It would be a lie to say I had no complaints. Still, for the sake of earning my mother-in-law’s approval, I swallowed every grievance, crushing each one deep into the corners of my heart.
Three long years. I endured, hoping my patience would soften her sharp edges.
Instead, my silence only gave her more opportunities to wound me.
As I stared at the photos of them, all smiles and affection, there was no surge of jealousy, no ache of heartbreak that used to twist my chest. I felt… nothing. Just a hollow, numbing void.
“Bullshit! I don’t have a terminal illness. All these restrictions, what’s the difference between this and dying?”
A voice suddenly snapped through my haze. A girl with a crutch hobbled over, muttering curses under her breath as she dropped onto the far end of the bench.
“Am I supposed to freak out just because tomorrow’s the end of the world? Hell no! If anything, I’m going to live it up. There’s no time to waste anymore. Go wild, or what’s the point?”
Her words rattled through my mind like a storm. A sharp pain shot through my head, then silence. And then, as quickly as it struck, clarity swept in, sharpening everything around me.
Right, I was almost dead. Why did I care about anything else?
Was I really going to let my life end like this—swallowing my pride and fading into nothingness?
No. I couldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t.
Gripping my phone, I typed a message to her, my fingers moving with an unfamiliar boldness.
I told her everything, that Clyde and Milana were having an affair and that she, proud as she was of her son’s infidelity, was no better. A shameless pair, the lot of them.
What a collection of lowlifes.
I was dying anyway. Why should I care about consequences?
Before I could second-guess myself, I hit send, then blocked her number. If she wanted to spew more venom, she’d have to find someone else. She wasn’t ruining another second of my life.
I decided right then to make a change. My first stop? The mall.
Standing outside a clothing store, I caught my reflection in the glass. The sight made me pause. My thin, pale face stared back at me, framed by dull, lifeless hair. The cheap black coat I wore only made me look more like a shadow of who I used to be.
Three years. In just three years, I had withered into someone I barely recognized, an old, defeated version of myself.
The realization hit me hard and before I could stop myself, I slapped my cheeks a few times, the sharp sting grounding me.
“Enough,” I whispered to my reflection.
Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
It was a high-end boutique, the kind that exuded luxury from every corner. As soon as I stepped in, the staff's eyes flicked over my shabby coat and pale face, their expressions dripping with disdain.
She trailed behind me, her presence suffocating. Just as I stopped in front of a stunning red dress, her loud, disdainful click of the tongue broke the silence.
“No money and yet here you are, gawking at clothes. Do you even realize how ridiculous you look?”
I froze. Slowly, I turned to face her, my eyes narrowing as fury coursed through me. “What did you just say? Your mouth reeks, did you just get back from dining on shit in the bathroom?”
Her face drained of color, her confidence crumbling. “How dare you speak to me like that?” she stammered.
“I should be asking you that. Did I ever say I couldn’t afford these clothes?”
Before she could respond, the sound of heels clicking against the floor interrupted us. A woman approached, elegantly dressed, perfectly poised and radiating an air of superiority. She looked to be in her thirties, her every movement exuding confidence and control.
“Didn’t the staff say something wrong? With your shabby appearance, how dare you even step into this store?”
“Excuse me, auntie, you’re quite amusing. I’ve heard of customers complaining about bad service, but this is the first time I’ve seen a store trying to chase away potential clients. By the way, is this your shop? Does the owner know they’re at risk of losing a major customer?”
Her face flushed with anger. “Auntie? Who are you calling Auntie? And you? A major client? How dare you!”
The staff burst into laughter, failing miserably to stifle their amusement.
I turned to the nearest staff member, my voice calm but firm. “Call your manager.”
They ignored me, their laughter grating on my nerves.
I snapped, my voice rising. “Call your manager! Didn’t you hear me? Are you deaf?”
The woman took a cautious step back, eyeing me warily. “Are you… sick or something? Why are you yelling like that?”
“Yeah, I’m sick. Terminally ill, in fact. So let me warn you, don’t mess with me!”
