At my wedding, just five minutes before I was about to appear, my mother-in-law pulled me aside and whispered, "Dear daughter, after the wedding, should you return the $20,000 bride price?"
I was taken aback. "What do you mean? Haven't we already returned the bride price? We only kept $20,000."
Considering that my husband Jackson's family isn’t wealthy, the bride price was supposed to be $188,000 plus three pieces of gold jewelry. My family only accepted $100,000 without the jewelry and even returned $88,000, keeping only $20,000 out of courtesy.
"I know it!" my mother-in-law said sharply. "I’m referring to the $20,000 that your family kept!"
I was stunned. "What do you mean, Mom? Our family only kept a little over $20,000. If I return it, we will have nothing left!"
"Do you think you can have a daughter-in-law for free?" she retorted.
"Look at you, why are you getting angry again!" she said, clearly unhappy. "I don’t intend to keep this $20,000. I'm worried you might spend extravagantly, so I want to help you save it and return it to you when you really need it!"
"Besides, it's not as if you have nothing left. Your family still has $2,000!"
At that moment, a hotel waiter hurried over. "The bride is supposed to be on stage now. You’ll be late if you don’t go soon."
I glanced at the time. There was still a minute left.
"Mom, can we talk after the ceremony? I need to get ready to go on stage."
Before I could move, my mother-in-law grabbed my wrist firmly. "No! You must promise me today, or I won’t let you go."
I was anxious, my forehead damp with sweat. The thought of a potential disruption to the wedding was worrying me, and I knew my parents would be upset if something went wrong.
The waiter looked at me nervously.
I gritted my teeth. "Okay, I’ll transfer the money to you after the ceremony."
My mother-in-law’s expression brightened instantly. She gave me a reassuring push. "All right, mother won’t hurt you. I’m only looking out for your best interests. Now, go!"
Rushing against the clock, I finally made it to the stage. The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and the officiant set a perfect tone for the occasion.
"Now, let our bride and groom exchange rings!" the officiant announced.
Amid the cheers of our relatives and friends, the best man and bridesmaid approached with two ring boxes. As I raised my left hand, Jackson remained still, not moving.
I noticed something was off with Jackson and frowned, asking, "What’s going on, Jack? Why are you spacing out?" He took my hand and began to speak quietly. "What are you trying to say? There are so many people watching us!" I was already on edge and sweating with anxiety.
"Sunny, you know about my cousin, right?" Jackson whispered. I was confused about why he was bringing up his cousin at a time like this.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Here's the situation, Sunny. My cousin is getting married to his girlfriend next year, but their family isn’t well-off, and they don’t have their own apartment yet…"
"So?" Jackson looked at me expectantly. "My mom wants us to transfer one of our apartments to him!"
"What did you say?!" I couldn't help but raise my voice. What did Jackson's cousin's marriage have to do with my husband’s family? And what did transferring an apartment mean? I glanced down at the audience. My parents looked at me with concern, mouthing questions about what was wrong. My mother-in-law, however, had a smug expression, as if everything was going according to plan.
It all became clear in an instant. I had been wondering why Jackson and my mother-in-law seemed so compliant with me about the wedding. It turned out they were waiting for this moment! First, they held me back before the entrance, using my urgency to ask for a return of the dowry. Now, during the ring exchange, they were demanding a house for their relative.
Jackson continued talking in my ear. "Sunny, our family works in real estate, so we don’t lack for houses. Look, my mom and I promised my cousin we would sort this out. We’d lose face if it’s not resolved soon…"
"Enough!" I interrupted, staring him down. "You and your mom are in this together, right?"
Jackson awkwardly touched his nose and answered, "Mainly my mom said you have to provide it, or she won’t let us get married."
The audience was already whispering, their hands covering their mouths. Jackson and I had met in college, both in the same year but different faculties. My family owns a real estate company and is the wealthiest in the city, while his family is ordinary working class. Everyone said I was superior to him in every way, whether it was family background or looks. I knew this to be true, but Jackson had always been kind to me, catering to my every whim.
