My brother-in-law My husband
Chapter 8

"Are you unaware of how stupid you are, Catherine Sebastian? I'm patient with you! Tell me what you want, and I'll get it, so you can stop being a woman ******."

Catherine bit her lower lip, mustering her courage as Marcell's wide figure and frightening gaze naturally frightened her, the,

"My decision... My decision is final, Marcell. I don't want to be with you anymore, not after you ruined my life and our deeply held marriage. I'm done with you."

Marcell took a deep breath. He did not understand how a submissive woman like Catherine could become so erratic and stubborn like this. He used to be very accepting and tolerant about his infidelity.

'He wants to learn the hard way, right?' Marcell thought while raising an eyebrow.

"good. Amanda's in the next room. He had already brought a large suitcase filled with clothes and other necessities. Make sure he eats enough, okay? Otherwise, you can always come back to me to earn money." Marcell looked at Catherine, and his gaze became even more hostile,

"This is the last warning, Catherine Sebastian. Don't ever think you won't get consequences after you turn away from me."

"There's nothing better to deal with than to be with you." Catherine turned around and looked over her shoulder,

Catherine walked out of the room and closed the door. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was under so much pressure under Marcell's hostile gaze.

He went to the next room and opened the door.

"Mother!" scream Amanda.

"Amanda!" Catherine crouched down as Amanda ran towards her, and they reunited with a warm embrace.

Catherine checks on Amanda, hoping nothing happens after a day of not seeing her.

"Sorry, Amanda. Mommy had a problem yesterday, so I can't take you with me" Catherine said.

Amanda nodded, "It's okay, Mom. Dad took me to play in the mall! But I'm tired now. Can we go home, Mom?"

Catherine's face paled instantly.

She looked at her daughter, and her words got stuck in her throat.

She hesitates for a moment because Amanda is still too small to know the problem that forced them to leave their beautiful home.

"S—Darling, what do you think of a small holiday?"

"Vacation?" Amanda tilted her head as she was confused. "Mom, Amanda's going to school tomorrow. Amanda can't leave!"

"Ah, this is just a short vacation, like a picnic! We'll be staying somewhere else for a while, but not too far from your school!" Catherine tried to maintain her smile, enough to fool her daughter.

"Oh, that sounds fun! You're going to go on a picnic with us, too?"

"Ah, your father is busy as always…." Catherine glanced at the suitcase beside her daughter and pulled it to her side.

"That's why he brought your suitcase! Because I told him that we're going on a picnic for a minute!"

"God..." Amanda pouting. "Dad never played with us…."

"Well, she's busy working for you," said Catherine, though she's completely fed up whenever she talks about Marcell. "Let's go now."

Amanda nodded, and they left the party through the back door. Catherine ordered a taxi, and they came in.

They arrive in front of the motel, and Catherine carries a suitcase as they enter the motel lobby.

Catherine smiled faintly at the receptionist and headed straight to her room.

Amanda looked around. He did not understand why his mother had brought him to an old place like this. There was a lot of dirt, dust, and creepy people that Amanda was not used to.

"Mom, why is this hotel so scary?" ask Amanda while speeding up her little steps to hold Mommy's hand.

"Ah, well, we don't go to hotel vacations as usual" Catherine said. He unlocks her room and enters with Amanda.

Amanda looked around the shabby motel room, "Mom, this room is so small…."

"It's okay. Comfortable for both of us, right?" Catherine tries to ignore her daughter's various questions which strangle her, and she opens Amanda's suitcase.

She heaved a sigh of relief because at least Marcell had prepared all the necessary uniforms and school clothes for Amanda, including all her school books.

"Maybe he wants to force me back, just in case Amanda wants the toys and all the expensive stuff back."

'Fine, if that's what he wants to play this. I will try to find a good job, enough to support both of us.'

Amanda climbed up the bed and sat on it. He was a little disappointed that his bed was uncomfortable, but his attention was diverted to his mother.

"Mommy's getting thinner." commented Amanda.

"Ah, ahahaha.it's okay, Amanda."

This was the first time his mother had brought him to a slum like this. But she didn't mind, as long as Mommy was always with her. Although he already missed his Father, he could live for a while without his Father's presence because he was already used to his absence.

Catherine changed her clothes with a regular shirt and jeans, and they walked to a nearby stall and bought two sandwiches.

Catherine and Amanda sat at a table inside the store. Catherine kept glancing at her daughter, afraid her daughter did not like the store-bought sandwiches. Because Catherine always cooks for her family, especially for Amanda. Even when they eat at restaurants, they always go to expensive restaurants.

"Do you like it?" Catherine asked.

"Umm ... Mommy's food tastes better!" said Amanda. But he still eats sandwiches. She saw her mother only eat half of the sandwich.

"Mom, eat more!"

Catherine shook her head and pushed the sandwich to Amanda, "You just eat it. Mommy's not hungry anymore."

Amanda puffed her cheeks. Her mother always did this every time they ate, but she always ate it all because she would vomit again if she ate more of it.

*****

Catherine bought some necessities before returning to the motel. He locked the door and told his daughter, "Do you have homework, Amanda?"

Amanda nodded.

"Then I'll check your homework after you're done."

"okay!" Amanda took her book out of her bag and sat on the carpet, doing her homework.

Catherine's smile faded slightly when she saw her daughter. He can't stay like this. She refuses to let her daughter live a difficult life because of her choices.

"I have to get a job.," Catherine thought. He opened his phone and started checking job applications on the internet. He has submitted several online history lists to several companies.

He is willing to do anything, even as a cleaning service. Because all he cared about right now was his daughter's money and welfare.

He also looked for some places that received walk-in-interviews. He was a bit hesitant about the live interview, knowing those normally expected youngsters were more than a woman in her thirties like him.

But he would try anything, anything for his daughter!

Next day.

"Thirty-five years?" the HRD interviewer frowned as he read Catherine's curriculum vitae. She looked at Catherine who was sitting on the chair in front of her and then looked at the documents in her hands.

"Wow, I have to admit that you look younger than your age, but.." The interviewer put down the paper and sighed,

"I can't hire you."

"Ah, don't worry, I can work anything here—"

"No, there is only one vacancy here, to be a receptionist, and the age limit is twenty-seven years. You've gone through that" said the HRD interviewer. He put the document on the table and pushed it to Catherine.

"I suggest you find a job somewhere else. Maybe to daycare? I mean, they're definitely going to accept a thirty-five-year-old woman with little work competence."

Catherine sighed. He thanked the interviewer and left the office.

Catherine drank from a water bottle she refilled from a nearby fountain and checked her phone.

"It's been three days" he said.