Chapter 4
Married life felt like one big joke.
I moved into a huge villa in the state capital. The living room alone was bigger than my entire house back home.
On the first day, Giada Keller, the housekeeper, gave me a tour. I did not even know how to use the fancy toilet.
“Ma’am, this is your dressing room,” she said as she opened a gold- trimmed door. Inside, the room was filled with brand–name clothes. “Mr. Whelan asked me to prepare all this.”
I gently touched a silk dress. The price tag said 1,000 dollars—more than what I used to earn in six months.
That night, I curled up under the blanket and cried quietly. Everything felt fake, like I was Cinderella wearing the wrong glass slipper. I could not explain the panic in my chest.
From the beginning, Ronan made it clear that he did not like me.
When we first met, the boy in glasses gave me a once–over and said, “Are you the hillbilly?”
“Ronan,” Collin scolded, frowning, “Her name is Jane.”
The kid pouted and stomped upstairs, each step louder than the last.
I stood there, not knowing what to say.
Eventually, I figured out how to get by–by acting like the housekeeper.
0.00%
I woke up at six to make breakfast, got Ronan up at 7:30, dropped him off at school by 8, and then cleaned the house top to bottom. Collin rarely ate at home, but I would still pack him lunch and bring it to his office.
“You don’t have to do this,” he finally said one day. “I can hire a maid.”
I was kneeling on the floor scrubbing when he said that. “I–I like doing housework.”
It was true. Keeping busy was the only way I could feel like I mattered.
He sighed and raised his hand like he was about to pat my head, but stopped halfway. “Jean would never do this. She’s never even stepped into a kitchen.”
That hit me right in the chest.
It was not the first time he brought up his ex–wife.
Every time he came home drunk, he would hold me and call me “Jean.” However, when he woke up the next morning, he would go back to being cold and distant.
Maybe staying at home really is not enough. If only I could help his career somehow, like Jean used to.
Six months into our marriage, I finally got the courage to tell Collin I wanted to go to adult college and study accounting.
He did not even look up. “Why would you learn that? You’re never going to use it.”
“I just want something to do,” I said, nervously twisting my fingers.
He glanced at me then, eyes full of pity. “Jane, you don’t need to work.
35.92%
Jean studied because she had goals. You can just relax at home.”
あ
I did not really remember how I felt in that moment.
However, the next day, like always, I made breakfast for Collin and Ronan and went to Ronan’s parent–teacher meeting. Collin never had time for things like that.
When his homeroom teacher saw me, she clearly hesitated. “Are you
Ronan’s mom?”
“I’m his stepmom,” I said with a forced smile.
“Oh…” She dragged the word out, then glanced at my cheap sneakers. “Ronan’s math has been slipping lately. You should pay more
attention.”
On the way home, Ronan suddenly said, “Don’t come to my school again.
“Why?”
“You don’t know anything,” he muttered, pouting.
My cheeks burned–this time, with embarrassment.