Since we decided to marry, my family, considering his financial situation, didn’t ask him to provide a house. I provided the three pieces of gold jewelry myself, and even the dowry was essentially a gift. My parents believed that being good to his family now would prevent future issues. I thought so too, but I never expected such shameless and escalating demands from them!
As Jackson spoke, he reached out to hold my hand again. I pulled away, raised my hand, and slapped his face. The sharp “snap” echoed, leaving him stunned and the audience gasping.
"Who's 'we'?" I shouted, ripping off my veil and throwing it at him. "I marry you, and now I have to provide a house for your cousin?"
"I’ve accommodated you time and time again, and this is how you repay me? Why should I pay for the mess you and your mom created? Do I owe you anything?"
Jackson’s mother, who had somehow made her way onto the stage, shielded him and pointed a finger at me. "Sunny Lee, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Seeing my parents about to approach, I waved them back, glared at Jackson’s mother, and said firmly, "I’m done with this broken marriage. Whoever wants it can have it. I’m not putting up with this anymore!"
If they want to create trouble, fine—I’ll accommodate them!
I was trembling with anger, but my mind was incredibly clear.
While the scene wasn't yet in chaos, I pulled my parents out of the banquet hall without looking back.
It wasn't until I got into the car that I couldn't control myself and burst into tears.
I had thought that after marrying Jackson, we would live a good life together.
I would start my own business, and he would get a job at his desired company through my introduction.
But I never imagined that Jackson and his mother could be so shameless!
They didn't want to pay for the house, the car, or the dowry.
I put up with it.
But today they want to take advantage of the wedding to get a flat for free.
Just for their meaningless face!
My dad, always a calm man, was so angry that he swore bad words.
"Fuck, this family really regard themselves so popular, bastards!"
My mom kept comforting me, "It's good you didn't get married, it's good you didn't get married, our Sunny can't suffer this injustice, Mom and Dad will take you home!"
On the way home, my phone kept buzzing. Jackson and his mom were calling and texting me like crazy.
I found it disgusting and turned off my phone.
That night, Jackson texted me again after a brief period of quiet.
I skimmed through the previous messages, from feigning ignorance to fake apologies, and when I ignored him, he started to swear.
Every word was unbearable.
Heh…
So this was his true color, a master of changing faces.
Immediately, Jackson called me.
He must not have expected me to answer, he was stunned for a moment, then directly asked me, "Sunny, what are you trying to do? I just said a few more words when I was putting the ring on you, right? My mom has never hit me since I was a kid, how dare you hit me?!"
"And you know how embarrassing it was for me after you left? It made me and my mom lose all face!"
After the extreme anger subsided, my mood was calm like water. I didn't say anything, I just quietly listened to him go crazy on the other end of the phone.
After a while, Jackson's attitude suddenly softened.
"Sunny, I know you're mad because I didn't discuss it with you beforehand, but it happened suddenly, my cousin has been my friend since we were kids, and I can't just stand by and watch him struggle!"
"We're a family now, why are we dropping boundaries? Let's talk it over, we can even transfer a smaller condo to him."
I laughed at him, he's still thinking about the property after all this?
Before I could speak, I vaguely heard Jackson's mother's voice next to him.
"Jack, don't just talk to her about the house, we also need her to pay the balance for the hotel we booked for the wedding reception this afternoon!"
Oh right, when we booked that banquet hall, I only paid 80,000, and there was still a balance of 8,000.
I sneered and said, "Okay, I can pay the balance, but Jackson, you have to return the car I loaned you."
Before graduating from college, Jackson was preparing for a job interview. He told me he didn't want to commute everyday by subway because it makes him look embarrassed.
At the time, I thought what he said made sense. After all, the subway is crowded, and it's not very convenient for trips. It also doesn't look good when meeting clients. So, I lent him the small Bentley my dad gave me, and he's been driving it ever since.
Jackson was silent for a moment, then started yelling, "Sunny Lee, what exactly do you want to do? I already apologized, what do you want from me?”
"Isn't it just a broken-down car? You think I really care?"
"You're looking down on me, aren't you? It's just a car worth 500,000 dollars, do you have to be so petty about it?"
