Briel arrived at the Erland house. She saw Erland and Erland's mother at the dining table, she walked towards them.
"Why did you come home at this hour?" asked Erland's mother.
"Um... I'm quite busy at school today," said Briel.
"Okay, sit down and have dinner with us," said Erland's mother.
"Yes," Briel sat down next to Erland. She feels awkward. Briel wasn't used to eating with strangers. Even though she had dinner with Erland, in the end, an unexpected incident occurred.
Briel opened her plate and started to take the food.
"Hm, Briel. Are you going to school again tomorrow?" asked Erland's mother.
"Yes, Madam," said Briel.
"Erland, didn't you teach your wife how to call Mommy?" asked Erland's mother while looking at Erland.
Erland turned to Briel, he looked at Briel.
"Think of her as your mother, don't call Madam. Unless you think of yourself as a housemaid in this house," Erland said.
Briel smiled at Erland, she also looked at Erland's mother.
"Yes, Mom. Sorry, I'm not used to it yet," said Briel.
"Hem... You have to get used to it. You also have to remember, from now on, call me mommy. in-laws are the same as parents," Erland's mother said.
Briel smiled and nodded.
'This mother and daughter are so similar, can't they smile? I don't understand, do my in-laws like me, or does she not like me? ' thought Briel.
Briel put the food in her mouth.
"Eat right, and eat a lot. Erland must have tired you all night," said Erland's mother.
Briel choked on hearing what Erland's mother said. Before long, Briel was flabbergasted. She looked at Erland sharply.
"You're choking, you're coughing like that. I'm just helping you, so you feel relieved," Erland said with a satisfied smile. To be honest, he also wanted to teach a lesson because Briel had made things difficult for him at the office.
Briel clenched her fists. Erland could give her some water to drink, but Erland patted her on the neck quite hard.
"Drink this," Erland's mother said as she handed Briel a glass of water. Briel took the water.
"Thank you," said Briel and hurried to drink it.
"What's with you two? Didn't you two know each other before marriage? But you two look like enemies. Is that how you show your love?" said Erland's mother.
"Hm... Everyone has a different way of showing love to a partner. Isn't that right, Briel?" Erland said while putting his arm around Briel's shoulder.
"Ehem..." Briel went back to eating her food. She didn't say anything else.
*** Finished dinner.
"I'm done, I'm going to my bedroom," Erland said and started to get up from his seat. Briel was about to get up from her seat, but Erland's mother's words made Briel speechless.
"Help Mommy tidy up the table, Briel," said Erland's mother.
Briel saw Erland, Erland just left.
Briel lifted her dirty plate.
"Not just one plate. Then, it will take a long time to finish. First, arrange the dirty dishes, separate the spoons and forks, then take them to the dishwasher," Erland's mother said and left the table. She took the dirty glass to the dishwasher.
'This is heavy, my gosh,' muttered Briel as she started to lift the pile of plates on the table.
"Gosh! What are you doing? Can't you carry the plate properly?" shrieked Erland's mother as she ran to Briel. She was surprised because Briel dropped the plate to the floor.
Briel swallowed her saliva.
"I accidentally dropped it, the plate was slippery," said Briel with a surprised face. This was the first time she had experienced such a thing. It was because she had never brought dirty dishes before. Of course, in her parents' house, there were many housemaids, and housemaids who did such work.
"Clean up the broken dishes, you must take responsibility for your actions!" Erland's mother said firmly.
Briel clenched her fists. She didn't like being treated like that. Even so far, no one dared to treat her like that.
"Take a broom, don't stay still. If you don't clean it, broken plates can hit your feet, and other people's feet," said Erland's mother.
Briel rushed towards the kitchen, she looked for a broom by asking Lely. She had never been to the kitchen before, so she didn't know where Lely kept the broom.
"Why are you looking for a broom, miss?" asked Lely.
"I accidentally broke the plate," said Briel.
"Geez. I'll clean it, Miss better go to the bedroom," said Lely.
"No need to help, Lely. She broke the plate, so she'll clean up the shards," Erland's mother said.
"But, madam. Miss Briel doesn't seem used to doing that kind of work," said Lely.
"Then why? What do you know about educating children? She is married. She needs to learn to be a good wife. Just brought a plate, but she couldn't do it. How about doing something bigger than this? Since childhood, she must have never been taught to work hard," said Erland's mother.
Briel took a broom and hurried away from Lely and Erland's mother.
'Annoying! If she doesn't like me, then there's no need to be rude just to ask me to clean up the shards of the plate,' murmured Briel. Briel felt that Erland's mother was deliberately trying to bully her.
Briel cleaned up the shards of the plate very carefully. She had never done any of that and was afraid of making a mistake that would anger Erland's mother again.
Meanwhile, Erland who heard the plates falling and breaking on the floor was just watching from upstairs.
'Seeing it like that, I feel sorry. But he's a bitch sometimes,' Erland muttered and went to his bedroom.
After a few minutes. Briel sat at the dining table, she had just finished cleaning the broken plate and chose to rest for a while. Tired, that's how Briel felt even though it was only sweeping a small part of the floor and only a broken plate. But, she also mopped up the remnants of food stains left on the floor.
Briel poured drinking water into a glass, she drank it until there was nothing left.
Erland's mother just shook her head when she saw Briel who looked very tired as if Briel had just cleaned the entire room in Erland's house.
'Hed parents must have never taught her how to be a real woman, no matter how great a woman is, in the end after marriage a woman still has to serve her husband. If she couldn't even carry a plate, how could she do anything bigger than that? Being a wife is not just a sleeping partner for the husband, but must be a good companion. Could it be that she can't even cook?' thought Erland's mother.
Erland's mother went to her bedroom.
Meanwhile, Briel got up from the chair and went to her bedroom.
Arriving in the bedroom, Briel saw Erland sitting at his desk. Erland saw it, but she ignored Erland. Briel rushed to the bathroom and cleaned her body.
After a few minutes, Briel came out of the bathroom wearing her bathrobe. She takes clothes from the cupboard and turns around.
"Oh, shit! Is it your habit to peek at a girl?" Briel screamed in surprise when she saw Erland standing, leaning against the cupboard that separated the bedroom and dressing room.
"Hmm... Are you sure, that you are a girl?" Erland asked and stepped closer to Briel.
Briel clenched her fists.
"Stay away, I'll get dressed!" said Briel annoyed.
However, Erland instead approached Briel and leaned against the cupboard.
"Why? Are you upset about having to clean up the broken plates on the floor?" Erland asked.
Briel didn't say anything, she chose to stay away from Erland but Erland held Briel's hand.
Briel got annoyed and pushed Erland's hand away.
"Don't bother me, and don't follow me wherever I go!" said Briel annoyed.
Erland frowned.
"What do you mean?" Erland was confused. He never followed Briel wherever Briel went. He had no time for such unimportant things.
"Heh! You threatened me, you will tell my parents that I went to a man's house, doesn't that mean you followed me?" said Briel.
Erland raised one eyebrow.
'So it's true that she came to a man's house? But, who did she come to? What's her lover?' thought Erland.