Equal Marriage Turmoil: The Elder Sister-in-Law's CounterattackChapter 1 Grandma’s Favoritism
It was another Fourth of July celebration. My mom and I started preparing the feast around noon, busying ourselves all afternoon.
I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but today felt particularly grand. Usually, we had a casual barbecue, but this year we really went all out with a grand spread of several different dishes. Mom said my sister-in-law, Mila Payne, was pregnant and needed some good food.
As the sun set, my brother and Janet finally arrived. My niece, Lily, ran straight to play with my son, Timmy.
Mom was busy in the kitchen, quickly drying her hands to greet them with a big smile. “Mila’s here! Come, sit down! Dinner will be ready soon!” She even poured a glass of water for Mila while my brother helped her settle in, looking every bit the doting husband.
Watching Mom fuss over them made me feel uneasy. I had been in the kitchen all afternoon, and it seemed like she didn’t even notice me. All the dishes were what Mila liked; I couldn’t understand why she was so nice to her.
At the dinner table, Mom kept piling food onto Mila’s plate, chatting away with excessive warmth, which even made the two kids a little jealous.
Eventually, when Mila couldn’t eat another bite and set her knife and fork down, I noticed Mom’s expression was slightly off. “So, Mila, has that friend of yours said anything?”
Mila understood immediately. “Oh, Mom, I was wondering why you were being so nice to me! My friend checked, and it’s a boy!” She covered her mouth, unable to hide her laughter.
I chimed in, “Well, congratulations to you both! Lily will have a little brother soon.”
Mom fell silent for a moment; her expression was unreadable – was she happy or hesitant? “Do your parents know?”
“Yeah, they found out during lunch. Dad was thrilled, saying our family finally has a boy. They’re already thinking of names,” Mila replied.
Hearing that, Mom’s face darkened even more. I began to understand her intentions. When my brother and Mila got married, they agreed to have two children: the first would take my family’s surname, and the second would take Mila’s. But now, with Lily being a girl and the second child a boy, it seemed Mom’s preference for boys was surfacing.
The atmosphere at the dinner table grew tense. I quickly tried to lighten the mood by asking Timmy to serve Lily some food.