My name is Noriko Suzuki, 48. I lost both of my parents when I was young and grew up in an orphanage. I studied hard, earned scholarships, graduated from a university in Japan and later a graduate school overseas, then landed a job at a global company. After building assets through real estate investments, I retired early at 45. I later married my husband, Hironari (now 50), whom I met at that age, and these days I spend most of my time at home. His mother, Yurie (75), lives three hours away by car, and his younger sister, Yumi (42), lives two hours away, so we hardly ever see his side of the family.
I lost my parents as a child and was raised in an orphanage. I threw myself into studying and work, eventually joining a foreign-owned company while building assets through real estate. By 45, I was able to retire early. Work was always the center of my life, but it’s not like I avoided love or marriage. After retiring and finally being able to breathe, I met Hironari, and we got married. Now we live quietly as a couple in the suburbs.
But then I learned that my sister-in-law’s husband’s mother lives nearby—something I never expected would cause trouble.