My husband, Michael, was away on a business trip in France. On Thanksgiving Day, he asked me to go back to his hometown and spend the holiday with his parents. I took a red-eye flight back to Michael's family home. The moment I walked through the door, my mother-in-law, Susan Baker, pointed at a table piled high with ingredients. "You're making Thanksgiving dinner this year! Remember, just like last year, it has to be ten dishes!" I paused, "Don't you have a nanny?" Susan frowned. "Tiffany works so hard taking care of us normally. Since you're back, you should let her rest." I countered, "Isn't that her job? Besides, my job is also very demanding." That sentence upset both my father-in-law and mother-in-law. My father-in-law, Robert Baker, slammed his hand on the table. "It's Thanksgiving, but you don't show an ounce of gratitude! It seems Tiffany is more suitable to be our daughter-in-law than you are!" I scoffed. Fine, if that's how it is, I won't invest a single cent in your company anymore! You can all go bankrupt.
On Thanksgiving Day, I bought a bunch of gifts to visit Robert and Susan. But when I arrived, I wasn't met with a warm welcome. The nanny, Tiffany, was snuggled between them, her right arm intimately linked with Susan's. The three of them were chatting and laughing, just like a family. Before I could even speak, Susan's voice was heavy with dissatisfaction: "So you finally found time to come back and see us." I explained, "Michael and I are both too busy with work." Susan continued to complain, "If it wasn't for you, my son wouldn't have left us to work in New York." I still managed a strained smile. "Once work isn't so crazy next year, Michael and I will come back to visit you more often." With that, I handed the gifts to Susan. Susan pursed her lips and said, "That's more like it! But don't think buying us a few gifts means you care about us." After dinner, just as I was about to sit down and rest, trying to shake off the fatigue from my travels, Susan said, "This year's Thanksgiving dinner, you're making it. Remember, just like last year, it has to be ten dishes." I froze, instinctively saying, "Isn't that Tiffany's job?" Susan immediately frowned, setting down her water glass, her face darkening. "Tiffany works so hard taking care of us, she's exhausted all day long. Now that you're back, can't you let her rest?" "I'm exhausted from work too," I looked at them, completely perplexed. "I work overtime every day, and I bought a 1 AM flight ticket just to be here with you for Thanksgiving. I barely have the energy to make 10 dishes right now." "Besides, I pay her so much money to do these things, don't I? It makes no sense for me to pay her and then do the work myself." Tiffany stood nearby, head bowed, looking as if she'd been wronged. Robert slammed his hand on the table, his face stern, and he angrily yelled at me, "What do you see besides money? You took my son away for money, and now you're not even willing to make dinner!" "You don't come home, you never visit, and now that you are home, you talk about money. I think you should just live with your money and your work. Why even bother coming back!" Susan sighed, her eyes full of disappointment. "Exactly. You and Michael only come home once a year. Tiffany has been the one taking care of us. When we get sick, it's always Tiffany who looks after us. As a daughter-in-law, what have you ever done for us?" As soon as she finished speaking, Tiffany gently stepped forward, took Susan's hand, and softly comforted her. "Aunt Susan, please don't be angry. Emily is a CEO; she must be much busier than a nanny like me." Listening to them, I was so angry I almost laughed. I didn't care about them? Their company only survived because of my investments. Even Tiffany's salary was paid by me.
