My mother-in-law wanted to bring all five of her nieces and nephews from her hometown to spend the summer at our place. My husband, terrified I would refuse, kept following me around, repeatedly asking if I minded. I just smiled. "They're your family. You decide." My husband looked at me in disbelief. "You really agree?" Of course I agreed. Even if I didn't, my mother-in-law would bring the kids over anyway. Only, in this life, you all can choke on the bitter fruits of your own actions. 1 That's right, I've been reborn. I was reborn on the exact day my husband, Mark, told me his mother wanted to bring her nieces and nephews from her hometown to stay with us for the summer. In my previous life, I adamantly refused. First of all, Mark and I had no safety net. We built everything from scratch. We had a mortgage weighing us down, very little savings, and simply couldn't afford the expenses for that many people. Secondly, our apartment was a cramped 800 square feet. There was no physical way to fit that many people. But the moment Mark agreed to reject his mother's plan, she showed up on our doorstep anyway, bringing his sister-in-law, his younger sister, and the five kids. Every day, besides scrambling at work, I had to cater to a massive household, managing every meal and chore. If the slightest thing wasn't to my mother-in-law's liking, she accused me of mistreating them. I also had to endure the five endlessly rowdy kids and the constant instigating from my sister-in-law and sister. Eventually, due to a minor scuffle between the kids, they verbally abused and blamed me. It escalated until Mark's emotionally volatile cousin pushed me down the stairs, killing me. After my death, for a measly $10,000 settlement, my mother-in-law's entire family committed perjury, claiming I tripped and fell on my own. When my own mother heard the news of my death, the shock triggered a massive heart attack, and she couldn't be saved. Opening my eyes again, I heard Mark hang up the phone. He looked at me hesitantly. "Maya, summer vacation has started. Mom wants to bring the nieces and nephews over to stay for a few days. What do you think?" I took a moment to steady my thoughts, suppressing the deep-seated hatred in my heart, and said calmly, "They're your family. You decide." After saying that, I quickly went into the bedroom and started packing my bags. Mark looked at me, bewildered. "Mom and the others aren't taking our room. Why are you packing?" What a joke. I'm packing because I'm running away. You just stay here and enjoy the massive "gift" your mother brings you. 2 I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, making my eyes red, and said to Mark, "My mom's heart is acting up again, and she's been hospitalized. The doctors say she might need surgery." "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry, but I don't know how long I'll be gone this time. I have to go back and see if she needs the surgery or not." "I didn't know your mom was bringing the kids over for the summer. Please explain it to them for me. Since I won't be here for the next few days, you'll have to play the good host, honey." I grew up in a single-parent household, and Mark knew I was very close to my mother. Hearing she was sick, he nodded and, with a pained expression, transferred me a hundred and fifty dollars. "It's hard for me to get time off work, and Mom and the others are coming over, so I won't be able to go back with you this time." "Take this hundred and fifty bucks. Buy your mom some nice supplements." I kept my expression neutral, thanked him, and accepted the money. In my previous life, I thought I had married a practical, "budget-conscious" man. So, when Mark was stingy with his money towards me and my family, I rationalized it as him being financially responsible. But later I realized that he scrutinized every extra penny spent on me and my family. Yet, when it came to his parents, his older brother, his sister, and the whole clan back in his hometown, he was incredibly generous. Not long after we got married, his mother said they didn't have enough money to build a new house in their hometown. Without hesitation, Mark transferred the $15,000 we had painstakingly saved right into her account. That was the money we had set aside to start a family. In our second year of marriage, my mom said we should have a baby while she was still young enough to help take care of it. I brought up trying for a baby, having finally managed to save another $7,000. Then, his mother said his older brother's son wanted to go to an exclusive private boarding school and needed a hefty "school choice" fee. They were exactly $7,000 short. Mark, down to the last cent, sent that $7,000 to his brother. Not to mention the holidays. His mother, obsessed with saving face, made Mark buy expensive liquor and cigarettes for the relatives and give generous cash envelopes to all the kids. Because of this, no matter how hard Mark and I worked and saved, every time we went back to his hometown for Christmas, we returned with empty pockets... Thinking about it now, it's a blessing we never managed to save any money. I felt so insecure that I never wanted a child. 