The Mistake My Husband and Mother in Law Made

I had just found out I was pregnant when my mother-in-law, Vera Erickson, served my ten-year-old dog as a meal.

She wanted to assert control over me, making it easier to manipulate me in the future.

Fine, if you killed my dog, I would abort your unborn grandson, squander your family fortune, send you to the hospital, and let your son kill you.

1

When I got home from work, Vera handed me a bowl of soup.

"Sophia, working is too tiring. Why not quit and stay home to take care of the baby? Morton can afford to support you," she suggested.

I took a sip of the soup, which tasted odd, and ignored her suggestion.

Due to an unexpected pregnancy, Vera had moved in to take care of me.

Our planned wedding was disrupted by the pregnancy, and we hadn't even discussed the marriage gift or financial arrangement.

Lately, she had been subtly hinting that I should quit my job and stay home, likely planning to renegotiate the marriage arrangements once I had no income.

My family wasn't short on money. We just wanted to see Morton Erickson's family's attitude.

The soup today had a fishy taste, and I couldn't help but gag a few times.

"Mom, what is this? It's disgusting. Where's Bella? Bella, I'm home."

I called for my dog.

Normally, Bella would be the first to welcome me.

Vera chuckled.

"Isn't Bella right here? You have raised this dog for so many years, and it looks fat. So I killed it and made soup for you. It is good for your health."

I thought I had misheard and called for Bella again. Stumbling into the kitchen, I saw a large pot simmering on the stove.

Trembling, I picked up a ladle and scooped twice.

Bella's black nose lay quietly in the ladle.

I glanced at the trash can, where a red plastic bag held her bloody, unskinned fur, not yet discarded.

2

I leaned over the sink, vomiting uncontrollably.

Vera feigned innocence, patting my back.

"Oh, Sophia, you shouldn't be vomiting like this. How can the baby handle it? In some regions, dog meat is traditionally believed to be the most nourishing."

I raised my eyes to look at her, and there was a hint of pride in her eyes.

Bella was a dog I had raised since high school, now ten years old.

I never stayed in a dorm because of her.

Even when I went to college in another city, I had my mom drive Bella to me.

From my freshman year, I rented off-campus housing, working part-time to afford the best dog food, treats, clothes, and toys for Bella.

I treated her like family, a treasure, a child for ten years, only for this malicious old woman to skin her and boil her into soup.

I could even imagine how Bella wagged her tail, tricked into the kitchen by this vicious woman.

My fingers brushed against the kitchen knife, a surge of madness overtaking me, ready to grab it and confront her.

Just then, the door opened, and Morton came home.

Tears streamed down my face.

"Morton, your mom killed Bella."

After hearing this, Vera immediately laid on the ground and started throwing a tantrum.

"Oh my! I was trying to nourish you, and you accuse me like this."

Morton rushed to help his mom up.

"It's just a dog. So what if it was killed? Do you want my mom to pay with her life?"

I felt a tightness in my chest, a dull pain in my stomach, and everything went black as I fainted.

3

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed, surrounded by people.

My mom was crying, heartbroken.

"Sophia, I'm sorry. If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed to this marriage."

I held my mother's hand, feeling a lump in my throat. Bella was like my own child. For ten whole years, my precious Bella was killed just like that.

Vera approached, kneeling at my bedside.

"Sophia, I didn't know. In our village, dogs are considered a delicacy. It's so cold, I just wanted to nourish you. If you can't forgive me, I'll kneel and apologize more."

"Mom, get up. What's the point of kneeling down for a dog?"

Morton, with red eyes, tried to pull his mom up.

She pulled him down to kneel as well.

"You apologize to Sophia, too. It's your fault for not telling me how important the dog was to Sophia. Sophia, please don't let yourself get angry. The baby in your belly is not yet firmly seated."

My mom, unfamiliar with such drama, hurriedly pulled them up, as it was too embarrassing for elders to kneel to the younger generation.

Only my friend, Lexie Sherman, rolled her eyes. "What a hypocrite."

My head throbbed, and I waved everyone out to give myself some space to calm down.

After regaining some composure, I slowly walked to the bathroom, where I overheard Vera and Morton talking in the hospital hallway.

"Mom, does your knee hurt? Why kneel for her? It's just a dog. What, are they going to call the police to arrest me?"

"Silly boy, this is a strategic retreat. If we confront her head-on, she won't protect your baby."

"Mom, you're so smart. Let's just wait until her belly grows. Then, without asking for a penny, her family will beg us to marry her, ha-ha."

I steadied my trembling hand, trying to calm myself, and called my friend Lexie. "Come pick me up. I'm getting an abortion."

4

I had to admit that modern painless abortions were quick. I closed my eyes for a moment, and the procedure was over.

Looking at the mass of flesh, I felt a twinge of sadness, but it was quickly overshadowed by the grief of losing Bella.

I felt no regret for ending the bloodline of such scum, even feeling it tainted my own.

Lexie helped me to rest in the ward.

"Sophia, what made you finally see the light?"

Lexie had reminded me a long time ago that Morton's character was bad. Unfortunately, I was in love at that time and believed Morton's promise.

I bit my lip, holding back tears.

"Lexie, don't tell anyone about this. And do me a favor. You're good with graphics, right? Help me create a fake ultrasound image."

A few hours later, I returned home from the hospital.

Morton, Vera, and my mom were all at home, the living room spotless, and the kitchen bustling with food.

Seeing me return, Vera exclaimed, "Sophia, why did you come back alone? You should have called us to pick you up."

I let her hold my hand, hiding the disgust in my eyes.

"Sophia, are you still mad at me? Hit me, hit me to vent your anger."

She pulled my hand to hit her, and my mom and Morton rushed to stop her.

I took a deep breath, put on a smile, and pulled out a report.

"Mom, I know you mean well. I'm not angry. The dog is gone, but the baby is important. Here's today's ultrasound. I'm having twins."

Lexie said that only by striking the enemy at the most important part could a fatal blow be made.

5

Vera and Morton were overjoyed, eagerly examining the report.

"Oh my, I'm going to have two grandsons." Vera shouted with joy.

My mom looked at me with concern. "Twins are tough. Maybe I should come help take care of you."