On my birthday, I bought myself the latest iPhone.
Since it was difficult to get a taxi in the busy downtown area, I called my boyfriend Ivan Taylor to come pick me up.
The moment he saw me, Ivan's face darkened. We drove back in silence.
His family wasn't well-off, and he would nag me endlessly every time I went shopping downtown.
Last time I invited him to watch a movie and chose VIP seats, spending $300 for the two of us. He was so angry he didn't talk to me for half a day, constantly complaining that I was wasteful.
At that time, I was actually somewhat relieved, thinking I had found a boyfriend who cared about our future.
But as time went on, I felt something was off, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
At a red light, Ivan suddenly spoke up:
"Why didn't you tell me beforehand about switching to an iPhone? It's such a big deal."
I was confused: "Is buying a phone really such a big deal? Besides, I told you on the phone right after I bought it. Since when do I need your approval to buy a phone? I spent my own money."
"I've told you before, people who use iPhones are just vain. How much did this one cost? Three or four thousand dollars, right? You could buy two or three Android phones for that price."
Ivan's tone was lecturing, which irritated me. I blurted out the price: "I got the latest model, it was two thousand dollars."
"Molly, what did you say? Say that again!"
Ivan's anger came out of nowhere. He didn't even care that we were on a busy street.
Seeing people around us looking over curiously, I tugged at his sleeve in embarrassment:
"Can't we talk somewhere private? It's just a phone, why are you making such a big deal?"
"How is it not a big deal?" Ivan abruptly stopped his bike by the roadside and refused to move: "I never realized you were so vain. Buying a phone costs half a year's living expenses for me, do you know that?"
"My mom raised me all these years, and I've never bought her anything this expensive."
"You, on the other hand, so easily bought a phone. Our family can't afford such an extravagant daughter-in-law."
"You need to return this phone right now, buy some health supplements for my mom, and I'll pretend this never happened. Otherwise, I'll have to seriously reconsider our future together."
Being accused like this out of nowhere made me angry, but thinking about Ivan's logic also made me laugh.
"Every mom has it tough, everyone should make it up to their own mom. We're just boyfriend and girlfriend, so I don't need to bear the burden of your mom's hardships. But if you worked harder, maybe your mom could use such a nice phone too."
"Don't you think?"
At this, Ivan completely lost it.
He reached out and forcefully pulled me off the back of the bike: "Since you want to draw such clear lines, I don't need to give you a ride anymore. You can take a taxi home yourself."
With that, Ivan picked up his bike and stormed off, leaving me standing alone at the traffic light, caught between laughter and disbelief.
It was already early fall, and the evenings were getting chilly. I had to walk all the way home like this.
The house I live in was recently purchased by my mom. Considering my work commute wasn't convenient, she bought a place close to my company – a small two-bedroom apartment, just perfect for a single girl.
When my cousin Daisy from my aunt's side found out, she begged my mom to let her move in too.
My mom, thinking that both Daisy and I had just graduated from college and rent would be a big expense, let Daisy move in rent and utilities-free.
When I got home, there was something off about Daisy's expression.
I ignored it and looked at my phone, which had been buzzing non-stop.
It was Ivan, bombarding me with messages.
To be honest, as long as money wasn't involved, Ivan had always been a pretty good potential husband.
He was gentle and considerate. Although not traditionally handsome, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes that were quite pleasing to look at.
Ivan and I met in the music club. At that time, I thought he was straightforward and gentlemanly in everything he did, so I boldly pursued him. Under my persistent advances, we smoothly became a couple.
For these two years, Ivan had always been a good boyfriend.
As I was hesitating, Daisy passed by my room door again.
I was a bit annoyed: "Daisy, what are you trying to do? You've passed by my door eleven times in the last ten minutes."
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Daisy awkwardly spoke up: "I just went to take out the trash, and Ivan has been waiting for you at the door."
I walked to the peephole and looked out. Sure enough, Ivan was crouching on the ground looking exhausted, with cigarette butts at his feet and my favorite fried chicken in his hand.
Seeing him like this, it was hard not to soften a bit.
I unlocked the door: "Come in and sit."
I still didn't give him a friendly look.
After all, Ivan's reaction this evening was really too abnormal.
If he couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, I was also considering whether we could continue our relationship.
Seeing that I still wasn't speaking, Ivan sat next to me, wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gently persuaded:
"Baby, you know I'm from a single-parent family. My mom had a hard time raising me. I didn't mean to leave you there this afternoon, I just felt a bit hurt when I heard you talk about my mom."
"The thing I regret most in my life is not being able to succeed in my career and let my mom live a life of luxury. But luckily, I've met such a wonderful girlfriend like you."
"And the reason I didn't want you to buy an iPhone was also for the sake of our future. If it were someone else, I wouldn't care what they buy, it's none of my business. But because you're my future wife, I can't let you spend money recklessly."
"I want to have a serious life with you, that's why I got so upset and said those things."
I mentally rolled my eyes and couldn't help but ask:
"So what do you think I should do with the money after returning the iPhone?"
"Of course, buy health supplements for my mom, then buy me a new computer. Oh, baby, we need decent shoes for business receptions, so buy me a new pair of shoes too."
