Taking care of my mother-in-law in the hospital with utmost dedication
Taking care of my mother-in-law in the hospital with utmost dedication, I accidentally overheard her say something that broke my heart, and I left in the middle of the night.
As a daughter-in-law, one should just stay in their place and not give their all. When things go wrong, it won’t be as devastating or shocking.
I am my husband’s second wife. When I married into his family, I always tried to fulfill the responsibilities of a daughter-in-law. I took care of the cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. My husband often said his ex-wife had been very attentive to his family, hoping I could be like her. These remarks made me feel pressured.
I was also compared to the ex-daughter-in-law by my in-laws. They criticized me for not having a good job. However, as far as I know, the ex-wife was so focused on her career that she neglected family care and was harshly reprimanded by my in-laws. Then, my father-in-law said I wasn’t as attractive as the ex-daughter-in-law. But I’m just a factory worker—how could I afford to dress up like someone working for an international company?
At first, I felt hurt by these criticisms, but over time, I became numb. Despite feeling uncomfortable, I continued to give my best to my husband’s family. Every month, I gave my in-laws pocket money from my salary. When my husband’s child from his previous marriage visited, I bought milk and gave the child money for breakfast. I did everything I could to avoid criticism, though much of it wasn’t done with joy or willingness.
My mother-in-law has diabetes and hypertension. Last week, she failed to control her diet, causing her blood sugar to spike, and she had to be hospitalized. I took leave from work to care for her day and night at the hospital. I looked after her meals and her rest, stayed by her side during treatments, massaged her hands, helped her to the restroom, and even bathed her.
Yet, two nights ago, while taking a short walk in the hallway to get some fresh air, I accidentally overheard my mother-in-law say, “She’s nothing compared to my ex-daughter-in-law.”
That sentence made my blood boil. All the grievances I had bottled up suddenly came pouring out. I walked straight into the room and said, “Fine, I’ll return your son to you. Go find your ex-daughter-in-law to live with instead.”
After saying that, I went back to my parents’ house. My mother-in-law called me several times, but I turned off my phone, refusing to answer. I had already given them my all, but all I got in return was coldness and constant comparisons.
The next day, my husband came to see me. Instead of asking how I was, he told me to return to the hospital to handle the discharge procedures for my mother-in-law. Then he said, “If you want a divorce, we’ll discuss it at a family meeting later.”
I laughed bitterly. How ridiculous. I handed him a signed divorce agreement and told him to sign it. If he refused, I would still file for a unilateral divorce.
Only then did my husband realize how serious the situation was. He apologized and begged me to reconsider. But I remained firm in my decision to divorce. Living with a spineless husband and in-laws who only know how to compare me to someone else is no longer something I want.
