Legally, there's no such thing as a fake divorce. The divorce went so smoothly because I turned the tables on him. I wanted him to understand what digging his own grave truly meant.
"Zaylee, you're out running early?" Aunt Malaya greeted me.
"Yes, Aunt Malaya. Are you heading for your morning coffee?" I smiled in reply.
"Why not spend your time thinking about giving the Kelley family a grandchild? Otherwise, when I kick the bucket, how will I face the Kelley ancestors on the other side, right everyone?" Jaime's mom, Jessie, said with a snort of derision.
"Oh, what's the hurry? You're still young, and Zaylee being a doctor is a real gift for your family, wouldn't you agree?" Malaya said, trying to defuse the tension in the air.
Aunt Zariah and Aunt Jenesis nodded in agreement.
"At 36, practically ancient and barren as a tired hen. What's the good of that?" Jessie continued, spilling her bitterness like beans. "Even if it’s a second marriage, who can say if she'll still have kids? Once I’m dead, how will I hold my head up in front of the Kelley ancestors in the afterlife? She should be grateful to have married into the Kelley family."
This mother-in-law of mine was never one to mince words, and she'd been a factor in the dramas of my past life. When I confided in her about Jaime's cheating, his infidelity, and bringing home diseases, I naïvely expected some empathy from her, as a fellow woman. How wrong I was.
"You're always pulling night shifts. Jaime is young and energetic. Isn’t it normal for him to look elsewhere? I’ll remind him next time to use protection so he doesn’t bring home any trouble,” she had said, not even pretending to care about my words. Somehow, I had become the culprit.
She twisted the knife further, saying, "Men will always stray if they aren’t kept happy. Maybe you should reflect on whether you can actually hold onto a man."
I had no intention of putting up with her nastiness now.
"Aunt Malaya, my mother-in-law says your son is lazy and hopeless, married for years with no kids to show for it. Clearly, there must be something wrong with your son."
"Aunt Zariah, my mother-in-law claims your daughter has been involved with plenty of men, which explains her divorce. Always thought your daughter was quite the flirt."
"Aunt Jenesis, my mother-in-law insists your grandchild isn’t your son’s but some love child from elsewhere."
I watched as Jessie's face flushed crimson before turning pale. The aunts turned on her with fierce indignation, gesturing and practically drowning her in their words.
I watched her fumble to defend herself, put in my earphones, and continued my run.
