Chapter 3

My mother-in-law looked at me, her face twisted with grief.

"When you married Ida, what did you promise us?"

"You said you'd love her well your whole life, that you'd cherish her with your very life. And look at you now."

"Over five thousand dollars in surgery fees, you nearly killed Ida and the baby both!"

"Look at how worn down she is. Just how much have you made her suffer?!"

I looked at Ida, at that pale, exhausted face, and couldn't help remembering these last ten months of her life.

Early in the pregnancy, Ida's morning sickness was brutal. She threw up everything she ate, couldn't work, and had no choice but to quit her job.

After that she had no income. Nauseous and miserable, she wanted to buy a box of anti-nausea lozenges that cost a few dozen dollars, and she came to me for the money. I didn't give it to her.

In the end she dragged her weak body downstairs, dug through an old wallet, and scraped together what little loose change was left to buy some candy to settle her stomach.

Midway through, her legs swelled up badly, and even walking was hard. She'd heard soaking her feet in salt water would bring the swelling down, so she asked me to grab a bag of salt on my way home from work.

But she hadn't transferred me the money for the salt beforehand, and by our agreement I had no obligation to spend anything for free.

So I turned around and went out drinking with friends instead.

That night she waited for me the whole night, and in the end she never got her bag of salt.

She had no money for any of the prenatal checkups, so she borrowed from one app after another.

But she couldn't repay it, and eventually her credit was completely ruined, her phone ringing off the hook with collection calls day after day.

Every one of these things, I'd kept in my heart.

"I know it wasn't easy for her."

"But splitting the bill was something we agreed on. You can't blame that on me."

My mother-in-law was shaking with rage.

"Agreed?"

"Setting up a bill-splitting arrangement while your own wife is pregnant and can't work? Is that something a human being would do?!"

I said helplessly, "But she agreed to it herself."

Smack!

My father couldn't take it anymore. His palm cracked hard across my face.

"You worthless piece of trash!"

"Ida agreed back then because she trusted you, because she loved you, because she thought you had some sense of decency."

"Who could've guessed you'd be this cold-blooded, gambling with your own wife's and child's lives over a verbal agreement!"

The sudden blow left my vision black.

I clutched my face, stunned, staring at my father.

He was beside himself, his eyes fixed on me, so red they looked like they were bleeding.

The whole room went dead silent.

The next second, I heard Ida's weak, worried voice.

"Dad, don't hit Mick."

"I don't blame him."

I turned to look, and saw Ida forcing herself up, slowly making her way over to stand in front of me.

She looked at my parents and hers, and said faintly, "Dad, Mom, don't yell at Mick anymore."

"It's my fault. I agreed to split things, and it's my own failing that I couldn't earn any money..."

"Ida!"

My mother-in-law stamped her foot, heartbroken.

"You're still defending him, even now?"

"Open your eyes and take a good look at how he's treated you."

"He nickel-and-dimed you through ten months of pregnancy, ignored you when you were about to have surgery. Just how long are you going to keep suffering for an animal like this?!"

My father-in-law pointed at me too, seething.

"Mick, I'm saying this right here and now."

"Once Ida's back on her feet, we're filing for divorce immediately."

"We're taking the baby. From now on, don't you ever dream of seeing Ida or the child again."

Without thinking, I looked at the bassinet.

The little one seemed to sense something. His dark, round eyes were open, gazing up at me in confusion.

Looking at that tiny face, nine parts identical to mine, something inside me softened for a moment.

Just then, a nurse came out with a stack of paperwork and spoke up.

"For the family—the mother's follow-up anti-inflammatory medication and postpartum recovery services, plus the newborn's formula and checkup fees, all need to be paid as soon as possible."

I frowned, and snapped back to myself at once.

"The divorce is fine. But her C-section and hospital fees this time have to be worked out clearly. You're not pinning those on me."