Chapter 1

After I gave birth to my daughter, my milk came in heavy. My daughter couldn't finish it, and my breasts often swelled until they ached, so I'd call my husband over to help, or pump it out with the breast pump.

My husband had a buddy whose son was born a few days later, and his buddy's wife had almost no milk. On my husband's suggestion, the buddy brought the boy over and asked me to nurse him too.

At first I didn't mind. But before long the buddy just moved into our home with the baby, holed up in the bedroom with my husband playing video games all day. After her postpartum month was up, the buddy's wife started coming by all the time too. The three of them were one big happy crowd, and in my own house I felt like a stranger, an outsider looking in.

Several times I reminded my husband that formula would feed the baby just fine. He said breast milk was best, and that nursing both babies would keep me from the pain of engorgement.

After that I stopped interfering in their little group.

Then, half a year later, I finished nursing both babies, looked at my husband's flushed, healthy face, and told him flatly that I wanted a divorce.

He sat there stunned for a long moment before saying, in shock, "You want to divorce me just because I had you help nurse his kid?"

I nodded. "Yes."

His eyes went red in an instant. "You had too much milk, it hurt when it swelled, and throwing it out is a waste. So you fed it to my buddy's son. What's the big deal? It's not like he was sneaking looks at you while you nursed."

I said nothing, and I held firm about the divorce.

When my mother-in-law heard, she rushed over and jabbed a finger at me, cursing. "My son treats you so well. Back then you took our big bride price and never brought a dowry back. Later my son gave you money to start your company. He's a man who still takes care of the home, cooks for you now and then, and when you were doing your postpartum month, he wiped you down with a warm towel himself."

"You ungrateful thing. Have you got someone on the side, and now you're inventing excuses to divorce?"

I gave one cold laugh after another and didn't bother to answer.

Seeing that, my husband's eyes misted over. "You throw a fit about divorce just because I asked you to help nurse his kid? Is that fair to me?"

I smiled. "I think you'd be better off living your life with them. I'll be waiting for you at the county clerk's office tomorrow morning."

……

After I gave birth to my daughter, my milk came in heavy, and at my husband's request I nursed his buddy's child.

The moment his buddy Wade Summers arrived, he'd dump his son on me to look after, and then the two of them would go off to game together, playing until the world went dark. Later Wade's wife started coming too, joining right in with them.

I wore myself out looking after two babies, and sometimes I'd notice my husband's face turning ruddy and healthy after gaming with them.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore, and today I told my husband Clyde Rowe I wanted a divorce.

When Wade saw me heading for the door, he moved to block me. "Have you lost your mind? Clyde only asked you to help nurse my kid. He didn't do anything wrong. Or is it that it bothers you because you're nursing a boy and not a girl?"

I shoved him aside and said coldly, "You all know exactly what the reason is."

Wade's wife, Mick Lawrence, arrived, and once she'd heard the whole story she smiled and patted my shoulder. "Sis, Clyde's a good man. While you were over there nursing the baby, he was home doing the housework, sometimes even handling things for your company. Don't throw away a marriage over a little thing like this."

"Don't touch me."

I flung her hand off.

"Is it that you're upset because your milk got eaten by a baby and not by Clyde?"

My mother-in-law, always quick with her mouth, seemed to hit on something and pointed at me, aghast.

"God, how can you be such a slut?"

"You'd just given birth, you had too much milk, and Clyde was afraid you'd suffer from engorgement. That's the only reason he had you nurse that child."

"But you're angry because Clyde didn't drink it off for you? Your lochia's barely cleared, and already you're thinking about that business in bed?"