THE LAUNDRY IN THE YARD
My name is Emily Carter. I am 35 years old.
I have been married for ten years. My husband is David Carter, the only son of Robert and Helen Carter. In this family, David is everything—the hope, the pride, the continuation of the bloodline.
We have three daughters: Anna, nine years old; Lily, seven; and Mia, four.
Three beautiful, bright, well-behaved little girls.
But to my husband’s family, that was never enough.
1. Ten Years and Three Daughters
From the day I gave birth to my first child, I noticed something subtle in my mother-in-law’s eyes—a flicker of disappointment she tried hard to hide.
— “A girl is fine,” she said with a stiff smile. “The first one being a girl is good too.”
At the time, I was still naïve. I believed that in this day and age, people no longer cared about sons versus daughters.
Then came the second child.
And then the third.
With each birth, my in-laws’ enthusiasm faded a little more. They never scolded me outright, never openly blamed me—but there were sighs, sideways remarks, and meaningful silences.
Relatives were far less careful with their words.
— “David is the only son in this family. If you keep having girls, who will carry on the family line?”
— “Try for one more, Emily. Maybe the next one will be a boy.”
I was exhausted.
Raising three children drained me—physically and emotionally. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to care for them properly. I was afraid that forcing myself to have another child just to produce a son would turn my daughters into burdens in their own family.
I told David plainly:
— “I’m not having another child.”
He was silent for a moment, then said:
— “It’s fine. Three daughters are enough for me.”
I believed him.
2. A Husband Who Seemed to Stand by Me
To be fair, David was a good husband.
He loved our children—truly loved them. The girls adored him. Every time he came home from work, all three would run toward him, clinging to his legs, competing to tell him about their day.
Watching that, I felt comforted.
I told myself:
“As long as my husband loves our children, I can endure everything else.”
We owned our own house in the suburbs, worth about 480,000 USD. On weekends, we often visited both sides of the family.
But about six months ago, my mother-in-law began to change.
She started calling David and saying:
— “You come home this weekend. Emily doesn’t need to come. She should stay home and take care of the kids.”
At first, I was furious.
But then I realized that no matter how upset I felt, I couldn’t change their mindset.
So I chose silence.
3. The Decision to Drop by Unannounced
Last weekend, David told me he had to go on a business trip for two days.
Coincidentally, I also had some errands near my in-laws’ neighborhood. I hesitated for a long time.
In the end, I thought:
“They’re getting old. I shouldn’t hold grudges.”
So I decided to stop by and visit, without telling anyone in advance. I thought it might be a nice surprise.
I had no idea that this decision would push me into the deepest abyss of my life.
4. The Laundry Rack
I had just parked my car in front of my in-laws’ house when I froze.
On the laundry rack in the yard, under the bright afternoon sun, were rows of newborn baby clothes.
Tiny onesies.
Cloth diapers.
Soft baby towels.
All of them brand new.
My heart began to race.
My in-laws had only one child—David. None of our close relatives had recently had a baby.
So whose baby clothes were these?
A chilling sensation ran down my spine.
5. A Cry Inside the Familiar House
I walked into the house.
The door was unlocked.
From inside, I heard a baby crying.
Then my mother-in-law’s voice rang out, filled with joy:
— “Good boy, Grandma’s precious grandson… Look at you, growing up to be just as handsome as your father! If I get to hold my grandson like this, I could die tomorrow with no regrets.”
My knees nearly gave way.
“Grandson.”
“A boy.”
I forced myself to keep walking toward the living room.
6. A Family I Didn’t Belong To
What I saw there is an image that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
David, my husband, was sitting on the sofa.
Beside him was a woman a few years younger than me. His arm rested on her shoulder in an intimate, familiar way.
My mother-in-law was holding a baby boy, smiling with a happiness I had never seen before.
They were talking, laughing, sharing looks.
They looked exactly like a real family.
And me?
Who was I in that house?
7. Awkwardness and Shamelessness
When David saw me, his face went pale.
The young woman lowered her head, clearly flustered.
Only my mother-in-law remained cheerful. She even said casually:
— “Oh, Emily, you’re here?”
As if I were merely a visitor.
I didn’t say a word.
I turned around and walked out.
8. A Belated Apology
That night, David came home.
He knelt in front of me.
— “I’m sorry… I never wanted to deceive you.”
He said he did it only to fulfill his mother’s wish to have a grandson. He said he didn’t love the other woman. He claimed it was nothing but responsibility.
I laughed.
A cold, bitter laugh.
— “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
No love—yet a child?
No love—yet living together, drying baby clothes, raising a child as a family?
9. A Dead-End Choice
That night, I held my three daughters as they slept.
I looked at their faces and soaked my pillow with tears.
I didn’t want a divorce.
I was afraid of my children growing up without their father.
But if I didn’t divorce him…
👉 How could we live in a family where:
-
A son is treated as a treasure
-
Daughters are seen as “not enough”
-
A wife is replaced simply because she didn’t give birth to a boy?
I knew that no matter what I chose… I would suffer.
10. A Question Without an Answer
Late that night, staring at the ceiling, I asked myself:
“Is giving birth to daughters really a woman’s sin?”
If love isn’t strong enough to protect a wife…
Then what meaning does such a marriage have?
