My Wicked Mother-in-law

There were crushed razor blades mixed into my daughter's fried rice.

She was fighting for her life in the operating room, and the instigator—my mother-in-law—casually told me, "Forget it. She was just a worthless little girl. If she dies, she dies. You and Jason are still young. The important thing is to give the Gates family a grandson."

That was when I realized my mother-in-law wasn't just foolish, but also wicked.

***

My marriage to Jason was orchestrated by my mother.

I was 25 when we got married. In a big city, that age was not considered too old, but in a small third-tier town, it was getting up there.

The key issue was that I was career-driven, always thinking about climbing the ladder and making more money.

My mom was worried sick until Jason's mom came knocking.

"Jason graduated from a top-tier school and works in sales in a big city, earning over ten thousand dollars a month."

"And he's a genuinely good guy, very hardworking, and doesn't waste money."

"The only thing is, he hasn't bought a house yet. But he's not settled down, so we don't know where to buy. Besides, both of them are working; getting a house shouldn't be a big deal."

With just a few words, my mom was convinced by Jason's mother.

During that time, she found all sorts of reasons to get me to take time off work to come home, even calling my boss to pressure me to get married.

I had no choice but to agree to meet Jason just to appease her.

There was nothing particularly bad about Jason, but there was nothing extraordinary about him either.

If I had to point out one good thing, it was that he was good at keeping the house clean.

The first time he visited my home, he unclogged a blocked drain with his bare hands.

The second time, he took the spatula from my mom and single-handedly made a table full of delicious dishes.

My parents were easily won over and couldn't stop smiling at the dinner table.

As soon as Jason and his mom left, my parents took turns praising him. "Young men these days who can cook a big meal like that by themselves are rare!"

"Look at you, always thinking about work, never taking care of yourself. Jason is so meticulous; marrying him would give us peace of mind!"

Jason was sweet-talking and attentive, bringing my dad a jug of wine today, a scarf and two boxes of warming patches for my mom tomorrow.

These weren't expensive things, but my parents acted as if they had discovered a new world, convinced that there would never be another man as meticulous as Jason.

They naturally believed that Jason's attention to detail and thoughtfulness would make my married life much happier.

My mom was a businesswoman, proud of her ability to read people.

But this time, she was completely wrong.