3 The day after I left, my mother-in-law arrived with Mark's sister-in-law and younger sister. They also brought his older brother's son and daughter, his sister's son and daughter, and his cousin's son. In total, a chaotic mob of eight people. They squeezed into our cramped 800-square-foot apartment. Seeing that I wasn't there, my mother-in-law's face immediately soured. "Mark, where is Maya?" "Did she know we were coming today and go out to buy groceries? Why didn't she wait for us to get here before going?" "Call her right now. Tell her to buy some good food. Tell her to order some of those King crabs and Boston lobsters. And kids love fried chicken, burgers, and fries—tell her to buy a lot of that too." "It's rare for everyone to visit. You and your wife can't be stingy. You have to buy the good, expensive stuff. Don't let the people back in the village laugh at us." Hearing his mother's demands, Mark stammered, "Mom, Maya went back to her hometown to see her mother. She's not here..." My mother-in-law exploded. "What?! She's not here?! As the daughter-in-law of this family, instead of staying home to serve us, she's running around? She's completely out of line!" "Then who's going to wash our clothes and cook for us these next few days? Who's going to take my grandchildren out to play?" Mark tried to appease her. "I'll order takeout for you guys, and I'll take them out to play." "As for laundry, we have a washing machine, it's very convenient. And I can cook dinner when I get home from work." "Besides, Maya's mom is in the hospital. She went back to check on her. She might be back in a couple of days." "Mom, just put up with it for a couple of days. When Maya gets back, I'll make sure she makes it up to you." Hearing Mark say this, the sister-in-law and the younger sister exchanged a look and pulled my mother-in-law aside to whisper. My mother-in-law finally relaxed her brow and reluctantly agreed. In my past life, Mark thought that bringing five kids into the house just meant making sure they were fed three meals a day. Whenever I complained about being overwhelmed, he would accuse me of looking down on his family and not trying hard enough. Soon enough, he's going to experience the true power of having five extra kids in the house! 4 Since my mother-in-law and her entourage arrived in the afternoon, Mark easily solved the dinner problem. He ordered several dishes for the adults and a mountain of burgers, fries, and fried chicken for the kids, earning praise from his mother and unanimous approval from the children. My mother-in-law immediately started showing off, taking out her phone to video call the relatives back in their hometown. "Look at this! I told you my son is successful and generous. As soon as we got here, he ordered this huge feast for us. And he says this is just a quick bite to tide us over." "Mark also said he's going to buy us lobster and crab tomorrow! See? You guys didn't want to come, now you're regretting it, aren't you?" "Free food, free lodging, and sightseeing. It's too late to regret it now..." Basking in a chorus of compliments, my mother-in-law hung up the video call, thoroughly satisfied. With their bellies full, the real main event began. The two older nephews, the sons of his older brother and cousin, were in middle school. One grabbed a smartphone and started scrolling through TikTok. The two younger kids fought over a tablet to play games. The youngest niece, his sister's daughter, threw a tantrum wanting to watch TV. Mark spent a long time fiddling with the projector before getting it to work. After pacifying the kids, a new problem arose for the adults. Whenever my mother-in-law visited in the past, I would meticulously arrange her food, clothing, housing, and transportation in advance. My mother-in-law's visits were always about taking advantage. She never brought a single change of clothes, expecting me to buy her a completely new wardrobe. The sister-in-law and younger sister followed her lead, only packing a set of pajamas for their kids before coming over. When it came time to wash up for bed, my mother-in-law asked Mark for pajamas, towels, and toothbrushes. The sister-in-law and sister stood by, looking expectantly at him. Mark was completely bewildered. How could he know how much trouble it was to host guests? He had always been a hands-off husband, happily entertaining his hometown relatives while doing none of the work. Because of our past affection, I had always willingly handled all the arrangements for his family. Every time his mother visited, I would have new pajamas and slippers ready for her, buy her two new outfits, and she would even take the slippers with her when she left. Without my advance preparation this time, Mark, let's see how you manage to keep your hands clean. 