My name is Laura, and I’m 33 years old. I work as a web designer now, but I used to be an office worker. These days, I’m a freelancer, taking on contracts instead of working at a company. I do all my work from home.
My husband, Jerry, is 6 years younger than me. He works in sales for a company that deals with home appliances, so his job keeps him moving around a lot.
Jerry and I are pretty different. I like to work quickly and efficiently using my computer, while he’s more steady and patient, even if his sales take longer. Jerry can be a bit clumsy at times, but I find that part of him really sweet.
We actually met at a group dating party. I only went because they needed more people, but Jerry was very interested in me right away. He didn’t care about the age difference and told me, “I like you.”
That’s why I wasn’t really interested at first, but he kept trying, and eventually, I started to like him back.
Jerry is a kind person who cares a lot about family. Jerry has a younger sister named Olivia, who is 8 years younger than him. When we first started dating, she was just 15 and in middle school.
She was a surprise baby, much younger than her siblings, and is the family’s pride and joy. She does really well in school, and her teachers think highly of her. Jerry is always so proud when he talks about her.
But there’s also something that makes him worry. He’s told me many times that his parents want Olivia to go to a prestigious private high school, but money is tight for them.
Jerry managed to go to college, and sending Olivia to a private school would put a big strain on their finances. Private schools are expensive, and even though Olivia wants to go, it’s a heavy burden for the family.
Jerry believes she would understand if they explained the situation to her. Still, his parents really want her to have this chance. They’ve worked hard in agriculture all their lives and don’t want their kids to go through the same struggles they did.
That’s why they made sure Jerry could go to college. It’s tough to go against his parents’ wishes, especially since they’ve sacrificed so much. Because of this, Jerry works part-time on weekends and saves as much money as he can.
He sent the money he saved to his parents. I was really surprised when Jerry told me that. Even though he’s six years younger than me, he seems a lot more mature.
Looking back, I think Jerry and his parents were putting a lot of pressure on Olivia. But back then, I thought they were just a good family caring about her future.
3 years after we started dating, I married Jerry when I was 32. It’s been a year since our wedding, and we’re still enjoying being newlyweds. We haven’t had a single argument, and I get along well with Jerry’s family.
Our marriage feels stable and happy. Right now, we’re focused on our work, so we don’t have any kids yet. Even though we’re getting older, we still hope to have children someday, and we’ll think about it when the time is right.
I’m not too worried about it, though. But I do have one concern, and it’s about Jerry’s close relationship with his sister, Olivia.
This fall, Olivia started high school at a well-known private school in the city. Since it’s far from the countryside where she used to live, she moved to an apartment close to our house.
Jerry’s parents asked him to look after her, which I understand. The problem is, Olivia is at our house all the time.
“Jerry, are you home?” she’d call out, showing up at our door again and again.
“I’m nearby, so it’s fine,” she’d say with a smile, sitting down on the couch and hugging my husband. She was always cheerful, while Jerry looked a bit uncomfortable, though I think he secretly enjoyed it.
Watching them, I could see how close they were as siblings, but I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.
“Olivia, would you like some tea or juice?” I asked.
“Tea,” she replied quickly, in a way that felt a bit rude to me.
I wanted to tell her, “That’s not how you ask,” but I kept those thoughts to myself and said, “I can make it for you this time, but next time you’ll have to do it yourself. I’m working from home, you know, and I can’t just stop whenever I want.”
Then I went to make the tea. Olivia can act polite when she wants to, but when it’s just the two of us, her attitude changes.
“Oh, my friend’s calling,” Jerry suddenly said, grabbing his phone and leaving the room.
As soon as the door closed, Olivia’s expression turned cold.
“Why did someone like you marry my brother? You’re not good enough for him. Did you blackmail him or something?”