Sister's Love for Cheater

Salem had given birth less than two weeks ago, yet she was already taking care of all the household chores. Ever since she and her husband had been together, it was as if she had become a different person. I remember when she insisted on marrying while heavily pregnant; our parents were beside themselves with frustration and couldn’t change her mind. She called it a love marriage and claimed her husband and mother-in-law treated her exceptionally well. But during her pregnancy, she seemed more like a live-in maid.

Now, with the baby not even two weeks old, she was still attending to the whole family. Was this what she meant by "being treated well"? In the past, I tried to dissuade her time and again. I counseled her during her relationship, throughout her pregnancy, and even before the wedding. What good did it do? I recalled her boasting, "I had a natural birth. I was up two days later and doing chores by the third day. Even my mother-in-law praised me, saying I was more capable than she was when she had her child!" She took pride in it all.

And where did all my advice get me? This time, I chose to stay out of her business. I turned and headed towards the door, which just then opened. I came face-to-face with Salem's husband, Douglas.

Salem followed him, cradling the baby, her eyes twinkling as she smiled, "Honey, what brings you home at this hour?"

Douglas's eyes lingered on me for a few moments before he replied in a cool voice, "I forgot an important document." Salem followed him as he went inside to retrieve the paperwork. The longer I stayed, the more irked I felt. I quickly turned on my heel and left. The sensation of having dodged a bullet was simply invigorating.

As I stepped outside the building, I took a deep breath of fresh air. Douglas caught up with me, documents in hand, "Liana, how come you have time to visit your sister today?"

I stayed silent, hoping he'd pick up on the fact that I wasn't in the mood to chat. But he pulled out his phone and said, "I've been married to your sister for this long, and yet I don’t even have your number on my phone."