Chapter 3

Vivian furrowed her brows, as if not expecting me to give in so quickly.

Given what she understood of me, she expected me to flare up, smash things, and chase her out.

I had been like this over these five years, my temper flaring up quick but also eventually dissipating in her silence, bit by bit.

But this time, things were different.

Vivian didn’t know that there was something physically wrong with Jeff.

He was infertile.

He was diagnosed when he was eighteen. My mom had brought him to hospitals in various states and cities but the result was always the same.

He wasn’t able to impregnate any woman in this lifetime.

My mom kept this a secret, and aside from me and Jeff himself, no one else knew about it.

Vivian was an only child, and each time I met her mom during festivals and celebrations, she would nag at us to have children early and to have a few of them and she would be glad to take care of them. She was a traditional woman, and having descendants to continue the family line was important to her.

I had wanted to try to change her mom’s mind after we got married. If all else failed, we could be DINKs, since Vivian didn’t seem obsessed with the idea of having children.

I no longer needed to be bothered by that.

Jeff could go ahead and try to have children with her.

Her mom could go ahead and urge Jeff to give her a grandchild.

She could go on for a decade with no results. It had nothing to do with me anymore.

Vivian also didn’t know that Jeff had no experience whatsoever doing household chores.

Since he was young, my mom doted on him and refused to let him wash a single bowl or sweep an inch of the floor.

Vivian wanted a reliable, down-to-earth and good person to settle down with, right?

I’d like to see her experience how good it was to settle down with Jeff whom she thought was obedient and sensible.

I would take everything I had done for Vivian over the past five years to be in vain.

How did she spend her days while we were together?

Who was the one who always kept her house neat and tidy?

I was the one who took leave from work for two weeks to take care of her mom when she fell sick and was hospitalized.

She, on the other hand, washed her hands off the matter just because she had a major project she couldn’t forsake.

“Exactly,” my mom said with a smile. She picked up a bottle of red wine and poured Vivian some. “We’re family, and we can always talk things out. Vivian, don’t feel burdened. Jeff has always been a good boy since he was young and would surely be less of a trouble.”

I didn’t say anything in response.

I simply stood at the entryway, looking at this joke of a scene unfolding in the hall.

My mom was pouring Vivian some wine with a bright smile on her face, and Jeff’s face was flushed as he bowed his head, while Vivian had that damn deadpan look on her face.

“Since we’ve all agreed on this, let’s register your marriage as soon as we can,” my mom said as she put the wine bottle down, with the authority of the head of the household. “I think tomorrow is a great day. Let’s make it official.

“We can then arrange for the wedding banquet next week!”

“Mom,” Jeff said, his face even redder now.

“Why so shy? We have to strike while the iron’s hot for such matters,” my mom said and rolled her eyes at Jeff. She then turned to Vivian and asked, “What do you think?”

Vivian nodded. “I’ll go with your arrangements, Mrs. Sanders.”

“Still calling me that?” my mom jokingly chided, her smile even wider now. “Time to change how you address me.”

“Mom.”