I (Ayano) am raising my two children, Kou (4) and Mimi (2), with my husband, Hiroshi. Ever since his sister, Kyoko, got divorced, she and her children (Taro, 8, and Jiro, 5) have tagged along on every single outing we take with my in-laws. It seems my in-laws and sister-in-law want my husband to step in as a “father” figure for her boys. They’ve been desperate to convince me, constantly claiming it’s all “for the sake of Taro and Jiro,” but… Kyoko doesn’t sacrifice a single thing, so why am I the only one expected to make all the compromises?
I suppose it’s a good thing that my husband’s family wants to work together as a “family.” But I believe it’s wrong to build that “family” dynamic by sacrificing the well-being of me and my children. That’s what I’ve come to realize.
Perhaps my words about her “relationship with her ex-husband” really hit home, because Kyoko left looking rather dejected. Moving forward, I plan to keep a bit more distance from my in-laws and sister-in-law. As for my future with my husband, I intend to have some long, serious talks to sort things out.