I was left standing at the door, forgotten in the cold.
The wind swept past me just as Caroline arrived. She wrapped her arms around me and lovingly touched the tip of my nose.
"Why are you standing out here? Did your parents scold you again?"
When Caroline entered, my mother-in-law softened her tone immediately. "How could I scold the eldest son of the Crow Family? Your husband is too precious. Please, go upstairs and rest."
Karl, ever the actor, feigned concern. "Mom, I’ve booked dinner at the hotel. It should be here soon. You should rest, don’t worry about any of this."
Carol’s relatives surrounded him, praising his thoughtfulness, while I was left to fade into the background.
Caroline gently pushed me into the bedroom to rest.
I turned around to explain to my mother-in-law that I was feeling unwell, hoping she wouldn’t take my behavior the wrong way.
But Carol’s relatives couldn’t care less. They weren’t interested in me. They were too busy praising Karl for being such a good son-in-law. Every few moments, I could hear their laughter, each burst of sound making the air feel even more suffocating.