I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to swear back, "That's my car, and I absolutely have to be petty about it."
"Give me a straight answer, when are you going to return it?"
He hung up the phone immediately after I finished speaking. I knew he would react like this. When I drove the car over to him, he sat in it for over an hour and wouldn't get out. Because of that car, everyone at his company thought he was a rich second-generation heir experiencing life, and he got a lot of flattery.
Once you wear a mask for too long, it becomes your face. Jackson definitely wouldn't easily give up that feeling. The next morning, I went to the apartment that Jackson and I had rented together before our wedding. Because our new house was under renovation, we had temporarily rented an apartment near his work.
When we were renting it, Jackson said he was a bit strapped for cash and asked if I could cover the first month's rent. He said he would split it with me once he got paid after starting his job. Without hesitation, I agreed. I felt bad for him having to struggle for a living, so I transferred him 3,000 dollars to get by first. From that day on, he never paid a single cent in rent. I was the one paying it all.
Now, I really want to slap myself hardly！I totally was love-stricken, and not aware of his tricks!
But it's good this way. The lease agreement only has my name on it, so the process of moving out was smooth. I didn't have to get Jackson's consent. Before leaving, I transferred another 2,000 dollars to the landlord. He's a kind-hearted guy, and as soon as he saw what I was doing, he started asking me if I was having trouble with my boyfriend, since I looked in no shape. I didn't tell him the details, but I asked him to use the 2,000 dollars to buy a new door lock. Any style would do, as long as it was installed before tonight. The landlord readily agreed and said he would take Jackson's things out and change the lock today. That night, before I went to bed, I received a photo from the landlord. The lock was completely changed, and Jackson's luggage was piled up outside the door. My mood immediately improved. I'm not going to let him take advantage of me financially, not only in terms of renting, it would be disrespectful to money itself if I let him take even a single cent from me. Around eleven or twelve o'clock, my parents and I were awoken by a loud and urgent knocking on the door. Outside, Jackson and his mother were shouting. "Sunny Lee, get out here! I know you're home! Get out here!" My mother was terrified, and she kept pulling me away from the door. My dad, who is rarely angry, flushed red in the face. Before I could stop him, he kicked a mop handle to break it and then opened the door. Jackson was startled by my dad's forceful presence, then, encouraged by his mother, he questioned me, "Sunny Lee, did you have to be so cruel? You moved out without saying anything, where am I supposed to live?!" "I didn't do anything to you, why are you making such a fuss? You're being so unreasonable!" What? Did I hear that right? He's saying I'm being unreasonable?!
"Who's being unreasonable? You guys take the cake!" I stood up and retorted emotionlessly, "From the moment we decided to get married, your family has been shamelessly claiming you're poor. My parents and I were understanding, I provided the house, I provided the car, I even returned your entire dowry, what more do you want?!"
"Jackson, don't you think we're still together? You've been eating and drinking off of me for years, now you want me to pay rent because we've broken up? Don't you think you're a royal prince?"
Jackson's face went white and red because of his embarrassment. He gave up pretending, glared at me, and was about to charge at me. My dad stepped in front, he is so tall and with a thick long stick, “Don't you dare touch my daughter!”
Jackson froze in his tracks, unable to move forward or back. Before he could speak, his mother cut him off.
She spat on the ground, her saliva splashing everywhere, "What the heck, don't think your money makes you better than anyone else! My Jack is handsome, capable, and countless girls like him wherever he goes. Who do you think you are?"
She got more and more agitated, gesticulating as she spoke, "Let me tell you, you're nothing to Jack. If it wasn't for your family's fucking …"
She suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
I could guess what she was about to say without even thinking. It's true what they say, people's true intentions will inevitably be revealed, especially when the speaker is careless and the listener is paying attention.
Hesitating for only a moment, she resumed her arrogant demeanor, sneering, "Besides, who knows where your money came from?" She glanced at my mother, " Women can also earn that kind of money by selling themselves?"
"What did you say?!" My mother instantly flared up. Usually, she is so gentle and timid, she flushed red and was about to burst into tears.
Damn it! You can insult me, but who gives you the nerve to insult my parents?!"
