The mother-in-law praised the eldest daughter-in-law, who brought her food every week, but the youngest daughter-in-law had nothing. Until the neighbor “threw cold water” on her, which woke her up, she ran in to quickly check the lunch box and was shocked to discover…

I am the youngest daughter-in-law, having become a daughter-in-law exactly 5 years after the ate (sister-in-law).

Since entering this family, I have been labeled “walang silbi” — useless.
My cooking is not as good as the ate, my speaking skills are not as good as the ate, and my mother-in-law care is even worse than the ate.

Every week, the ate Marites regularly brings over a huge stainless steel lunch box.

The outside is carefully labeled: “Manok na nilaga sa ginseng”, “Sinigang na baboy with lotus seeds for mother to recover”, “Arroz caldo carp cooked with red rice”.

My mother-in-law, Mrs. Aling Rosa, was moved to tears every time she opened the lid. And not forgetting to glance at me and say:

– “Hindi gaya ni Gemma (me), all day clinging to my husband’s skirt, I don’t even know how to cook porridge!”

I heard it so often that I got used to it. But getting used to it doesn’t mean accepting it — I’m just waiting for the day the truth comes out.

RUMORS FROM PALENGKE
One Saturday morning, I went to the barangay market and heard the vendors whispering:

– “Yung anak-diang babae ng bahay ni Aling Rosa, akala mo mabait, pero grabe pala.”

– “Kahapon, suot pa dress slit, nẫn nịn botika owner then ask for bones to cook porridge.”

– “Sabi para sa biyenan daw. Naku! Kung eat it then…”

I stopped short. Ate Marites was an accountant for a traditional medicine shop near the market, known for being gentle and polite. Impossible… or was it possible?

COLD WATER FROM THE NEIGHBORS
That afternoon, when Ate had just left after giving her mother-in-law a lunch box of carp arroz caldo, Mrs. Mang Lita — a close neighbor — came over, her face full of mystery:

– “Aling Rosa, have you ever opened the lunch boxes that your eldest daughter-in-law brought?”

– “Ay naku, she brought it so I ate it, why should I check? I trust my son!”

– “It’s your business to trust, but I saw with my own eyes that she scooped porridge from the pot of rotten porridge in botika, reheated it over and over again, and poured it into the lunch box. That’s not all… she also added some crushed sleeping pills!”

– “ANO?!” – my mother-in-law almost fell over, her hands trembling.

THE TRUTH UNDER THE STAINLESS STEEL LID
My mother-in-law and I ran straight into the kitchen.
She opened the hot arroz caldo lunch box, her hands trembling.

It was delicious on top, but when I stirred it down to the bottom… a strong rancid smell rose.

I picked it up and was startled: the fish was green with mold, the bones were black and rotten.

There were still some white medicine grains that had not dissolved yet in the bottom compartment.

– “Totoo pala…” – my mother-in-law whispered, out of breath.

FACE TO FACE
That afternoon, my mother-in-law called the whole family home.
Kuya (ate’s husband) was absent because he was on a business trip.
Ate Marites arrived, still gently folding her arms:

Đã tạo hình ảnh

– “Bakit po, Ma, may kailangan po?”

Without saying much, my mother-in-law threw the empty lunch box on the table:

– “Ano ‘to? What are you feeding me?!”

– “Carp arroz caldo… don’t you like it, Mom?”

– “Do you think I’m old and crazy? Are you trying to poison me with rotten food and sleeping pills?”

Ate’s face turned pale.

I showed her the photo of the moldy fish bones and the clip of the saleswoman confessing with her own eyes.

Without any defense, Ate fell to her knees and cried:

– “I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you… I just need money and I’m pregnant…”

Pregnant?

The whole family was stunned.

Kuya had no idea.
Mother-in-law clearly remembered that Ate and her husband had been separated for more than 2 months.

I then took the final evidence — a text message I took from Ate’s phone:

– “Don’t worry, everyone still thinks it’s your child.”

– “If they find out it’s Duy’s child in botika, we’ll both be dead!”

THE ROOM EXPLODES
Ate collapsed, holding her stomach and crying.
Mother-in-law was stunned and almost fainted.
I stood there, calm as a person who had paid off his debt.

Ate was kicked out of the house that night.

From that day on, my mother-in-law was no longer biased, every day she asked me to go palengke together, to cook together.

She cried and said:
– “From now on, I only trust people who are honest with me…”

I was neither happy nor sad.
I just thought: In life, there is no need to compete for credit. Just patiently wait for the day the truth is revealed