Chapter 3

"Chloe? Was that resume in my inbox from you?"

I hummed in affirmation.

Joanna immediately laughed.

"Honestly, you're still so formal with me! You could have just told me you wanted to come back! And sending a resume!"

"What, finally willing to leave Lily?" Joanna teased.

When people found out I had quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom, many didn't understand.

In their eyes, I was a true career woman.

How could a career woman suddenly decide to give up her career to become a housewife, truly content with revolving around her husband and child?

Of course I wasn't content! But I had no choice!

Everything was for Lily, for this family.

I thought my sacrifice would earn Liam's love. I thought Liam understood me.

I never imagined that in Liam's eyes, my sacrifice was nothing but a complete joke.

"Lily's older now, she doesn't need her mom around all the time," I said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"You, you're just too strong-willed, you want to do everything perfectly, even childcare. If you ask me, you should have sent Lily to daycare a long time ago. The teachers at daycare now are proper graduates from teaching programs;

their methods for educating children are far better than your half-baked attempts."

"Drop her off at 8 AM, pick her up at 5 PM, isn't that perfect?!"

"Bring her to the company, I'll keep an eye on her." Joanna chuckled.

To be honest, that was exactly what I had in mind.

Joanna's child was two years old this year. She had sent her child to daycare when she was six months old. There were four children in one class with two teachers.

Though the care might not be as meticulous as parental care, it was certainly much better than what the grandparents' generation could offer.

I asked Joanna for the daycare's contact information, and that same afternoon, I scheduled a trial class with the teacher.

I initially thought Lily would take a long time to adjust, but to my surprise, as soon as she saw so many children her age, she immediately started playing with them, barely even noticing me.

Seeing Lily adapt so well to group life, the worry in my heart finally eased.

That evening, Liam came home from work. As usual, he kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the couch.

"Chloe, I need water."

I poured a glass of water, walked over, and handed it to him.

He took a sip and immediately frowned. "Why is it cold? I wanted warm water!"

"Chloe, you're getting less and less careful!"

I almost laughed out loud. Careful?

Before we got married, he remembered exactly which day of the month I had my period and what my favorite foods were. Now, all he did was order me around and belittle me.

If we're talking about being careless, who was more careless than him?

"Liam, I'm going back to work," I said.

"What?" Liam looked at me in shock. "You're perfectly fine staying home, why suddenly want to go back to work? Work is exhausting!"

I hummed, sitting on the couch. "Lily's older now, she doesn't need me with her all day. I've been out of the workforce for a year; it's time to go back."

"No!" Liam immediately refused. "If you go to work, what about Lily?"

"Daycare," I said.

"No! Who sends such a young child to daycare? Chloe, how could you be so heartless?!"

Me, heartless? Lily was over a year old, had he ever bought her a toy? A can of formula? A piece of clothing? Now he calls "me" heartless?!

"Liam, I'm heartless? Are you not heartless?"

"Lily has been sleeping with me since she was six months old. Have you ever comforted her once at night?"

Liam was speechless, his face flushing. He stammered, "But I have to work!"

I nodded.

"Well, now I'm going back to work too. So, starting today, taking care of Lily is "your" turn!"