Episode 2

Two years had passed, and Charzo was still residing in Clara's parents' house. Moreover, he had taken on the role of a helper there.

As usual, Charzo had to prepare breakfast for everyone, despite the fact that Clara's two elder siblings were unemployed and stayed at home, but the entire household chore burden, from cooking, sweeping, mopping, cleaning all the toilets, tending to the garden, doing laundry, washing dishes and so on, fell onto Charzo to complete.

Fortunately, Clara had found a modest job that barely covered their meals together, but they still could not afford to pay for their own place.

Forced by their financial situation, they stayed far too long at her parents' house. Of course, Charzo constantly faced ridicule, daily berated for not securing employment. How could he, when the never-ending domestic tasks prevented him from going anywhere to even search for a job?

That morning, Charzo prepared breakfast as he always did and served the food on the table. Lena tasted Charzo's cooking and suddenly spat it out directly onto his face. Charzo was stunned by the spit-covered food, finding it utterly disgusting.

"Cough! Cough! What kind of food is this!" Lena yelled, grabbing a tissue to wipe her mouth.

"You've been living here for so long yet you still cook horribly! You expect to stay here for free! Or did you deliberately make this trashy food! Are you trying to kill me with food as terrible as yourself! Now, eat this!" Lena scolded, throwing the food onto the floor.

"Forgive me, mother-in-law, I'll cook again," said Charzo, picking up the food from the floor to dispose of it.

"Eat it now! I won't have food wasted!" Lena commanded, eyes wide with fury.

Charzo gave the food on the plate a melancholic look.

"If you won't eat it, I will divorce you from Clara!" she threatened once more. Maybe he could endure the insults directed at him, but the thought of separating from his wife was unbearable. The mother-in-law was only abusive when Clara was at work. For his wife's sake, Charzo was willing to endure any humiliation.

Charzo took the food and ate it, with them looking on in smug satisfaction, wearing sneering smiles.

"I don't know what Clara saw in you to marry a piece of trash like you; you're ugly, poor, and stupid," said Carry, Clara's second elder sister.

"I reckon she's just biding her time, and once she's bored, she'll just throw away this idiot," Carin added.

"You should be aware of your place; living in someone else's house means doing proper work! Not just staying without contributing anything. Look now, my daughter has to work! Aren't you ashamed to be such a man? Clearly, as a trashy, uneducated man, who would want to employ you? I've never wished to acknowledge you as my son-in-law!" Lena lectured, staring at Charzo who bowed his head, eyes brimming with tears, eating the discarded food.

Charzo was acutely conscious of imposing on them, and felt he had no choice but to tolerate their mistreatment.

"After washing the dishes, clean the house, do the laundry, sweep and mop. I don't want my clothes washed in the machine; it has to be hand-washed and spotless, remember that!" Lena demanded with fierce eyes.

Charzo nodded.

All of this happened, of course, when Clara was not home, as she had already left early for work.

Charzo cleaned the dishes on the table, while his in-laws brought several baskets of dirty clothes.

"Wash all these clothes cleanly, or you'll repeat the process!" Lena said, looking sharply at Charzo.

***

With the changing of days and months, Charzo continued to be treated harshly by his in-laws. He had tried to look for a job, but success eluded him.

To make matters worse, their two-year marriage had not yet been blessed with children, and the blame was placed on Charzo.

"I can't stand to see that refuse living here any longer, I must do something about him," Lena said thoughtfully.

"What are you considering?" asked Clara's father.

"I loathe him intensely. I want to do something so he leaves this house and lets Clara be on her own. This way, it won't seem like we expelled him. The neighbors are always gossiping about him, and I'm embarrassed! He cannot stay here any longer," Lena said, eying the window with sly intent.

"Do as you like, I won't instruct or impede you; think of a solution yourself. I'm off to watch my favorite series," said Clara's father, settling down in front of the television.

"Hm... I've thought up a more brilliant idea; I will make him out to be an imbecile, so I can oppress him daily," Lena uttered with a malicious grin.

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