The daughter-in-law was still asleep at 11 a.m., and her mother-in-law stormed in with a stick to teach her a lesson — but what she saw on the bed froze her in place. The daughter-in-law was still asleep at 11 a.m. By the time Mrs. Santos noticed, her patience had already worn thin. The wedding had ended past midnight. Guests had left crumbs on every table, grease stains on the stove, and muddy footprints across the living room tiles. While the newlyweds disappeared into their room amid teasing laughter and slammed doors, Mrs. Santos stayed behind — scrubbing plates, wiping counters, stacking chairs. She told herself it was normal. That this was what mothers did. Still, when she finally lay down near 2 a.m., her back felt like it had been split in two. At 5 a.m., she was awake again. Not because she wanted to be. Because habit wouldn’t let her sleep. She swept the floors again. Washed the last batch of dishes. Wiped the dust from the banisters. By mid-morning, her hair clung damply to her temples, her feet throbbed, and her hands smelled of detergent. Upstairs, silence. Too much silence. She glanced at the clock. 10:45 a.m. Her lips tightened. “Daughter-in-law!” she called from the bottom of the stairs. “Liza! Come down and start cooking!” No answer. She waited. Nothing. Her voice grew sharper. “Liza! It’s almost noon! Are you planning to sleep all day?” Still nothing. Each minute fed her irritation. “What kind of daughter-in-law stays in bed while her mother-in-law works like a servant?” she muttered. Her knees ached too much to keep climbing up and down the stairs, so she stayed below, shouting again and again. Silence answered her. 👇👇 Part 2