Reality's Intermission | ✔️

7

"안녕하세요 어머니 (Hello mother). How have you been? Nice to meet you, my name is Jasmine Kim." I clasped my hands with the purse handle in my hand and bowed.

"Oh dear! You don't have to bow. I finally get to meet you, I'm so excited!" Ethan's mother jolted up from the sofa and ran over to hug me. "My daughter-in-law is so pretty! Ethan did something right for once!" Ethan's mother did not let go of me. Instead she twisted our bodies towards Ethan to see his reaction.

"Ugh mum!" Ethan sounded like a teenage whiny baby when his mother poked his weakness.

Ethan's mother giggled, making me in-genuinely giggle to be on the same page as her. I just went through a personal turmoil. The last thing I need right now is to put up a front with my mother-in-law.

"Jasmine! I'm so happy to see you. You don't have to refer me as mother, that seems so Victorian era. You can call me Candice." She beamed.

"Will do moth- Candice." I smiled back.

"Alright, let's get mum unpacked and have some rest. She just came from a trip to Paris. She probably had a long journey. Right mum?" Ethan got up and hugged Candice's shoulders.

"Awww Ethan, I'm not that tired. Once I saw Jasmine's face, all the tiredness washed away. But as you say so, I will freshen up." Candice tapped Ethan's arms and made her way to our bedroom.

I pulled Ethan to the a corner of house, farthest away from where Candice is.

"You didn't tell me your mother was coming over!" I whispered.

"Didn't I? I told you as you were leaving the house today?"

"No you bloody didn't!" I wanted to slap Ethan across the face.

"Oh, my bad". He shrugged.

Oh my bad? Is that the best he got, that fucking bastard. I had a mental breakdown, coming home looking and feeling like a mess. My husband can care less about me, so I just wanted to go to my room and rest. Now suddenly, Candice decided to visit.

"Okay..." I sighed out, "Did she tell you how long she was staying here for? So I can prepare and shop if needed." I didn't want to sound like an asshole, ready to kick my mother-in-law out right when she entered.

"She didn't say..." Ethan avoided eye contact.

The more and more he opens his mouth, the more I wanted to slap him! What an ideal son Candice has. I walked away and began to cook a dish for Candice. She had a long journey, so I'm assuming she might be sick of airplane or train food, she would probably want some hearty home food. I pulled out some bread and put them in the toaster. I grabbed an avocado and cut them into thin slices. Next, I grabbed an egg from the fridge and cracked it on a pan with olive oil. A dash of a salt and pepper on everything does the trick. I diced some tomatoes and onions after grabbing the toast from the toaster and made a hearty avocado toast. During this whole process, Ethan moved himself onto the sofa and began to watch a game. Why did I marry a slob!?

Candice came out of the bedroom with a floral top and gray sweatpants. She's a very...hip mother-in-law.

"Assuming that you were probably sick of the snacks you had on your way here, I made you some hearty avocado toast. Would you like some orange juice or water?"

Candice tried very hard not to look disgusted. She glanced at the avocado toast with a slight expression of disgust but quickly hid it with her smile. "Water please". She chuckled as she picked her choice of beverage.

I turned around and grabbed a mug to fill
It up with water. As I turned back around to serve her, I saw her hesitating on picking up the knife and fork to start her meal.