On Labor Day, my husband worked himself to death in another woman's bed.

Halfway through the funeral, my mother-in-law said to me, "Malcolm's gone, but this family still doesn't have an heir. Clara, you're still young. Have a child with Vincent. The sooner the better."

I stared at my brother-in-law in his wheelchair, my mind going blank.

"But he's Malcolm's brother."

"Better to keep it in the family," Nora Stroud said with a smile. "This is my decision. Even if Malcolm were still alive, he'd listen to me."

Something in me snapped, and a quiet laugh slipped out.

They wanted an heir, didn't they?

Fine. Then my father-in-law could have one.

When I didn't respond, my mother-in-law, Nora Stroud, raised her voice into the microphone on purpose.

"Clara, just have a baby with Vincent. It's the same thing. Once there's a child in this family, everything settles."

My gaze shifted to my brother-in-law, Vincent Stroud, sitting beside me in his wheelchair.

He had been paralyzed since birth. He couldn't move from the waist down. He even required help going to the bathroom.

I thought back to when I first married into the Strouds. Nora would always ask him what he thought of me, whether I looked good.

So this had been her plan from the beginning. She never saw me as a daughter-in-law. To her, I was just a body meant to carry children.

I looked up at the relatives gathered in the funeral hall, hoping someone might speak up for me.

Instead, they all sided with Nora.

"Clara, Nora has a point. A wife's job is to carry on the family line."

"This kind of thing is normal where we're from. If the older brother's gone, the younger one steps in."

"Exactly. They paid for you to marry in. You can't just take the money and back out now."

A cold laugh settled in my chest.

The Strouds paid 20 thousand for the marriage, and I brought every cent back with me.

Less than six months into the marriage, my father-in-law, Quinton Stroud, had gambled it all away. I never saw a dime, but somehow I was the one blamed for taking it.

There were too many of them, and I had no interest in arguing with a room full of people like this.

I forced a smile.

"Fine, Nora. Whatever you say."

Only then did Nora lower the microphone, satisfied. The relatives immediately started smiling and offering congratulations.

"Clara, congratulations. You get to be a bride again!"

I looked at Malcolm Stroud's body lying beside me and felt nothing but bitter irony.

After the funeral, I dragged my exhausted body home. The moment I looked up, I saw Quinton standing on the balcony.

So he hadn't even gone to his own son's funeral.

Nora frowned. "What are you doing out there? The wind's strong. You'll catch a cold."

A flicker of panic crossed Quinton's face. He quickly hid something behind his back.

But I had already seen it. He was holding my underwear.

In that instant, everything clicked. The clothes I used to hang out on the balcony would sometimes come back with strange white stains.

Sometimes, they were fresh and sticky. Sometimes, they had already dried, stiff against the fabric.

I always thought I hadn't washed them properly.

Now I knew. Quinton was behind the stains.

I looked at his wrinkled face, but my mind went somewhere darker.

Every day, he would grab my underwear, press it against his filthy body, and only stop when he had satisfied himself.

My stomach churned, and I nearly threw up.

I stumbled back to my room like I was running for my life, my hands still shaking.

I had thought that if I gave this family everything I had, I might get something real in return.

Today proved otherwise.

There wasn't a single normal person in this house.

A cheating husband. A perverted father-in-law. And a mother-in-law who saw me as nothing more than livestock.

They wanted a child, didn't they?

Fine. The Strouds would get their heir.

Just not from me.

Early the next morning, Nora started in on me again.

"Clara, move into Vincent's room today. You two need time to get close. The sooner you do, the sooner you can give me a grandchild."

I looked at her and forced a faint smile.

"I want to give you a grandchild too, but the doctor said I have a condition that makes it hard to carry a pregnancy. There's a high risk of miscarriage. I need a few days to get treated and build my strength. That way, the baby will be healthy."

Nora paused, clearly caught off guard by how cooperative I sounded.

"Fine. Do what the doctor says. Your body had better not fail us!"

After she left, I took a medical report out of the drawer.

The one with the problem wasn't me.

It was Malcolm. He had already been diagnosed with poor sperm quality. Having a child wasn't possible for him.

I had tried to be understanding. I spent money on medication and pushed him to get treatment. In the end, he turned it on me, saying I was the reason we couldn't get pregnant.

Now, that lie worked in my favor. It bought me time.

I was still thinking about it when my phone rang.

"You're Malcolm's wife, right? I was the one with him the day he died."

"What do you want?" I kept my voice even.

"He still owes me money. Eight hundred. You're his wife, you should pay for it."

I almost laughed.

My husband died in another woman's bed. Not only did I have to handle his funeral, but now, I had to settle his bill.

