Exterminated by Marriage

During the one year I had dated Andrew, I had only met Ellen once.

But that single meeting was enough to give me a terrible impression of this domineering woman who always wanted to have the final say.

I had a fierce argument with Ellen on our first meeting.

It was exactly because of this that Andrew had never suggested for me to meet Ellen again.

As soon as Ellen walked in through the door, she began complaining about the cleanliness of the house. By the looks of it, even after ten years, she hadn't changed much except for her slightly graying hair.

"I heard that you're pregnant. Andrew has asked me to stay here and take care of you from today onward." Ellen crossed her arms while looking all high and mighty.

It was exactly her "everyone is a loser except for me" attitude that I had a problem with. I knew that she couldn't feel it, but I still delivered two punches to her face.

What a joke! Did she think I would agree to that?

"Thank you so much, Mom."

I whipped my head around to see a gentle smile on future Dawn's face as she spoke.

Did a smile like that actually belong on my face?

It couldn't be. My smile should be bold and carefree. It shouldn't look like this!

"Well, since you're already pregnant, I have nothing to complain about regarding your marriage with Andrew. You can pick a date for the wedding after you've given birth." As Ellen spoke, she went ahead and sat on the couch.

Andrew didn't say a word. When he heard what Ellen said, he held Dawn's hand and put on a grateful expression. He said, "Dawn and I were thinking the same thing!"

They looked quite happy. The three sat on the couch as they discussed whether Dawn's baby would be a boy or a girl.

They looked just like a blissful family.

But things shouldn't have turned out like this.

Andrew couldn't have behaved like this.

It was Andrew we were talking about, after all.

Back then, when Ellen had forced him to break up with me, Andrew had held my hand and said confidently, "I will never let Dawn down."

If someone so much as looked at me in disdain, Andrew would mercilessly punch that person even though he never got into fights. Then, he would tell me with reddened eyes that I was the best person in the whole world.

That was the Andrew I knew. Future Andrew could definitely detect his mother's disdain toward me.

So how could he just sit by and watch as I was forced to put up with injustice?

"Anyway, I've been here for a while now, but I still haven't eaten anything. Why don't you go make dinner, Dawn?" Ellen spoke up.

Dinner?

I didn’t know how to cook.

When I had just started dating Andrew, I had severe gastric problems.

Due to my irregular eating habits and drinking tendencies, my stomach had been as fragile as glass.

Back then, Andrew would drop by my rented place after class. Then, he would make soup for me while he nagged at me to take care of my health.

I would lean against the window as I watched the sunlight illuminating his handsome face.

"Andrew, I can't cook, and I don't know how to take care of other people, either. Don't you mind being with someone like me?" I had asked.

Andrew had replied, "Not at all. Dawn, you only have to live up to your name. You just have to be beautiful and charming like the morning sun."

With that, Andrew had turned to look at me. His smile had been as gentle as a warm breeze in spring.

He couldn't have turned into this man who complained as he ate, blaming me for adding too much salt.

"Mom can't eat salty foods, Dawn. Go easy on the salt next time," he said.

"Okay, got it," Dawn replied.

What exactly happened? Why did everything I knew so well change beyond recognition in those ten years?

Both Andrew and I had changed a lot.

Why?