Chapter 3

• Louisa's POV
• The next morning, when I walked into the bedroom, Lucas had already gone.
• I went downstairs and saw Mrs. Farrow standing in the living room, glaring at me.
• "Great, you're here. I was about to fetch you," Mrs. Farrow said. "The housekeeper is getting on a bit, so I sent her away this morning. Since you're here, I don't think we need to hire a new one. You know how to be a housekeeper, right? Your father said that you used to take a part-time job at the local Holiday Inn?"
• "Where's Lucas?" I ignored her provoking question and looked around. "I want to know where my husband is."
• "My son's gone for a business trip with Jessica. I know he should take his newly married wife on a honeymoon trip, but what can I say? Maybe he's just not that into you." Mrs. Farrow tossed a mop and a bucket in my hands. "Now, start to move. Chop, chop. The floor doesn't clean itself."
• Then, she got closer to me and lowered her voice, "My son loves an obedient wife. You should get the gist of it, judging by the bruise on your face."
• Then, she chuckled and walked away.
• That was just the start of my nightmarish life being stuck with my mother-in-law under the same roof.
• Mrs. Farrow was worse than the cruel stepmother in a Cinderella story.
• She treated me like a servant and picked on me all the time.
• No matter how outrageous her demand was, I played the role of a good daughter-in-law to comply with it.
• I hoped that he could see how much that I had sacrificed in order to become a good wife of him.
• I want to be loved by my husband, no matter what it takes.
• But all my expectations were shuttered into pieces when Lucas finally returned home after six whole weeks.
• He didn't come back alone, of course.
• He came back with that arm candy of his -
• Jessica Hutchinson.
• "Ah, it's so good to be back, Mrs. Farrow! Paris is splendid at this time of the year and I've brought a gift for you!" Jessica hugged my mother-in-law and put a diamond bracelet in her hand.
• "This is beautiful. It must have cost you a fortune. You really shouldn't have." Mrs. Farrow said with a big smile on her face.
• "Nothing is too much for you, mama," Jessica hugged Mrs. Farrow.
• Then, she took a glance at me and said, "While Luke and I were wandering about on Champs Elysees, I noticed this bracelet in the shopping window. I knew immediately that belongs to my dearest mama!" Jessica took a sip of the tea I made and her facial expression immediately became twisted. "Oh, this tea tastes terrible! You should have really fired that stupid housekeeper long ago, Mama. You're just so kind-hearted to keep hiring her."
• "It was Louisa who made the tea." Mrs. Farrow shook her head, raising her voice intentionally to let me hear it clearly. "I have taught her a thousand times, but it seems that she's too thick to learn anything. To be honest, I have never met a girl who can't even make a cup of tea right."
• Then, she turned to my direction and said, "Louisa, come here right now and replace the tea."
• I immediately walked forward to fetch the teacup, but before I could get hold of it, Jessica picked up the teacup and poured the hot liquid all over her designer skirt.
• "Ah! No! It's my favorite skirt! It's a Thom Browne! It's ruined!" Jessica jumped up like a monkey and screamed.
• "What happened?" A deep, mellow voice appeared from a distance.
• Then, Lucas walked into the room with several bodyguards following him.
• He looked just as dazzling as the man that left me on the altar the other day.
• I looked like a fucking servant girl with messy hair.
• Jessica ran toward my husband like a little bird and said with grievance, "It's nothing, Lucas. Really. I dropped the teacup and the tea spilled on my skirt. It's totally fine. I'm so clumsy. It has nothing to do with Louisa and please don't blame her!"
• Lucas took a glance at Jessica and his sight fixated on me.
• "What did you do to Jessica?" He asked in a detached voice.
• Feeling desperate, I argued, "I didn't do anything. She poured the tea on herself."
• "Why would anyone in their right mind pour a cup of boiling tea all over themselves?" Lucas looked vexed, holding up Jessica's tiny hands. "Her hands are burnt now."
• "I don't know, maybe she's not in her right mind." I replied in a cold voice.
• I could see the gloating light in Jessica's eyes.
• I suddenly remember what Jessica said -
• "Lucas will always choose to side with me unconditionally."
• That bitch batted her eyelashes at Lucas and said, "Luke, please don't blame Louisa. She's probably mad at you right now. You should have taken her on a honeymoon trip, but you took me to Paris instead. I guess she just misunderstands what's going on between us. I could apologize if she needs me to..."
• "I didn't pour any drinks on her," I said with clenched fists.
• I didn't look at Lucas in his eyes.
• I knew I couldn't find any sympathy or trust. So why bother?
• "Mother, did you see what happened?" Lucas' voice sounded stern.
• "Oh, yes, darling. I witnessed the whole thing." Mrs. Farrow said with a cruel smile on her face. "Your stupid wife poured a cup of tea all over Jessica."
• At that time, I finally realized that I was fighting a battle that I could never win in this family.