Since becoming pregnant, I've been suffering from severe morning sickness and swelling in my hands and feet.

So, I came up with the idea of hiring a maternity nanny.

Before getting pregnant, I was a manager at a design company, and although I gave up that job at my husband's insistence, I had saved quite a bit of money over the years.

I quickly finalized a nanny through an app, and she arrived the next day.

But when my mother-in-law saw the nanny, she nearly exploded.

"Nina, I'm not saying you, but how could you tolerate everything for months and then suddenly decide you can't handle it in the last few months?" She blocked the nanny from entering.

"And really, how much money will you waste hiring a nanny?"

Seeing the nanny outside looking confused, I took a deep breath. "Mom, I'm getting heavier and my hands and feet are swelling. Thomas is busy with work and can't come home, so having a nanny will help me a lot."

My mother-in-law, using her strength, pushed the nanny out and slammed the door shut.

"I think you young ones have grown too used to comfort. When I had my baby, I was back on my feet right away—you're just too delicate!"

She continued, "This nanny business is not negotiable unless you step over my dead body."

Afterward, I apologized to the nanny and gave her a red envelope so the agency wouldn't blacklist me.

The more I thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved I felt.

Why shouldn't I spend my own money to hire a nanny?

So, I directly rented a place outside, keeping the key to myself, and stayed there to rest during my pregnancy.

Those days with the nanny were incredibly comfortable.

Every meal was prepared for me, and she would massage my swollen feet and hands, not to mention the emotional support she provided.

Meanwhile, my mother-in-law, Melanie, was out playing mahjong every day, expecting me to take care of her when she returned home.

This only strengthened my resolve to take care of myself.

During this time, I called my husband to discuss it, but he was probably too busy, as he hung up shortly after I started.

Feeling lonely, I looked at my phone, which was still buzzing, and stroked my growing belly.

Melanie didn't see me for a few days and seemed to sense something was off; she called me directly. "Nina, you've gotten bold. Where have you been for the past few days?"

"Mom, I'm renting a small place outside, and I have a nanny taking care of me. Don't worry."

Melanie's tone was fierce; if I had been in front of her, I would have probably been torn to shreds. "What?! You rented a place on your own? How much is that costing? You better come back, or don't even think about coming back!"

I had enough of the disappointment and replied calmly, "Mom, whether you agree or not, I'm spending my own money. I took care of Thomas and you for months while I was pregnant. I may not have contributed in labor, but I've certainly put in my share of effort. Now I just want a little peace; I'm not bothering anyone!"

Melanie's breathing grew heavier. "Fine, then don't ask me for help with anything from now on, and don't come back to this house!"

After that, I really didn't return to that so-called home for months.

Until my water broke, the nanny took me to the hospital, and since the hospital required a family member's signature, I had to bring my mother-in-law along.

I figured she must be holding a grudge against me and used this method to annoy me.

After a while, my husband, Thomas, rushed back.

In addition to my husband, there was also his smiling mother behind him.

Looking at his angry face, I couldn't help but think that his mother must have asked her son to support her.

"Nina, I haven't come back in the past few months because I've been busy. Is this how you treat our mother?" Thomas shouted at me without even asking for the reason.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I thought I could rely on him, but I didn't expect him to help his mother deal with me at this time.

"Are you still talking? Have you come back once in the past few months? I went through the whole pregnancy alone. If it weren't for Aunt Rhea, I would have been driven to death by your mother!"

Thomas was choked by my words and felt somewhat guilty: "But you can't stay away for months. After all, she is our mother."

Looking at my filial husband, I felt disappointed in my heart and eyes.

I turned my face away, holding the child in my arms, not wanting to look at him again.

"Nina!" My husband called my full name again.

"Are we still together? You must apologize to our mother!"

Hearing this, I stood up abruptly, pointed at Thomas's nose and scolded, "Do you have any conscience? I went through the whole pregnancy without going home for months. I know you're busy, so I never asked a single question."

"In the past few months, I suffered from severe morning sickness and still took care of your mother to make her eat and drink well. Isn't that enough for me to fulfill my duty?"

"But what about her? I've been taking care of her so well, but she can't see it. Instead, she blames me for deleting the video that invaded my privacy. If she doesn't want to be with me, I don't want to be with her either. Give me back my dowry and the house that was bought with my family's money, and get out."

After saying that, I stared directly into Thomas's eyes until he looked away.

Thomas softened his attitude and said, "It was our mother's fault this time. Can't we still be together?"

My mother-in-law glared angrily from the side, seemingly surprised that her son was siding with me.

I smiled and didn't say anything in response.

Thomas acted this way because my dowry was ten times his bride price, not to mention the house.

Even a fool would know how to choose in this situation.

Unfortunately, I was attracted to Thomas in the first place because of his hardworking nature, and I was willing to go against my family's wishes to marry him.

As a result, even if I have a child now, my parents probably won't come over. They must be heartbroken because of me.

I felt frustrated in my heart and turned to see my mother-in-law's eyes rolling non-stop, which made me even more annoyed.

Thinking back to those years, my mother-in-law always called me a good girl before I got married. At that time, I thought I had found a good family.

But who would have thought that as soon as I entered the door, my mother-in-law changed her face instantly. Over the years, I have been worn down by her, and I have become much haggard.

Thinking about this time, my mother-in-law started the trouble first, and thinking about my husband's indifferent attitude, my frustration grew.

But then I realized that I couldn't just swallow this grievance.

Thinking about my mother-in-law's habit of going to bed early, I had an idea.

My mother-in-law and the old man next door, Michael, have been sticky and affectionate for several years. Their mobile phones were full of their hot chat records.

Since you liked to expose other people's privacy, this time I would let you try it too...

You wouldn't know pain until the stick hits you. I wanted to see if my mother-in-law can still be so calm after discovering her and Michael's exposed privacy.

I discovered my mother-in-law's affair with Michael shortly after we got married.

Maybe because she was used to it at home, my mother-in-law got up and left the room with Michael, which startled me.

After my husband and my mother-in-law explained it to me, I finally found out that my mother-in-law was dating Michael.

Adults understood these things.

Thinking about how my husband used to live with my mother-in-law, and how she would bring people home without any hesitation, I felt a different kind of discomfort in my heart.

And now, this secret of my mother-in-law game me a handle.

I didn't like to expose other people's privacy, but I wanted her to experience what it felt like to be talked about.

Thomas, who has been on business trips for several months, finally came back. As soon as he came back, he went into the study to work.

Seeing him like this, I didn't say much, I took the child and went back to sleep.

I was awakened suddenly while sleeping.

When I woke up, I realized that I fell asleep while hugging the baby before bed, and the baby was pressing on my chest, which woke me up.

Since I was already awake, I looked at my phone and it was already 5 o'clock in the morning, so I couldn't fall back asleep.

I gently put the baby aside on the pillow and prepared to go out for a drink of water.

Just as I stepped out of the door, my attention was drawn to a bright light.

The door on mother-in-law's side was open, and surprisingly, the light inside was not turned off.

You see, mother-in-law usually went to bed at 7 o'clock in the afternoon. I scolded by her before for sleeping late.

Was mother-in-law still not asleep now?

With a curious mind, I quietly looked through the crack in the door.

In an instant, my worldview was shattered, and my stomach churned and almost vomited.