I send my mother 1.5 million pesos monthly for my postpartum wife. Coming home early, I found my wife eating spoiled rice with fish heads. Furious, I confronted my mom, who sneered, “She doesn’t deserve better.” Then, I checked the family safe and found…

the front door while the sun was still high. I pictured myself sinking into the mattress beside her, claiming my son from her tired arms, and watching her consume a hot, uninterrupted meal while I stood guard.

But as I walked out of the factory gates and into the blinding midday sun, a strange, creeping sensation began to crawl up the back of my neck.continue reading …