I’m Naho (in my 30s). I live in a two-family house with my husband, Shota (in my 30s), our 3-year-old son, and my in-laws (in their 60s). A few months ago, my high-powered sister-in-law, Mitsuki (in my 30s), quit her job and moved in with us. The reason was a breakup with her longtime boyfriend; she discovered that her junior colleague of eight years, Hiroaki (in his 30s), had been two-timing her, and to make matters worse, the other woman had gotten pregnant. Deeply hurt, Mitsuki seemed to be trying to heal by blowing money on travel and shopping sprees. However, after Shota finally reached his limit and yelled at her to “start saving money,” everything changed. She stopped caring about her appearance and shut herself away in her room.
Watching Mitsuki like this was heartbreaking. While it’s important to be patient, I believe sometimes you have to give someone a gentle nudge to get them the help they need. My mother-in-law was careful to choose her words, constantly trying to persuade her without making Mitsuki feel attacked. She had been rejected time and time again, but it seems Mitsuki finally reached a point where she was willing to say, “I’ll try seeing a doctor.” I think this is a huge step forward.
Since she began treatment, Mitsuki has had her ups and downs, but she seems to be slowly getting better. One day, while she was still continuing her visits to the clinic, Mitsuki received a message from her ex-boyfriend, Hiroaki…