5 Urged on by his mother, Mark frantically called me. "Maya, where did you put the pajamas and slippers you prepared for Mom, Sarah, and Amy?" "And where are the spare towels and toothbrushes? I can't find them." I feigned innocence. "Mom didn't tell me to buy those things beforehand." "Sarah and the others came on a trip and didn't even bring pajamas?" Mark was momentarily speechless. He paused before patiently explaining, "Mom and the others rarely get to visit. It's Sarah and Amy's first time at our place. As the lady of the house, shouldn't you have prepared these things in advance?" "Besides, didn't you always handle these things perfectly in the past?" Heh. So he did know that I was the one running around arranging everything whenever his family visited, yet he completely ignored my efforts, taking his role as a hands-off husband for granted. He always talked about honoring his parents, how hard it was for his mom to raise him, and how his older brother gave up the chance to go to college for him, so he had to repay him. But he didn't even know to prepare basic daily necessities like toothbrushes, towels, and slippers for them in advance. Looking at my mother lying in her hospital bed, I knew it wasn't the time for a complete fallout just yet. I deliberately acted hurt. "I'm sorry, honey. My mom was hospitalized, and I was in such a rush to get home that I forgot to prepare the toiletries for your mom and the others." "They arrived so suddenly, and I forgot to tell you beforehand." "The stores are still open. Why don't you go buy them some?" I hung up the phone and continued watching the live feed from the security camera in our living room. My mother-in-law crossed her arms, pulling a long face, cursing relentlessly. Mark apologized profusely before leaving to buy the supplies, looking miserable. I watched the chaotic living room through the camera with a mocking smile. This is just the beginning, Mark. Your days of suffering have only just started... 6 After Mark bought everything and everyone had showered and settled down, the kids started acting up. The two older boys refused to sleep, wanting to team up with friends to play video games. The younger ones, seeing the older ones awake, also refused to sleep, running around the apartment fighting and shouting. My mother-in-law yelled at them to go to sleep, but no one paid her any attention. The sister-in-law and sister had retreated to the master bedroom early on to play on their phones, leaving this mess to Mark and his mother. Even though Mark was already exhausted, his back aching, he still had to force himself to stay up and supervise them. We live in an older apartment building with terrible soundproofing, so they quickly received complaints from the neighbors. Someone pounded on the door, shouting from the hallway to keep the noise down because their kids were trying to sleep. My mother-in-law felt insulted and, unwilling to swallow her pride, exploded on the spot, yelling back without even opening the door. "Why is it too loud for you? No one else is complaining! You're just a busybody! This is our house, we can do whatever we want. It's none of your business!" The neighbor wasn't a pushover either. They kicked the door with a loud bang, threatening to teach Mark a lesson if they didn't open up. Mark didn't dare act tough. He immediately opened the door and apologized: "I'm sorry, man. It's a misunderstanding. My relatives' kids are here for the summer. They're just excited. I'll make them go to sleep right now." Actually, the arrival of so many people at our apartment had already caught the attention of several neighbors that afternoon. Hearing the argument, a few more opened their doors to watch. Some neighbors who had been too polite to complain earlier now joined in, seeing someone else taking the lead. "Yeah, it's almost midnight. It's so loud we can't sleep. It's summer vacation for you, but we still have to go to work tomorrow." "The adults have to work, the kids have daycare, we all have to get up early. With so many kids making a racket every day, how are we supposed to live here?" Seeing so many neighbors criticizing them, my mother-in-law grew even more combative. "If you can't live here, then move! Let me tell you, my son is a top executive at his company. If you keep causing trouble, he'll make your lives miserable!" The neighbors were so angry they threatened to call the cops. Mark didn't dare let his mother speak anymore. He pushed her back inside while apologizing profusely, promising to send the kids back as soon as possible. After finally placating the neighbors, my mother-in-law started throwing another fit, threatening to kill herself. 