"Fine," I said quietly. "Meet me at a coffee shop this afternoon. I'll bring the money."

At 2 p.m., I met the woman. Her name was Mandy Carver.

"This is 800. Count it."

I handed her the money. She didn't even glance at it before smiling.

"Your husband also said he'd transfer a house to me. And because of him, I've suffered serious emotional distress. I can't even work right now. That house should cover my damages."

I looked at her and smiled, going along with it. "You're right, but the house is under his dad's name. I don't have the authority to transfer it."

She was about to argue, so I lowered my voice.

"Listen. My father-in-law, Quinton, has more than just that house. He's got plenty of savings, too."

Her eyes lit up right away.

"If you can get on his good side, one house is nothing. You won't have to worry about the rest of your life," I went on. "When the time comes, tell him you want something steady. Say you'll give him a son. That's exactly what he wants."

Mandy straightened in her seat, her excitement showing. "Don't worry. Handling men is easy. If I can deal with Malcolm, I can definitely handle his dad."

I took her hand and smiled. "Good. I'll arrange for you to meet him soon."

By the time I got home, it was almost dark. I changed into a thin slip dress on purpose and sat next to Quinton to watch TV.

"What's this show about?" I asked.

He stammered through an answer, but his eyes kept drifting toward me.

I could see it clearly. His body was already reacting. The sight of his bloated stomach and yellowed teeth made my stomach turn. I nearly threw up.

But if I wanted revenge, I had to see it through.

When it was fully dark, I yawned and went back to my room, leaving the door slightly open.

As expected, about 30 minutes later, Quinton crept in.

"Clara, are you asleep?"

When I didn't answer, he stepped closer.

"I've been thinking about you. I can't even sleep…"

He climbed onto my bed, carrying that sour, stale smell with him.

What Quinton didn't know was that I wasn't in the bed at all. I had already slipped out through the first-floor window.

I was in a motel, watching everything through the security camera.

When Quinton realized I wasn't there, he kicked the trash can over.

"Damn it! That woman thinks she can play me?"

He glanced toward the hallway, worried about waking Nora. Just as he turned to leave, his eyes fell on a small card on the table.

"What… Is this how Malcolm hired them?"

He stared at the photo of Mandy on the card, turning it over in his hands. A grin slowly spread across his wrinkled face. Then, he dialed the number printed on it.

"Hello, are you Mandy? How much for everything… Alright, alright. I'll come now. Wait for me."

He hung up, almost excited, and hurried out.

The next morning, Mandy called me.

"Got him," she said, her voice bright with satisfaction. "Your father-in-law is old, but he's still got it in him."

I let out a faint smile. "Did he say anything?"

"He did. Said the house is his. He's going back today to get the deed and transfer it to me."

After the call ended, I couldn't help laughing.

That house belonged to both him and Nora. If Nora found out he had given it away to someone like Mandy, I wondered what she would do.

Sure enough, that afternoon, I watched through the camera as Quinton turned the house upside down, searching everywhere.

When I saw him sneak out with the deed in hand, I finally went home.

At dinner, I had just taken a seat when Nora slammed her fork down.

"Clara!" Her long nails came close to my face. "When exactly are you going to sleep with Vincent?"

I paused. "I'm still getting my health in order…"

"How long is that supposed to take? It's already been days." Her voice rose, sharp and impatient. "Don't try to stall me! I picked a date. Tomorrow works. You'll be with Vincent tomorrow."

I glanced at Vincent. His head was lowered, almost buried in his bowl.

When I didn't answer, Nora slammed the table again.

"I didn't bring you into this family so you could sit around. Starting tomorrow, you're not going anywhere. You stay here and have that child."

So that was it. No one in this house saw me as a person.

I agreed on the surface, but under the table, I sent Mandy a message.

[Come by tomorrow. There's still some hidden cash in the house.]

The next morning, before it was even light out, Nora's voice rang through the house.

"Clara, get up! Are you really going to lie there all day?"

The moment I stepped out of my room, she pushed a cup of dark liquid toward my mouth.

"Drink it. It'll help you get pregnant!"

I couldn't dodge in time. A few mouthfuls went down, and I almost threw up.

"I'll drink it myself. You go do your thing."

Once she left, I poured the rest into a potted plant.

When I looked up again, I saw Nora in Vincent's room, putting fresh sheets on the bed. She smoothed them out, muttering to herself.

"Vincent, today's your special day. Don't mess this up."

Then she turned and shot me a look.

"What are you standing there for? The relatives will be here soon. Go greet them."

I stood there, stunned. "You invited relatives?"