promised to be a good father. Not wanting to miss out on the chance of being a mother, I agreed.

Since he was underage, we couldn't get a marriage certificate, so we had a simple wedding instead. I moved into his house, but his parents treated me like a maid who worked for free.

Mom was busy with her new family and had no time for me. So, I spent my entire pregnancy taking care of the laundry and cooking.

When our daughter was born, Eli was there, bawling his eyes out. I believed that all the hardships I had endured were worth it.

The sound of the door closing signaled Eli's return. Wiping away my tears, I decided to confront him directly.

"Honey, I'm back," he said. He had a smile on his face, just like when I first met him.

I spoke bluntly, calmly recounting what I had heard on the phone. He got angry and accused me of wrongly blaming an innocent person.

When I asked for his phone, he hesitated and kept making excuses. Knowing him well over the years, I recognized this reaction as confirmation.

I laughed bitterly and questioned, "Is it because I refuse to sleep with you?"

"I'm only 22. If you can't satisfy me, what's wrong with finding someone who can?" He stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

I sat on the couch, unable to sleep all night.

At dawn, a friend request with a woman's profile picture popped up on social media. Within ten seconds, messages started flooding in.

A photo appeared, showing a woman with bare shoulders. Next to her was Eli, sound asleep.

"He will never marry you. So what if you have a daughter with him? We made love all night, and he just fell asleep. Eli told me that he despises you and finds you nauseating."

Although I knew that he had cheated, I never expected him not even to give me a proper explanation.

The photo made me retch uncontrollably. Six years of love had just turned into nothing right at that moment.

I sat on the couch in a daze until 7:30 pm when the door lock turned. Eli's mother, Amy Reeves, was back after a night of playing poker.

As soon as she stepped in, she raised her voice in anger. "What's wrong with my son sleeping with another woman? In fact, it's my money that he's spending! If you've got the guts, yell at me instead. What's the point of blaming Eli?"

She grabbed my hair harshly, adding, "You can't even satisfy your husband. What kind of woman are you?"

I no longer felt pain. I had done nothing wrong, yet I didn't dare fight back. It had been three years since I got pregnant. With no job or income of my own, I was completely stripped of the right to speak.

Six months after giving birth to our daughter, Hazel Daugherty, Eli wanted to sleep with me. The pain of childbirth was still fresh in my mind, so I refused. Despite this, he pestered me relentlessly, and eventually, I gave in.

Halfway through, he secretly removed the contraceptive for his own pleasure. When I found out, I lashed out at him. He instantly lost interest and never brought it up again.

A week later, his friend came to persuade me. He told me, "You need to satisfy his needs."

"How could you be so cruel? Are you trying to suffocate my son to death?" Amy shouted.

A video I had seen before on bigamy suddenly surfaced in my mind.

After a moment's daze, I smiled. "Amy, tell Eli to bring her over. Haven't you always wanted a grandson?"

I moved Hazel's and my belongings to the secondary bedroom and even laid out bright red sheets for them. Less than two hours later, Eli returned with his mistress.

She looked very young, no more than 20 years old, yet there was a hint of charm in her gestures. Her chest was full, making her waist seem even slimmer. Her red manicure made her hands look paler.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Eli was only 22 years old himself. They were indeed quite a match.

Amy held the woman's hand with motherly affection while Eli gazed at her with the same tenderness he once had for me.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror by the entrance.

I noticed my old, worn-out clothes and dry, lifeless hair. I looked just like a housemaid. My battered appearance almost made me forget that I was only 24 years old, in my prime.

Indeed, it would be nauseating to look at me. A saying went: as long as one endured, life's hardships would never end.

With a self-mocking smile, I said, "You're back, honey."

The woman rose triumphantly and extended her hand to me. "Hello, I'm Eli's girlfriend. My name is Beatrix Green."

I held her hand and replied, "Hello, Bix. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

Her hand was indeed smooth and soft

She sneered, pulled her hand back, and wiped it on her skirt as if she had touched something dirty. "Sure, why not?"

I awkwardly withdrew my hand and said, "I'll go cook dinner. Honey, take Bixie to the bedroom and see if she likes the sheets."

An hour later, the table was filled with delicious dishes.

Hazel played with her dolls on the couch while Amy watched TV.

Without even glancing at me, Amy ordered, "Keri, go call Eli downstairs for dinner."

As I approached the master bedroom, sounds reached me, making me blush and my ears burn. While I raised my hand to knock, Beatrix's joyful yet painful moans suddenly intensified.

Eli's breathless voice followed. "Bixie, you're so…"

Was this meant to provoke me?

As I lifted my hand again to knock, the door opened. Beatrix stood there in a camisole. Her face was flushed, with noticeable red marks on her neck.

"Keri, did you come to tell us that dinner is ready? Eli didn't want to let me go until just now. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Beatrix tried to pull this little trick on me. The harder she tried, the more I applauded her efforts.

I raised my voice and said, "Bix, it looks like you have a very flexible waist, but you should learn some restraint."

Not getting the reaction she wanted from me, Beatrix's expression instantly darkened. With a cold snort, she went to eat, and Eli followed right behind her.

The dining table was lively. The three of them ate the meal I had cooked, and Eli kept praising how delicious it was. Even Beatrix reluctantly acknowledged that it wasn't too bad.

I sat at one side to feed Hazel. Only after they finished did I sit down at the table to eat. I had always been the last to eat anyway.

After tidying up the table, their conversation gave me an idea. I was good at cooking. So, why shouldn't I record tutorials and upload them online? Social media was booming in those days. Who knew what might happen?

I knew that I had a tough battle up ahead, and I was determined to win custody of Hazel. I needed the money to support us. So, I put my plan into immediate action.

Starting with lunch the next day, I began filming cooking videos and teaching myself how to edit them.

For the first two days, the response was lukewarm. I added explanations to my videos, and by the third night, my account went viral. It became popular.

Eli and Beatrix indulged in their nightly escapades while I remained quiet and composed. Beatrix eventually gave up after not being able to provoke me anyhow.

My followers kept growing. Then, sponsors started reaching out. That month, I earned more money than I had ever dared to imagine.

One morning, Eli's father, Andrew Daugherty, finally returned home after being out messing around for over a month. A foul stench filled the entire living room when he took off his shoes.

Beatrix had just woken up from a nap. Walking into the living room, she exaggeratedly covered her nose and sneered. "What the hell is that smell? Keri, did you fall into a cesspit?"

I chuckled and looked at Andrew. He was never one for cleanliness, and his shoes hadn't been washed in over a year.

Once, when we left our front door open, even the old lady sweeping the hallway would yell about the stench.

Andrew frowned, but Beatrix kept on mocking me.

"Say something, Keri." Then, she gasped, folded her arms, and laughed. "I get it now. You pooped in your pants, didn't you?"

"Enough! It's my feet that smell, okay?" shouted Andrew. Fuming, he slammed the door and left.

Beatrix shot a look of disgust toward the entrance. Even by dinnertime, Andrew didn't come back after that episode.