When my mother-in-law saw that I was earning ₱120,000 a month, she immediately summoned my three brothers-in-law from the province to live with us and forced me to take care of them. I quietly picked up my suitcase and headed back to the village. But not even a day has passed, they have experienced the truth…

I am 30 years old and working as a sales team leader for a large company. Thanks to hard work and knowing how to seize opportunities, my average monthly income is about ₱120,000. For me, it was the result of years of effort, but for my mother-in-law, it became an excuse for her to “fix” my life the way she wanted.

One day, when I overheard my phone conversation about my monthly paycheck, my mother-in-law’s eyes lit up. She said:
“If you’re good at making money, you have to worry about your husband’s family. From tomorrow onwards, my mother called my three brothers-in-law from the province to live together. In a poor countryside, going to the city with a sister-in-law to take care of you would be less of a pity.”

To my surprise, before I even had time to react, just a few days later, my three brothers-in-law arrived with their stuff. Suddenly, the apartment became cramped enough for my husband and me.

From the morning, I had to make breakfast for the whole family, come home from work with rice, water, cleaning, and laundry. The three sisters-in-law didn’t move their hands, just didn’t bother to lie down and watch TV or surf the phone after eating. Her mother-in-law also said bluntly:
“They came to the city to learn, and they will be good in the future. If your daughter-in-law is making ₱120,000, she’s considered the blessing of this house, try to take care of it.”

I nodded and looked at my wife, hoping she would speak. But he remained silent, even joking:
“I’m a bit tough, rural kids are still weird. It seems to help the family.”

Every day, I feel like a tireless machine. The company job was under pressure, and when I got home, I was working with five or six other people. No, thank you, just blame and demand.

One night, just coming home from my shift, I saw my youngest brother-in-law sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room, raising his voice and commanding:
“Sister-in-law, I’m hungry, get me some noodles to eat.”

I was dumbfounded. In his mother-in-law’s eyes, there was no sympathy, only contempt. At that moment, my heart seemed to be pounding. I tried to be patient, but the more I endured, the more they saw it as a duty.

That night, I took my suitcase back to my hometown. There are no strong words, no explanations. I just left a piece of paper:
“I’ll be back with my parents in a few days.”

The next day, without me, the house suddenly became a mess. The next morning, no one was cooking, and the wives were struggling to buy instant noodles. Clothes are piled up and no one is washing, dishes and chopsticks are messy in the sink.

At noon, my mother-in-law, accustomed to eating decent soup, now sat and sighed, looking out over the spacious kitchen. The whole family started rummage, everyone pushed to work.

Late in the evening, Mr. Huy – my wife – came home from work, found that the house was dirty, and his face had sunk down. He called me over and over again, but I didn’t listen. After just one day, they got a taste of the feeling of absence from me, which they used to consider “free osin”.

In my hometown, I lived with the love of my parents. In the morning, there is a bowl of hot rice, and in the afternoon, someone talks and asks questions. I felt peaceful, in contrast to the noisy, tedious scene at my wife’s house.

Three days later, my husband came back, his face tired:
“Sister, I’m sorry. At home, no one was doing anything, and my mom also admitted it was too much. Go home, the house can’t do you without you.”

I replied calmly,
“I’m not going to leave the house, but I’m not going to continue to live in a situation where I’m being taken advantage of. If there’s still a scene of begging for beans, treating me like a slave, then you and I won’t be coming back.”

Mr. Huy nodded his head silently. I know, once I leave they’ll only understand my true worth.

By the time I got back to the apartment, my three sisters-in-law were gone. The house was clean and tidy. My mother-in-law was sitting waiting for me in the living room, her eyes were different, a little embarrassed:
“Mom… Reconsidered. I’ve been working for a long time. From now on, this house will no longer be forced to drink. Think of it as a real home. ”

I just smiled. The pain didn’t go away immediately, but at least, my silence and decisive departure woke them up.

I don’t have to scream, I don’t have to squirm. Because sometimes, the strongest response is to leave quietly – so that they can see the empty scene in their absence.

And then, they will understand: the woman in the family is not a shadow, much less a slave.