Me, The Lying Husband

My name is Romi, a widower with two daughters, who is now happily married again to the woman of my dreams. My joy is complete with the blessing of a baby boy, born from the woman I adore.

“Thank you for giving me such a handsome son, love. His nose is as sharp as yours, and his skin is so fair,” I said to Tiana, my wife, who was still lying weak in bed after just giving birth.

Tiana replied with a soft smile while gently stroking my head as I kissed the back of her hand.

I was overjoyed to finally have a son, something I had longed for. I couldn't stop cradling my son, whom I named Jazaa.

"Babe, Jazaa’s diapers are running out. Could you please buy some after work?" Tiana asked as I was about to leave for the office.

"Sure, love. I’ll get them later. I’m off now. Bye, Honey!" I made sure to plant a kiss on my wife’s cheek before leaving.

I've been living with her for four years now, and not once have I been disappointed by her actions. She’s an obedient and gentle wife, and I feel truly blessed.

“Rom, increase the monthly allowance for Keisya and Freya, okay? Their needs keep growing. There’s always something they ask for,” my mother complained over the phone.

"Okay, Mom. I’ll add more."

“Oh, and don’t forget to increase my allowance as well. Consider it a small fee for taking care of your kids."

I always complied with my mother’s requests. There was no point in arguing or refusing she had a strong will. I’d tried to say no once, but I ended up giving in anyway. It’s exhausting to argue with her since she never backs down or admits she's wrong.

After work, I visited my mother's house, where my twin daughters lived. Their mother disappeared when they were just two months old, vanishing without a trace.

My mother helped me raise them until they turned seven. Once I felt I’d been single long enough, I decided to marry again, this time to my long-time crush, Tiana. She was the girl I used to admire from afar, often teasing her when she walked past my hangout spot on her way to school. But I didn’t just tease her—I genuinely fell for her.

Back then, I had planned to propose after we finished school, but she was arranged to marry the village head’s son, a handsome young man. Clearly, I couldn’t compete in looks. After all, I was just an orphan with average appearance. But I handled my heartbreak well, choosing to focus on my education rather than resort to bad habits. I earned scholarships, pursued my career abroad, and eventually met Nesya, the mother of my twins.

I married Nesya without knowing what had happened to Tiana, thinking she was already happily married. But to my surprise, she never married after her fiancé died in an accident. Whether by fate or divine design, she remained single even as I spent seven years as a widower.

I gathered the courage to visit her parents to introduce myself. Tiana and I had never really spoken before, though I had admired her from a distance. Her parents welcomed me warmly, and I saw Tiana smile sweetly at me, which only fueled my determination to marry her. After a few months of getting to know each other, we tied the knot.

Our wedding was grand, even more extravagant than my previous one with Nesya. It wasn’t Tiana’s wish for it to be so lavish, it was mine, a celebration of finally marrying my dream girl.

A week after the wedding, I brought Tiana to the modest house I had built with my savings. I had constructed it a year before, intending it for our future life together. Thankfully, the plan became a reality, and I succeeded in making Tiana my wife. My mother, however, refused to move in with us, preferring to stay in my father’s old house with my twin daughters.

"Let your daughters stay with me. I don’t trust your new wife to take good care of them," she said. My mother had been against my remarriage from the start, though I was unsure if it was because of Tiana or just her unwillingness to see me marry again.

I didn’t dwell too much on my mother’s words. After all, I could visit them every day since her house was only a few doors down.

"Keisya, Freya, come home! How could you leave your grandmother alone?" my mother shouted when my daughters played at our house with Tiana.

“Papa, Mama Tia, we’re heading home now,” Keisya said.

I was never certain why my mother didn’t like Tiana. To me, she was a great stepmother. Keisya and Freya seemed comfortable with her, but my mother couldn’t bear to see their closeness. After my son was born, she refused to visit our home to see him. Instead, she insisted I bring Jazaa to her without Tiana.

"Why don’t you come visit us, Mom? You haven’t even been to my house since we got married," I asked her during one of my visits with Jazaa.

"I’d feel awkward, son. I wouldn’t want to be a burden on your wife, especially since she just gave birth. She’d have to go out of her way to prepare things for me."

"Prepare what? She’s not a helpless person. She’s already able to do things like usual, even if still a bit limited."

"Oh, my sweet grandson. My handsome little man. He looks just like his papa—so fair and clean," my mother said, taking Jazaa from my arms and ignoring what I said.

I smiled weakly as she complimented his looks, comparing him to me. It was far from the truth. His fair skin was nothing like mine; only his thick eyebrows and hair came from me.

“Tiana will come here with me next time, okay?”

“No need. She just had a baby. Let her rest at home. It’s bad luck for new mothers to be out and about.”

“She’s only coming here, Mom. It’s not like we’re going far. Just a short walk.”

“You’re always so stubborn. Just listen to your mother for once, will you?”

That was always how it went whenever I tried to bring Tiana over to meet my mother. After the wedding, they’d only spoken once during the traditional post-wedding ceremony, and even then, it was just small talk.

“Papaaa!” Keisya and Freya yelled, running toward me.

“Hello, my princesses. Where have you been?”

"Playing, Dad, in the backyard. Where’s Mama Tia?" Freya asked.

"Yeah, Dad. Why didn’t she come with you?" Keisya added.

I glanced at my mother. “Mama’s resting, sweetie. You can visit her tomorrow, or do you want to stay over tonight?” I suggested.

“Yesss! The last time we stayed over was right after you and Mama Tia got married. After that, we weren’t allowed anymore, right?” Freya said, turning to Keisya, who nodded.

"Not allowed by whom?" I asked.

"Oh, enough of that. You’re all too noisy. Go wash your hands and feet. Look at how dirty you are, playing in the dirt again,” my mother interrupted.

Keisya and Freya looked a bit annoyed but obeyed anyway. That’s how it was—no one dared to go against my mother, and my daughters weren’t the rebellious type.

"Babe!"

To be continued...

"Babe! Excuse me!."

"Ya, Tiana? What brings you here?" I asked, surprised.

Tiana didn’t answer. She walked straight to my mom and kissed her hand. "Halo. How are you, Mom?" she asked.

"Hm. Fine," Mom replied curtly.

Tiana lowered her head, and I could see the disappointment on her face.

“Na, why did you come here? Missing Jazaa or missing me?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“Sorry for coming here unannounced. Um, Mas, you have visitors. Your colleagues,” she said flatly, not responding to my teasing. Meanwhile, Mom just pursed her lips, clearly disapproving.

"Oh, they must be here to see Jazaa. We did plan this earlier. Alright, let's go home. Sorry, Mom, I have to take your champion now. Maybe we’ll come back next year," I said jokingly.

"Next year? You ungrateful child! Trying to keep your son away from his grandmother, huh?"

"Let’s go, dear," I urged Tiana.