7 My mother-in-law cared about "face" more than anything. Losing face in front of so many people, and then hearing Mark say he was going to send the kids away, she plopped down on the floor, slapping her thighs and cursing loudly. "Mark, you unfilial, heartless son! Are you trying to anger me to death? You're slapping me in the face!" "We've only been here one day, and you're already rushing to send the kids away. Your brother gave up college to support you, and when you were little, your cousin shared every good thing he had with you. Now that the kids have had one meal at your house, you're already annoyed and want to send them back. Where am I supposed to put my face?" "I'm telling you right now, if you try to send them back, it'll be over my dead body!" Mark was terrified of this tactic. Plus, he did have genuine affection for his brother and cousin. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and promise his mother he wouldn't send the kids back. My mother-in-law looked satisfied. From the looks of it, she planned to stay until school started again. Watching this scene of "motherly love and filial piety" on the video, I sneered. Calculating the time, the cousin was probably already on his way. This time, I was definitely going to steer clear of their family's messy drama and avoid becoming collateral damage. Before, I had lied to Mark about my mom being hospitalized so I could get away quickly and avoid getting tangled up with his family. Once I got home, I immediately took my mom to the hospital for a check-up. In my past life, the shock of my death caused her to have a fatal heart attack. That was my biggest regret. My mom was still so young. I hadn't taken her traveling or let her enjoy a comfortable life. Fortunately, my mom's heart didn't have any major issues; it was just a narrowed blood vessel. Getting a few stents placed early could prevent the tragedy of my past life. I got my mom admitted, and the next step was to confirm the surgical plan with the doctor. Now, all I had to do was wait for chaos to erupt in Mark's household again, and wait for his cousin to arrive and deliver the fatal blow. 8 The next day, chaos reigned from the crack of dawn. Before, when Mark and I both had to go to work, we'd grab some bagels and coffee from downstairs to save time. Upon hearing Mark tell them to go downstairs for breakfast themselves, my mother-in-law exploded again. "Mark, do you have any conscience? Your old mother only comes to visit a few times a year, and you expect me to get my own breakfast?" "What did you say yesterday? You promised we'd be well-fed for every meal. Were your words just farts? Just hot air?" "I don't care! If you don't buy breakfast and bring it back today, don't you dare call me your mother!" My mother-in-law's temper flared. She pointed her finger at Mark's nose, demanding he prepare breakfast before leaving for work. Mark was sweating profusely, frantically trying to appease her. "Mom, look, I'm going to be late for work. If I wait to buy everyone breakfast, I'll miss the subway. If I'm late, they'll dock my pay, and I'll lose my perfect attendance bonus." My mother-in-law refused to listen. This was her moment to establish authority; she couldn't tolerate Mark's disobedience. Besides, she had already bragged to everyone in the village that her son would serve them three square meals a day. It was only the second day, and he wanted them to buy their own breakfast. If the busybodies back in the village found out, where would she put her face? Unable to argue with his mother, Mark had to sprint downstairs to buy breakfast for the entire family. To save time, he bought bagels and coffee for everyone. Seeing the plain bagels and coffee on the table, the kids started complaining too. "Uncle, I don't want bagels, I want pancakes and hot chocolate." "I want chicken nuggets and donuts." "I don't want coffee, I want a smoothie and breakfast burritos." The kids talked over each other. Mark's head was about to explode, and he finally grew a spine. "Stop arguing! It's so annoying! Eat it or don't! If you don't eat, you go hungry!" Seeing that he really was out of time, Mark grabbed his bag and sprinted out the door amidst his mother's scolding. He thought he'd find some peace at the office, but he forgot his promise to take his mother out for a big meal today. Seeing that it was almost noon and Mark wasn't answering his phone, my mother-in-law, unwilling to wait any longer, led the entire clan out the door.
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