How could they see it as if I'd done nothing? I clenched my fists, suppressing the anger bubbling inside me. "It's unfair for you to say that, isn't it? If it weren't for..." "You say I don't care about you, that I only care about work and making money? But haven't the earnings I made been invested in your company? And I call you on FaceTime regularly, so it's not like I completely neglect you, is it?" Robert immediately scowled. "But you didn't even come home last year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, is that acceptable? Besides, my company is doing very well, it doesn't need your investment at all. You just want to use my company to make more money." "Uncle Robert, please don't be angry," Tiffany quickly stepped forward, gently tugging Robert's arm, a submissive smile on her face. "Emily has it tough working in New York, she definitely still thinks about you both." But Robert became even angrier after hearing that. "So what if she's a CEO? What's a woman doing working so hard? Her main task is to have a child for our Michael!" Susan chimed in, "Emily, you're not getting any younger, you really should be thinking about having children." I rejected it without a second thought. "I've said it before, I'm focusing on my career for the next three years. I'll consider having children after that." "Three more years?" Robert's face turned ashen. "Can you even get pregnant in three years?" "Why not?" I met his gaze. "You—" Robert's chest heaved with anger. "You are truly selfish! What if, in three years, you're too old and can't have children? Will my son have to be childfree with you for the rest of his life?" I frowned. "I'm only 30, I'm still young! How could I lose my fertility in three years?" Robert slammed his hand on the table, laying down a harsh ultimatum. "Since you refuse to have children, then I'll have no choice but to persuade Michael to divorce you. I'll have him marry Tiffany!" I laughed in exasperation. "When Michael proposed to me back then, weren't you all very supportive?" I looked at them, my voice calm. "At that time, your company was on the verge of bankruptcy. If it weren't for my investment, how could your company be making money now?" "Now that you have money, you want to kick me out?" I shook my head, continuing, "No way!" Robert's brows furrowed, and his voice immediately rose. "No matter what, if you can't have children, you're not qualified to be our daughter-in-law! Of course, you still have one option." I asked him, "What option?" He cleared his throat, then said, "You hand over your company in New York to my son, resign as CEO, and come back here to take care of us." Hearing such an outrageous request, I laughed in disbelief. "That's even more impossible!" "So you're just going to abandon us?" Susan chimed in, her face full of disapproval. "I didn't say I'd abandon you," I took a deep breath and offered a solution. "If you genuinely feel lonely, move to New York. That way, Michael and I can visit you often." Robert immediately waved his hand, looking impatient. "Move to New York? We've lived here for decades, all our relatives and friends are here. Going to an unfamiliar place? We wouldn't get used to it." Susan nodded along. "Exactly, New York is nowhere near as comfortable as living here. We're not going." I frowned. "If you don't want to go, and I can't resign, much less abandon my company, then there's nothing I can do." Robert opened his mouth, wanting to continue yelling, but Tiffany quickly walked over, softly interjecting, "Uncle Robert, Aunt Susan, Emily rarely comes home. It's Thanksgiving, let's not fight." She then turned to me, her smile docile. "Emily, Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan are just getting older and want someone by their side. It's only natural, you shouldn't be angry." Robert's expression softened slightly at her words, and his gaze towards Tiffany became instantly gentle. "Tiffany is so sensible, she understands us. Not like you, who only cares about work and money." I couldn't be bothered to argue with them anymore. Every word felt exhausting, so I turned and walked toward my room. The moment I pushed open the door, I froze.
My bed was covered with unfamiliar sheets and bedding, skincare products and hair ties were on my desk, and the closet held several women's clothes. It clearly looked like someone had been living here long-term. I spun around, looking at Tiffany, who had followed me. "Don't you have your own room? Why are you living in my room without permission?" Tiffany's eyes flickered, and she lowered her head, looking flustered. "Emily, I'm sorry, I..." Before she could finish, Susan interjected to explain for her. "Tiffany's room had a broken AC before, and it couldn't be fixed after several attempts. It was cold back then, so I let her stay in your room." "Anyway, you don't come back to stay, so it's just sitting empty." My anger flared up instantly. "Even if I don't come back to stay, it's still Michael's and my room! How dare you let her live here without my permission?" "How dare we?" Robert roared, his face ashen. "This house was bought by my son! We can let anyone we want live here. Not only can Tiffany stay, we can even kick you out!" His words made me tremble with rage. Suddenly, they all felt like