While working, William met Jane. They married there, and when Jane became pregnant, he brought her back to his parents house. His parents were not at all pleased with the news.
Jane found herself buried under a mountain of chores: she cooked every meal for the whole family, washed all the laundry, scrubbed the house from top to bottom, milked the cow, swept out the barn, and sometimes even chopped wood. More often than not, Jane was doing the work meant for the men, but the hardest days were when her in-laws had guests. There were usually at least seven of them, and Jane was expected to serve and feed every one.
She would spend hours preparing a feast, and within the hour, nearly every dish was picked clean. Exhausted, she would finally sit on the edge of the table and place a solitary pork chop on her plate. Her mother-in-law eyed her and said, with a smirk:
Jane, youre eating far too much today. For someone your size, you certainly gobble up your share, she burst out laughing.
The guests all joined in, mocking Jane. Holding back tears, Jane rose silently from the table and retreated to the kitchen. She wept bitterlyshe hadnt eaten a thing all day. All the while, her husband sat in silence as his wife was ridiculed. From the kitchen, Jane overheard her mother-in-law chuckling:
Yesterday, I bumped into my former daughter-in-law at the market. My word, its a blessing that she still calls me mum. She was a proper girlnot like this one!
After the guests left for the night, Jane collected all the dishes and went to wash up. Her father-in-law followed her into the kitchen.
Jane stood quietly at the sink as her father-in-law watched her for a long while. Finally, he broke the silence:
Jane, you know I cant stand you?
The words stung more than she could bear, so she said nothing. He pressed again, insistent. Jane finally replied, softly:
I know.
Its strange though, isnt it? You do everything here, always help, never a cross word to anyoneand still, I cant stand you. Funny, dont you think?
Yes I suppose it is
Jane realised nothing would change after thisthe jeers and coldness from everyone around her would continue. She couldnt understand why she endured it all
Would you stay with a man who doesnt care if his wife is insulted every single day?
