All Chapters of The Gap in Our Words: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I woke up with a start to the loud sounds of my mother-in-law cleaning. It hit me like a lightning bolt—I had somehow gone back in time.I grabbed my phone and saw it was the day I got fired over a contract mix-up. It was exactly 5:00 am.There she was, stepping out of my study—a place I had told her a million times not to enter, especially not to mess with my papers.She never listened, always doing whatever she wanted without thinking about anyone else.In my previous life, she sneaked into my study and swapped an important page from a contract I needed with one from a different contract.I had checked it so many times before, so that morning, I just briefly glanced over it as I was in a hurry.However, during the signing, the client caught the mistake. They called me a liar right there and then and pulled the plug on our deal. I lost a million-dollar order, and my company blamed me and let me go.I was so mad that I confronted my mother-in-law. She just cried and said, "I wok

I left the house with a bitter laugh and let my mother-in-law do her own thing. I would not hold her back anymore.I was going to watch her mess up and watch the whole Williams family get what was coming to them! In the end, Edwin woke up, lost his temper, and argued with his mom. She cried a river, and he ended up calling me to vent. I played the understanding one and told him, "Your mom got up early just for you. It's not easy, right? She's doing it all for you. Why fuss over an old lady?"Edwin was totally confused because whenever he used to complain to me, I would just complain even more.He never thought I would take his mom's side, especially using his own favorite phrases. He was so mad that he just hung up the phone.I could not help but giggle. He now knew what it felt like to be woken up too early, right?He only felt the pain when it was his own toe getting stubbed. Well, this was just the start!The contract was perfect, and I nailed the deal for my company. My sup

Edwin got so tired of me asking him to work that he just started hanging out and playing cards while supposedly working.His paycheck? It was exactly 1,200 dollars, the same amount I gave his mom for her expenses. Hence, she could not help Mandy anymore.Mandy was fed up. Her husband was a gambler and offered no help at all, and she was expecting another baby. They really needed the extra 1,050 dollars each month, and without it, they were struggling. When her husband did not win any money, he would take it out on her.So Mandy, with her little one in tow, moved into my place with tears streaming down her face. She thought she might get some extra help, plus free meals. Edwin and his mom only talked to me about it after they were already settling in. Watching the six-year-old bouncing on my couch and my sister-in-law using my pajamas and skincare, I just said yes. A family in trouble should stick together, right?They were surprised I was so easygoing this time, and they started

My usually sweet sister-in-law, Mandy, was on her husband's side, insisting that her own mom and brother pay up.Edwin could not reach me by phone and did not have the cash, so he expected his mom to cover for him.My mother-in-law just plopped down on the floor, crying her eyes out, saying her kids were pushing her to the edge."Oh, my stars! I raised my children all by myself and even helped with the grandkids. Now, they're trying to push me over the edge!"David, the bully, did not care one bit. He roughed up Edwin, saying no money meant paying with his life.My mother-in-law only had one son, so through her tears, she agreed to pay.They could not squeeze the money out of me, so they went after my mother-in-law's life savings.Mandy, after getting her way, said, "Mom, your money is my money. We're family, so why be so formal? Think of it as a little something for your grandson's health. That's your own grandson who you almost hurt. It's only fair to contribute to his well-be

Edwin had no clue where I was and that I had sold the house. When the new owners came to take occupancy, they kicked them right out.Before my mother-in-law moved in with us, she had sold her old place, so then she had to rent.Edwin got a new phone number and called to confront me. "What right did you have to sell the house? Did you ask me first?"I laughed calmly. "Why would I need your permission? My parents bought the house and car, not you."After that, I stopped answering his calls, leaving him powerless.Edwin was jobless, Mandy had moved back in with her two kids, and my mother-in-law's savings were running out fast. She became even more careful with money, trying to make every cent count.The food they ate was the worst. My mother-in-law would pick up the wilted leaves that others had thrown away. To save water, she would not flush the toilet and even reused toilet paper. She even washed and dried Mandy's used sanitary pads for Mandy to use again.Mandy could not bear t