strangers. I stopped arguing, turned, walked to the living room, and grabbed my suitcase. "Fine, I'm leaving!" Robert scoffed, his face full of disdain. "If you've got the guts, divorce my son quickly! And never come back!" Susan opened her mouth, but in the end, she only sighed and said nothing more. Tiffany stood by, speaking anxiously. "Emily, don't be angry, it's all my fault. I'll move out right away..." I couldn't be bothered to listen to her. I pulled my suitcase and walked out the door without looking back. Dragging my heavy luggage, I walked step by step, finally hailing a cab to a nearby hotel. The next day at noon, Michael's cousin, Lisa Miller, called. "Emily, there's a family gathering today. Aren't you back? Come over quickly." "Got it, I'll be right there." I hung up, quickly tidied myself up, and rushed to the banquet hall. As soon as I arrived, I saw relatives gathered from a distance. Robert and Susan were there too. But as I got closer, I stopped in my tracks—Tiffany had also come, standing next to Susan. The large family sat around a round table. During the meal, Susan said: "Since all the relatives are here today, Robert and I also have something to say." Robert took over, looking at everyone. "We're going to persuade Michael to divorce you and marry Tiffany." As soon as these words were out, the table instantly fell silent, and relatives exchanged bewildered glances. Susan followed up, "Tiffany is truly thoughtful. She's by our side every day, taking care of us, more caring than a daughter." After Susan spoke, the relatives instinctively looked at me. I said nothing. Robert glanced at me, his tone immediately hardening. "Unlike Emily, who you can't see all year round. The moment she comes home, she talks about money." "We asked her to resign and come back to take care of us, but she refused; we asked her to have children, but she wasn't willing." "I've never seen such a selfish woman." Lisa, seeing the situation, quickly tried to mediate. "Uncle Robert, Emily actually cares about you a lot. She's genuinely busy with work and under a lot of pressure. Please don't talk about her like that." Susan immediately waved her hand, her face looking unpleasant. "All she cares about is making money! What's the point of having so much money if she can't be by our side? Tiffany is different; she even gives me a massage every night before I sleep!" Robert grew more agitated, his voice rising slightly. "Since Emily isn't suitable to be our daughter-in-law, then we'll just get a new one!" The entire table of relatives was completely stunned, looking from one person to another, no one daring to speak. Some wanted to persuade them, but seeing Robert and Susan's resolute attitude, they ultimately swallowed their words. The dinner ended in a strange atmosphere.
Afterward, Lisa pulled me aside, her face full of worry. "Emily, they must have been manipulated by that nanny. How can they say Michael should marry Tiffany? You need to go back and talk to them properly." I looked at Tiffany, who was chatting and laughing with Robert and Susan in the distance, and gently shook my head. "Maybe they always wanted someone who could be by their side every day. They also resent me for taking their son to New York." The third day, I prepared to return to New York. Before leaving, I called Robert, but no one answered. I called Susan, and she hung up directly. I called several times, all rejected. I looked at my phone, no longer insistent, and dragged my suitcase to the airport, embarking on my journey back to New York. Unexpectedly, upon my return, Michael angrily confronted me: "I asked you to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, how did you manage to upset them so much that they got sick?" I was stunned. "They were the ones who wanted to argue with me; I didn't provoke them!" Michael pulled out his phone and showed me photos of his parents in the hospital. "How do you explain this?!" I gave a bitter laugh. How could I explain? Michael continued, "Maybe my parents' suggestion is right. I shouldn't have come to New York for you. Maybe you're just not suitable to be a wife." My mouth twitched. I asked, "So? Are you going to divorce me?" Michael was silent for a moment, then said, "I didn't say I want a divorce, but you need to apologize to my parents!" My eyes reddened. I hadn't expected even him to side with his parents. "What if I don't apologize?" "Then don't blame me for being ruthless!" After Michael finished speaking, he started packing his bags. Before leaving, he told me: "I'm going back to see my parents. Let's get a divorce!" Over the next few weeks, I kept seeing Tiffany's Ins posts: They were eating barbecue together, the four of them posing intimately for a photo. They were walking in the park, Tiffany holding Susan and Michael's arms, smiling sweetly. I scrolled through the screen, not liking or commenting, pretending I didn't see anything. A few days later, a call suddenly came in. It was Susan. As soon as I picked up, I heard her voice, filled with dissatisfaction: "Emily, why hasn't this month's company investment arrived yet? And Tiffany's salary, why haven't you paid that either?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "388501", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster