I’m Mayu, married to Kota for two years. He’s kind but avoids conflict. At family dinners with his brother’s family, my meal was left out starting from the second time. Kota promised to speak up but didn’t. Realizing I couldn’t rely on him, I decided to take a stand.
No one at my in-laws’ supported me—not even my husband, the one person I hoped would. So I realized I had to protect myself. If they wouldn’t prepare a meal for me, I’d bring my own. I showed up with convenience store food. Relatives looked shocked, while my mother-in-law awkwardly lied, saying, “That’s not true.” Then she even criticized me for asking, “Should I help?”—just because I added a question mark.