My in-laws insisted we spend the New Year holidays at their ancestral home. Unable to secure flights, we decided to drive. But then, my wife Chloe’s childhood crush, Ethan Hayes, heard about our plans and declared he simply had to come along. He even audaciously claimed the passenger seat next to me, a smug smirk plastered on his face. "Leo, old man," he drawled, "I get terrible motion sickness. The front seat is my only option." Chloe shot me a look of pure contempt. "It's just one seat, Leo. Why are you being so petty?" She scoffed. "If you could even drive, would this be such a hassle?" My in-laws chimed in, their voices dripping with disapproval. "You're a grown man. Why are you so narrow-minded?" Outnumbered and out-argued, I found myself squeezed uncomfortably in the back seat with them. Who would have thought that as we passed through a toll plaza, Ethan would spot a stray dog and, in a sudden burst of performative generosity, exclaim: "Oh, that dog looks so pathetic! We simply must take it with us!" I immediately objected. "Our car is full. Adding a dog would make us over capacity, and we won’t be allowed on the road." No sooner had the words left my lips than Chloe rounded on me, her eyes blazing. "Leo, if that’s the case, then you can give up your seat for the stray! Just take a cab home!" 1 As we drove through the toll plaza, Ethan, who’d insisted on squeezing in with us for the drive to the ancestral home, spotted a stray dog and demanded we take it with us. My protests were utterly ignored by Ethan. He simply turned his pleading gaze to Chloe. "Chloe, look how pitiful this little dog is. If we just leave it here, it'll surely freeze to death." His voice softened, taking on a theatrical tremor. "It’s so tiny, it hasn’t even seen the world yet. It shouldn’t die here like this." With that, he scooped the dog into his arms. Chloe, her heart swelling with an apparent tenderness, pulled my coat from the back seat and wrapped it around the dog, murmuring to it as if no one else were present: "Don't worry, little one. I won't abandon you." Then, turning to Ethan, she gently instructed, "Don't get your own clothes dirty. Use this coat to keep it warm." She then turned her displeasure on me, her eyes snapping. "Leo, how can you be so utterly devoid of compassion?" Her voice rose. "While in your eyes it might just be a stray, it’s still a living, breathing creature. How can you be so utterly indifferent, so cold-blooded?" I stared blankly at the two overflowing with self-righteous sentiment. I hadn't once suggested abandoning the dog, yet they had painted me as some kind of unfeeling monster. And one of them was my wife, with whom I had shared a bed for years. Despite my rising anger, I patiently tried to explain. "If you truly want to save this dog, we could leave some food for it." I offered a practical solution. "Or we could speak to the convenience store clerk here, leave some money, and ask them to care for it." I gestured to the crammed interior of the car. "Our car is already full. Taking it along would put us over capacity, and we'd certainly be stopped by the traffic police." I thought my explanation was clear enough. But no sooner had the words left my lips than Ethan scoffed. "Leo, I know you’re rolling in money, but how can you just leave this poor stray with some random store clerk? How can you be sure they’ll properly care for it?" He cradled the dog closer. "What if they take the money and do nothing? What about Shadow?" In less than five minutes, Ethan had already named the stray dog. "How is a little dog like this supposed to survive the bitter cold of winter?" He widened his eyes, his voice laced with manufactured indignation. "In the eyes of you rich folks, is a dog’s life really so worthless? Is it not a life at all?" He paused dramatically. "How can you be so heartless as to leave it here, all alone? Can’t you see it’s trembling with cold?" I found Ethan’s moral grandstanding quite amusing. "I think you make a good point," I said, a slow, chilling smile touching my lips. My tone shifted. "So, how about you give up your seat for this little black dog, Shadow?" I watched his face. "After all, you’re the extra one in this car." 2 Hearing my words, Ethan, who had just been so righteously indignant, froze. "You wouldn't ask Chloe's parents to get out of the car for your little dog, would you?" I pressed on. "They’re older, after all." I paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "Since you’re so concerned for this little dog, how about I take it with me, and you stay behind?" Now it was Ethan's turn to panic. He nervously glanced at Chloe. Chloe’s brow furrowed, and she shot me an irritated glare. "Leo, that’s going too far." Her voice was sharp. "Ethan is a guest I invited to come home with us. How can you just abandon him in a place like this? Is that how you treat a guest?" I used to think Chloe was incapable of caring for others. Now I realized she just wasn’t capable of caring for me. When it came to Ethan, she was meticulous, terrified of causing her beloved first love even the slightest inconvenience. I crossed my arms, watching Chloe with a calm, expectant air. "So, what exactly do you propose?" Without a moment’s hesitation, she gently lifted little Shadow into the car. Then, she turned to me, her gaze cold and dismissive. "Leo, you’ll just have to make a small sacrifice. Give your seat to this little dog." She paused. "You can take a taxi. That way, you won't be crammed in the back with my parents, and you'll be more comfortable." Just then, a cry of surprise came from the back seat, from Chloe’s parents. "Oh, where did this stray dog come from? It’s already cramped enough back here; there’s no room!" Chloe patiently reassured them. "Don't worry, Mom and Dad. Leo won't be riding with us, so it won’t be crowded." With that single sentence, she directly stripped me of my rightful place, and not a single one of my supposed family members objected. "You want me to give up my seat for a stray dog?" I pointed to myself, disbelief hardening my voice, staring at Chloe. She looked at me as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Mom and Dad are old. Do you want to leave them stranded at this toll booth? Do you have no sense of