I Wedded My Rival

I wiped the sweat dripping down my forehead and neck, then glanced at her. "It'll be done soon." I replied as I continued to sweep the room.

Since the morning, I hadn't stopped doing this and that all day. I cleaned the house, washed clothes, and prepared breakfast until I prepared dinner later, but none of the work was done by my mother-in-law. I didn't mind, though, I knew she was pretty old and probably tired and didn't have much energy left. But my mother-in-law scolded me too much. Almost every day, she would complain about me.

"You really are useless." I tightened my lips at her words, my heart beating rapidly, making an uncomfortable feeling in my chest. Every time she said something like that, I felt like a weight was tightly gripping my heart, making it impossible to ignore the pain. "There's nothing you can do right in this house. Cleaning the house is simple!" But Anna had never done any housework since I married Jaxon.

"That's because I'm doing more than one job, and I'm so tired." I looked at her.

"Excuse me, you're just taking so long to clean up, can't you manage your time well, huh?" I've been dividing my time more than well, including preparing for her needs, and she still feels inadequate about it. "You're not working anymore, you should be doing your homework as best you can. It's the least you can do so that your husband doesn't lose out on your marriage."

My chest felt hot hearing her words. I really had no value in my mother-in-law's eyes. "I did everything I could, mom." I kept my tone in front of her because I didn't want her to get the wrong idea and think I was fighting her.

"As much as you can, as much as you can? All you can do is relax. Look, even in the afternoon you're still sweeping the house. What have you been doing all day?" Her face looked at me fiercely, her gaze full of dislike.

I sighed heavily. I was so tired all day, not stopping to clean up one thing and another. But my mother-in-law still questioned what I explained, and even later, if I answered, she would still feel annoyed and say that I was a lazy person who liked to make excuses.

"I'll finish it soon." I said so, I wanted to end the argument with her immediately because there was not the slightest benefit I got from her, except for the pain in my heart that continued to gnaw because of her words.

"Jaxon really doesn't deserve you." Her eyes glanced sharply at me. But I tried to ignore it. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm myself down.

"He's handsome, his life is established and he also has an interesting personality. He's the perfect man, but it's a disadvantage for him to have a woman like you."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It's because I love Jaxon. After all, my love for him is still so deep that I endure this kind of treatment.

"You're useless, already living on the dole but not willing to do anything." I clenched my fists as I listened to his words that seemed to pierce my heart with various needles." You can't even give me offspring! How useless you are!" Before leaving, he glanced at me sharply, looking at me more contemptuously than at something disgusting.

I bit my lower lip, holding back the tears from falling from my eyes as much as possible because I didn't want to cry over his words. I rested my hands on the table to keep my body upright and not fall to the floor miserably.

The pain in my chest refused to go away, his words cutting right into the weakest part of me. Yes, I haven't been able to give Jaxon any offspring. But it's not my fault, not my wish. I've checked myself at the hospital, and the results say I'm healthy. Maybe it's not time for me to have children. I try to think positively so as not to hurt anyone.

What woman doesn't want herself to be perfect by having a child and being a mother? But God hasn't given me a chance yet. I can't force it. Jaxon and I had tried, but the outcome wasn't up to us. I was the woman who hoped to hold a baby that looked like me and Jaxon, but maybe the time just hadn't come yet.

"There's no more time." I saw that the clock on the wall showed the time before dinner. I looked at my shabby clothes. "I haven't had a chance to shower yet." I sniffed my body odor and felt the smell of various things clinging to it and making me smell bad.

 I hurried to finish my work before Jaxon's time came home. I cleaned up the still-drying clothes and moved them to the room, where I tidied and ironed them. Then I turned to the dinner I had to prepare.

I spent a lot of time because I washed the heavy bed sheets and bed covers today. It would have been a quick job and more straightforward if I could have washed them in the machine, but my mother-in-law wouldn't allow it. She asked me not to machine wash them so the fabric quality wouldn't be damaged. If only she would understand just a little bit, then all my work would be lighter and could be done faster.

"Aaa...." I sighed. Dinner was done, and now the dishes had to be done.

"What did you cook?" My mother-in-law came to the dining table and checked what was for dinner. "Did you season the meat properly this time?" She looked at me with an appraising gaze. I nodded yes as I dried the dishes I was washing. "Don't be like yesterday when the meat wasn't tender and tasted bland, it's like you had no intention of cooking."

I'm not an expert in cooking, but I studied it and cooked it based on the recipe I got. It tasted the same as what I ate, but I don't know if she thought my cooking was appropriate. Even so, I was grateful that she never left any leftovers on the plate, which would make me sad.

"I've cooked according to mom's request." I put down the last plate I had dried, and then I heard the sound of Jaxon's vehicle entering the yard.

I saw my mother-in-law immediately run to open the door for Jaxon. I quickly removed my apron and ran to the door to greet Jaxon. When I arrived, my mother-in-law had opened the door, and Jaxon stood in the doorway.

"Jax..." I ran up to him with a smile, about to hug him, but Jaxon held out his arms to restrain me. "What's wrong, Jax?"

"Don't you come any closer!" He said with a twitch on his face. "You smell bad and it'll stick to my clothes, you slob!"

I sniffed my body odor. What he said was true. My smell was disturbing enough, but Jaxon's cold and seemingly changed gaze on me disturbed me even more. I suddenly became uneasy and nervous. "I'm a little busy with housework and... oh yeah, I cooked your favorite meal." I tried to smile in front of her and raised my face to be able to see her because I had been looking down. But I couldn't hide my nervousness. I unconsciously moved my hands to press my fingernails together.

"You're so lazy, you can't even take care of yourself." My mother said, cornering me. I intended to deny it, but my attention turned to the woman who suddenly came to put her hand on Jaxon's arm.

My eyes opened wide at the sight of the woman, and my hand moved to point at her. "Jax, who is that woman? Why is she wrapping her arms around you like that in front of me, your wife?" I stared at the woman angrily. How dare she touch my husband, Jaxon.

"She's my girlfriend." Jaxon replied casually as if it was no big deal. I couldn't believe he was acting like that towards me. He then looked at me coldly. "I've had it with you." He took something out of his bag and threw the folder at me." Sign there right now, I want a divorce from you." Jaxon gave me a disgusted look while I was stunned in my place.

I could hear my mother-in-law laughing happily beside Jaxon. I opened the letter to confirm it and found that Jaxon had already signed it. I covered my mouth to hold back my tears, my body shook violently, and my eyes felt hot. I felt like my heart had been hit with a blunt object until the pain was overwhelming.

"You want a divorce from me?" I wrinkled my forehead at him, and he stared back at me coldly as if there was never any love in his eyes for me.