Chapter 2 – The Last Night She Was Ever Treated Like a Servant
Chapter 2 – The Last Night She Was Ever Treated Like a Servant
The silence didn't last.
He stepped past his wife and walked straight into the living room, where the television continued playing as if nothing had happened.
His mother barely looked up.
"You're home late," she said casually, scrolling through her phone.
He picked up the remote and turned the television off.
The room instantly fell quiet.
His sister frowned. "Seriously?"
"No," he answered. "What's serious is that my wife is eight months pregnant and still standing in that kitchen cleaning dishes that none of us should have left for her."
His mother sighed dramatically.
"Oh, don't be so sensitive. She insisted on helping."
Behind him, his wife quickly wiped her eyes.
"I... I told them I'd do it."
He turned around gently.
"No."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried enough weight to stop her from speaking.
"You offered because you thought saying no would make everyone angry."
Nobody argued.
Because everyone knew it was true.
He walked into the kitchen, took the sponge from his wife's hands, and turned off the faucet.
"Go sit down."
"I can finish—"
"I wasn't asking."
For the first time in months, someone had given her permission to rest.
She slowly lowered herself into a chair, looking almost guilty for doing nothing.
He rolled up his sleeves.
Then he began washing every single dish.
His mother laughed.
"So now you're doing women's work?"
He didn't even turn around.
"No."
He scrubbed another pan.
"I'm doing what family should have done hours ago."
The room fell silent again.
One by one, the relatives quietly stood up and slipped into their bedrooms, suddenly unwilling to defend themselves.
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Only his mother remained.
Her pride wouldn't let her move.