responsibility as a son-in-law?" Her voice rose. "As for Ethan, he’s my guest. Have you ever seen a host abandon their guest and leave them alone?" She scoffed. "If anything happens to him, what’s the difference between you and a murderer?" Her face softened, almost condescendingly. "I’m doing this for your own good. Can you stop throwing your tantrums?" She then began to complain. "If you could drive, would this even be an issue?" Her voice rose again, tinged with self-pity. "I’m already exhausted from driving such a long distance, Leo. Can’t you show me a little consideration?" I stared at Chloe in stunned silence. It was true, I didn’t drive. My family had always provided a driver for me since I was a child. Later, my parents died in a car accident, and driving became a profound phobia for me. Chloe wasn’t unaware of the reason; she used to comfort me. "I’ll be your driver from now on, Leo. You just need to sit comfortably in the passenger seat." Now, she not only gave my passenger seat to Ethan, but my inability to drive had become another excuse for her complaints. My heart felt as if it had been doused with ice water, turning instantly frigid. She worried about her parents’ age, worried about Ethan’s delicate constitution. Even a random stray dog received Chloe’s sympathetic attention. Only for me, was there not a shred of compassion. Yet, she felt perfectly justified in leaving me alone at this desolate toll booth, nowhere near a town. I looked at Chloe, my voice flat. "So, what about me?" Chloe didn’t hesitate for a moment. "You’re a grown man. Don't you know how to find your way home?" She offered a dismissive wave of her hand. "Even if you are a pampered young master who expects everything handed to him, you can still call a taxi, can’t you?" With that, she calmly ushered Ethan into the passenger seat, closing the door for him with tender care. "It’s cold outside. Just stay warm in the car." Ethan shot me a triumphant smirk. "Thanks, Leo, old man!" he called out, his voice dripping with false gratitude. "Saving a dog's life is like building a seven-story pagoda. Little Shadow will be eternally grateful to you." 3 He spoke of gratitude, but his eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction. They sat comfortably in the heated car, while I stood alone outside, enduring the biting wind. A stark contrast indeed. "Chloe Miller," I called out, my voice laced with venom, "do you even remember who your husband is?!" That single sentence successfully wiped the smile from Chloe’s face. "Even if you are my husband, you can’t be so unreasonable!" she snapped. "I’m not asking you to walk home. It’s just a cab ride, isn't it? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" She scowled. "Leo Sterling, when are you going to learn to be more generous?!" With that, she slammed the car door shut, starting the engine. "Instead of bickering with me, you should hurry up and call a taxi," she yelled through the closed window. "Don't delay everyone's New Year's Eve dinner!" Hearing 'New Year’s Eve dinner,' Chloe’s parents didn’t forget to call out their own demands. "Leo, remember to pick up some fresh vegetables when you get back!" her mother chirped. "The eggs at the old house might be expired, don't forget to buy some new ones." Her father added, "Oh, and your father-in-law hasn't been feeling well lately; he can't eat anything too greasy. Try to make the New Year’s Eve dinner light and healthy!" They seemed to have completely forgotten that I had been kicked out of the car and, at this point, had no idea how I was even supposed to get back. They still shamelessly treated me like a personal servant, barking orders. Even Ethan, watching the drama unfold, casually chimed in, "Leo, you’re impressive! You actually cook?" Chloe nodded in agreement, a faint smirk playing on her lips. Ethan eyed me with a teasing look. "Then I'll put in a request for braised lion’s head meatballs. That shouldn't be too hard, right?" With that, he casually rolled up the window. Chloe didn't spare me another glance, hitting the gas and driving off. The car had barely driven off when Chloe’s call came through. But it wasn't remorse, nor was it concern for my safety. It was just another assignment. "What are you doing? Why haven't you hailed a cab yet?" Her voice was laced with impatience. "And listen, Ethan gets car sick, so I can't drive fast. So, when you get a cab, tell the driver to speed up. Get back first and prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner we just ordered. We’re all tired from the long drive. Hurry up and do what you're supposed to!" I used to be a pampered young master who didn't know the first thing about cooking. I only learned to cook after I started dating Chloe. We always had household staff. But Chloe and her parents insisted on eating my cooking, claiming that only my personal efforts could prove my love. I had complained, of course, but Chloe always shut me down. "Mom and Dad have worked hard their whole lives; they just want to enjoy their son-in-law’s blessings. Just indulge them a little." With one casual remark about 'outsourcing filial piety,' she successfully trapped me in a cage of servitude, catering to their every whim for three years. Every year, the New Year’s Eve dinner naturally fell to me. I couldn’t even get Chloe to help with the smallest task. Because my mother-in-law would say, "A man cooking is a sign of love for his woman," and literally dragged Chloe out of the kitchen. In the eyes of my in-laws, and even Chloe herself, I wasn't a husband, nor a son-in-law. I was merely their personal servant, handling their every need. Listening to her demands, the last shred of lingering affection I held for Chloe was personally shredded by her. In that moment, a sudden clarity washed over me. Since there was no love left, why would I keep this ungrateful woman for the New Year, inviting bad luck for the year to come? I immediately sent a message to my lawyer, instructing him to prepare all the necessary divorce papers. I looked in the direction they had left, and a chilling smile touched my lips. Then, I dialed 911. "I want to report a crime. My wife intentionally abandoned me on the highway."
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