I bypassed my dad and went straight to Jackson’s mother and I raised my hand and slapped her in the face. She was immediately knocked off balance by my slap.
"Like mother, like son, what an immoral family with no shame, no manners”
“Your son is great, isn't he? He's got a bad looking, height is only 172cm, He's got no money and no ambition. The only thing he has going for him is his good job, and even that was something I got for him! Thanks to your true sides coming up, otherwise I wouldn’t have known he is so gross”
Thinking back, I must have been blinded by love. I was stupid. There are so many good men out there, Why I picked the worst of all?
I relentlessly exposed Jackson's most sensitive weaknesses. As soon as he heard this, he was completely enraged, He started swearing and was about to lunge at me.
Just then, the door of the next neighbor was opened.
“if you two scoundrels want to play, can you play during the day time? Don't you know what time it is? A man brings his mother to the ex-girlfriend's house to make trouble, shame on you!"
"I'm warning you, I heard everything you two said. The hallway has security cameras and I’m calling the police if you don’t leave right now!"
The neighbor’s words were serious, and Jackson cowered. He might not know the law, but he knew he was in the wrong. If the police arrived, neither he nor his mother would get anything out of this.
"Fine, you win!" Jackson pulled his mother, pointing to me and my parents gnashing his teeth, "gang up to bully me, ah!"
"Sunny Lee You'll regret this, this matter I won’t end with you, sooner or later you have to kneel down to beg me!"
After the chaos this night, I and Jackson are completely broken up. I thought they'd be able to stop for a few days, but as soon as I arrived at work on Monday, the front desk called me.
Boss, what's going on with those seniors downstairs? They all seem to be looking for you.
"Looking for me? I glanced down from the window.
Fine!
More than a dozen senior men and women in down jackets gathered downstairs, holding a banner that read, "Sunny Lee cheated people and took their money, she needs to die.” And standing in the centre position holding a horn to take the lead in the group, not others, is Jackson‘s mother! I took a deep breath, feeling my blood pressure skyrocketing. As soon as I stepped off the elevator, Jackson's mother, with exceptional eyesight, spotted me and started yelling into a loudspeaker with all her might.
"Everyone, come and see! Here's Sunny Lee, it's Sunny Lee! Quick, take photos of her and post it online!"
The company building was right on a bustling commercial street, with a constant flow of office workers and people out for leisure. Her shout immediately drew the attention of hundreds of people, causing a commotion near and far from the building.
This was exactly what she wanted. Seeing me walking towards her, she promptly plopped down on the ground, kicking her legs and wailing.
"Who can help me? Oh, Lord, you are blind! How could my son and I be so unfortunate?"
"My son gave her his heart, but she didn't appreciate it. And even worse, she exposed his flaws at the wedding! We've lost our money and reputation, how can I, an old woman, survive?"
I stood at the entrance, calmly observing her tantrum.
The onlookers, upon hearing her accusations, immediately began pointing fingers at me.
"Oh, this poor old woman. She has such bad luck, she ended up with such a vicious daughter-in-law!"
"I thought Sunny Lee was so pretty, but you can't judge a book by its cover. She has driven this family into such a state!"
Jackson's mother, undoubtedly hearing these comments, cast me a smug glance while rolling on the ground, then continued her dramatic crying and shouting.
I despise people who revel in their petty victories.
At the sight of her, my teeth trembled with anger. Such a self-destructive tactic, Killing one thousand enemies, lose eight hundred, only she could come up with such a stupid thing!
"Enough! " I snapped, losing all patience. "What's the point of throwing a tantrum in broad daylight outside my company?"
"I made things very clear two nights ago. Please, just think about it with a clear conscience. Since Jackson and I got together, how much did he give, and how much did I give?"
"Before we were together, Jackson's allowance was 1500 a month. After we got together, it was directly cut to 500. Don't think I don't know your motives. You just want to squeeze money out of me, right?!"
" Since we started dating, Jackson's food, clothing, housing, and transportation were almost all paid for by me. My monthly allowance is 6000, and 4000 of it went to him. When we were planning our wedding, first your family couldn't afford a house, then you couldn't afford a dowry. Did I say anything to my parents? I was always thinking about you!"
