Tumanggi ang tamad kong asawa na gumising ng maaga. Ibinalik ko siya sa bahay ng kanyang mga magulang at nakaramdam ako ng pait sa sinabi ng aking biyenan. Ito pala ang bitag niya…

My lazy wife refused to wake up early, so I brought her back to her parents’ house and was bitter at her father’s words—it turned out to be his trap…

The day I married Maya, everyone in the barangay exclaimed: “Nico is lucky, he got to marry Mang Rogelio’s beloved daughter.” Indeed, Maya was beautiful, gentle, and a young lady from a wealthy family in Greenhills, San Juan. But few people knew that life after marriage was not as peaceful as the picture outsiders imagined.

I went to work for a company in Ortigas (Pasig), and every morning I got up at 6am to get ready. But Maya was different. She never woke up early, leaving me to fumble around. One day I reminded her:

— “Will you wake up with me to cook breakfast so we can have a cozy meal?”

Maya was annoyed:

— “If you have time, do it yourself. I’m sleepy.”

Many times like that, I gradually became disappointed. A wife who doesn’t know how to share and only knows how to sleep, how can she be called a family builder?

One morning, I was so angry that I decided to drive Maya back to her parents’ house in Greenhills. I thought simply: Tatay Rogelio was strict, he would definitely scold his daughter. However, this decision revealed a truth that made me choke up.

As soon as we reached the subdivision gate, Tatay Rogelio was already waiting. Somehow, he had predicted that I would take my wife back. When he heard my reason, he was not surprised but laughed out loud, his eyes revealing sarcasm:

— “Ha! I knew you wouldn’t be able to stand it. You thought this son-in-law was very powerful, but it turns out he’s just like that.”

I was stunned, before I could understand, he turned to Maya:

— “Daughter, very good. Just do as your father told you. If a man can’t handle a small challenge, what is left of him as a pillar?”

I was speechless. It turns out… Maya’s laziness and refusal to wake up early wasn’t entirely due to her personality. It was all Tatay Rogelio’s instigation. He told his daughter not to worry about housework, to just sleep in, to make me lose my patience. When I angrily brought my wife back, he would have an excuse to humiliate me, to prove that I wasn’t tolerant enough towards his daughter.

While I was still in shock, Tatay Rogelio continued, his voice firm but calculating:

— “Nico, do you think getting married is just about having a house and a bed? No! Getting married to my daughter means you have to accept both the good and the bad. If you can’t bear a small thing, then you’re not worthy of her. I despise a son-in-law who’s so weak-minded!”

Every word he said was like a knife stabbing into my heart. I didn’t know whether to be angry with my wife or angry with myself. It turned out that, from beginning to end, I was just a pawn in my father-in-law’s game of power.

Maya lowered her head, not daring to look at me. I suddenly realized that she was not lazy, but too dependent on her father, not daring to argue. For years, she had lived under control, even the habit of sleeping late was just a tool to test her husband.

I choked up and asked:

— “What does Tatay get for doing that? Marriage is not a game.”

Tatay Rogelio just sneered:

— “What do you get for it? I want to see if a boy from the countryside in Bulacan like you has the guts to take care of my daughter. If not… sooner or later Maya will come to this house, she won’t need to rely on you.”

Hearing this, I understood: he had never really considered me a son-in-law. In his eyes, I was just an unworthy person, “gold digger” for his daughter.

My liver turned purple, not because I was angry with my wife, but because my own family looked down on me and set me up. I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm. Then I turned to Maya, emphasizing each word:

— “If you still want to live this marriage, get out of Tatay’s shadow. Otherwise… I can’t stand the arrangement any longer.”

Maya burst into tears. Tatay Rogelio just crossed his arms, his eyes defiant. I knew, this battle had only just begun.