"And, you said I exposed Jackson's flaws at the wedding? Well, why don't you tell everyone what kind of demands you and your son made?"
"You wanted another 20,000 dollars back in dowry money, and you wanted my family to transfer a house to your relatives. What is this? Even a con artist wouldn't try to pull something like this!"
My parents taught me from a young age that sometimes face doesn't matter. Since things have come to this, tearing off the mask might not be the best solution, but it's definitely the most satisfying!
Jackson's mother, clearly surprised that I would expose everything, sat there stunned for a moment before letting out another howl.
"You're trying to kill me and my son! Why are you so vicious! Oh, God, come and judge me!"
I finally understood – Jackson's mother was here with the attitude that she wouldn't leave until she got her way.
"Fine, you want a judge, right?" I forced myself to calm down and decisively called security to call the police.
"The police will be here soon. I'll stay here with you today and wait for the police to judge you!"
The police arrived at the scene shortly after. As soon as I mentioned calling the police, all the other old folks who were making a scene with Jackson's mother – they all vanished like smoke. Only she and the curious onlookers remained.
"Who called the police?" the police officer asked as he walked towards us.
The moment Jackson's mother saw the officer's uniform, it was like she found a new lever to pull. She scrambled up from ground, and directly blocked the officer's path and started to snivel.
"Officer, please do me justice! Hurry and arrest this vile woman and throw her in jail."
Her words became more and more outrageous, and the police looked at her with a confused expression, clearly not understanding what she was saying.
I gave them a brief account of what happened, and of course, I took the opportunity to mention the matter of getting my car back.
The police pulled Jackson's mother to the side and tried to reason with her in a gentle voice: "Auntie, this is a public place. Personal grievances should be settled privately. But what you've done today is considered disrupting public order."
"Luckily, nothing serious happened. But if something unexpected had occurred, you would have been responsible! Just do me a favor, let's just let this go…"
Jackson's mother immediately got upset upon hearing this: "What are you police talking about? I just want justice for my son, is that wrong?"
"I know, Sunny Lee must have bribed you! No wonder you're all siding with her. Every single one of you is a bad person!"
The lead officer immediately put on a stern face and shouted: "I urge you to watch your language. Defaming public officials is a crime!"
He then turned to me and asked: "Ms. Li, please come with us to the police station to make a statement."
At the police station, Jackson's mother remained bafflingly confident. She banged on the table and accused me: "Why are you pinning this on me! It wasn't me who was causing trouble! I'm just an old woman. If it wasn't for Sunny Lee being such a shameless person, would I have gone to her workplace to find her?"
"I don't care what rules there are. She has to pay my son money! Emotional distress, lost wages… not a penny less!"
I burst out laughing.
She just opens her mouth and asks for five million?
And emotional distress compensation?
Does she want funeral expenses too?
I didn't bother arguing with her anymore. I stated my position directly: "Okay, you want someone to judge you, right?
"I see, no need for mediation. Just go to court and let them judge. It'll save me the trouble of trying to get my car back!"
As soon as I finished speaking, Jackson's mother's phone rang. I caught a glimpse of the caller ID: Jackson.
The mother and son spoke for a few minutes, and I vaguely heard her complain: "Why settle for this? Didn't you come up with this plan? I, your mother, have been running around all day!"
It dawned on me.
From the moment I saw them downstairs from my company, I felt something was off.
I had never told Jackson's mother where I worked. She wouldn't have known unless Jackson told her.
And as soon as I walked out, Jackson's mother had those people around her filming me and posting it online. She wouldn't have thought to use that tactic to pressure me unless someone had given her the idea.
So now, thinking about it, Jackson must be involved.
After hanging up the phone, Jackson's mother returned, looking a bit sheepish. "I've suddenly decided to settle. Hurry up and give me the money. I'm ready to sign!"
Before leaving, she glared at me and said in a high-pitched voice: "Sunny Lee, I'm telling you, you won't get away with this so easily!"
Well, that's convenient.
I have no intention of letting them off the hook either.