Seeing Ivan's eager expression, I took a deep breath, resisting the urge to slap him.
This guy was still trying to fool me at a time like this.
This money was a waste when I spent it on an iPhone for myself, but when it's used to buy health supplements for his mom and a computer for him, it's suddenly money well spent.
I couldn't help but reflect on myself. Did I usually act like such a fool that he thought he could deceive me with such low-level manipulation?
I didn't continue talking with Ivan, using fatigue as an excuse to send him away.
As soon as Ivan left, another drama was about to unfold.
Daisy, who had been eavesdropping from her room, opened her door and abruptly asked: "Cousin, did you and Ivan have a fight? Are you two breaking up?"
I was too annoyed to entertain her curiosity, and answered dismissively, "Maybe."
I don't know if it was my imagination, but as she closed the door, I caught a glimpse of relief on Daisy's face.
Lying exhausted on the bed, after mulling it over, I still decided to call my mom and tell her about today's situation.
I felt very confused: "Mom, do you think using an iPhone is really being vain?"
On the other end of the phone, mom was silent for a moment, then spoke with a serious tone:
"Molly, true love can indeed cross class boundaries, but being well-matched is also very important. A phone worth ten thousand dollars might not be much for our family, but what about for Ivan? If you still decide to be with him, you must be prepared for a downgrade in your lifestyle."
"Moreover, you're just dating now, he shouldn't interfere so much. And I don't agree with what he said about his other colleagues using iPhones and dressing up flashily."
"It's your own money, spend it how you like."
"The money dad and I give you is meant to help you live a better life. Our family doesn't need you to scrimp and save, sacrificing yourself."
After hanging up the phone, I felt tears welling up.
Actually, what my mom said was true. My mom alone owns two restaurants and a small supermarket, while my dad started his own business and his company is quite well-known locally.
The monthly allowance they give me, I can't even spend it all.
As for Ivan, both his parents are ordinary workers.
I've never held his family background against him, but he can't drag my consumption down to his level just because his family situation is average.
After thinking it over and over, I finally decided to break up with Ivan.
But we work in the same company and are known as the model couple. If I suddenly bring up breaking up now, firstly I'm afraid it will affect work, and secondly I don't know what colleagues will gossip about.
Moreover, Ivan has always behaved quite properly at the company. Without a compelling reason, I'm afraid it would end badly for both of us.
I can only bide my time and plan my next move.
Ivan didn't know what I was thinking. The next morning he cheerfully bought me breakfast and asked me to go for a walk.
While eating, he kept hinting that his only pair of designer leather shoes had come unglued, and he had an important client meeting tomorrow.
Of course I knew what Ivan was hinting at, but I deliberately played dumb.
Ivan seemed a bit unhappy, a calculating gleam in his eyes. Then, feigning intimacy, he held my hand and said:
"Baby, we've been together for so long now. For the sake of our future marriage, how about we pool our money and save it together?"
"I originally wanted to put all the money with you, but girls, you know, always can't control your urge to shop. So I feel it would be better to keep it with me."
"When you need something, just ask me. As long as I approve it's no problem, I'll transfer it to you. What do you think?"
The bread in my mouth nearly choked me.
His scheme was as subtle as a sledgehammer!
I let go of Ivan's hand, and even the bun in my hand lost its appeal: "Why do I need your approval to use my own money?"
To my surprise, Ivan was even angrier than me: "It's because you have no concept of budgeting. You casually buy an iPhone for two thousand, if you thought about our future at all, you wouldn't do this."
I was speechless and didn't want to say more to him.
Just as I was about to turn and leave, Ivan suddenly scooped me up in his arms.
We were in a small park with a man-made lake nearby. Though not very big, for someone like me who can't swim, falling in would be disastrous for me.
Ivan knew I was afraid of water, and deliberately extended his whole arm, suspending me over the water surface.
I clung to his arm for dear life.
Looking at the water below, I felt dizzy and could only compromise:
"You… you put me down first, we can talk about anything."
After putting me down, Ivan said smugly: "See? I could have thrown you into the water, but I didn't. It shows I can hurt you anytime if I want to."
"But I won't easily hurt you. Now you see how good I am to you, can you trust me with your savings?"
I took two steps back to make sure I was a safe distance from the lake, then kicked Ivan hard in the crotch.
Seeing him kneeling on the ground, face contorted in pain, I felt a surge of secret satisfaction. But I still put on an act of being bullied and upset by him as I ran away.
Back home, I was still shaken.
Seeing my unusual expression, Daisy curiously asked what happened.
I angrily told her what had just occurred, including how Ivan nearly threw me into the water and wanted me to hand over my salary.
Throughout the whole time I was venting, Daisy remained silent.
After I finished, she suddenly came out with: "Molly, it must be exhausting to be in a relationship with you."
I was dumbfounded.
She took my silence as reflection and started lecturing non-stop: "It's normal for a boyfriend to joke around with you, but you got so angry you even kicked him. Ivan must feel very wronged as your boyfriend."
"And handing over your salary is such a small matter. When two people are together, they should plan for the future. It's not unreasonable for Ivan to want to manage the money. With your reckless spending, you'll eventually bankrupt the family."
"Ivan is thinking for you, and you don't even appreciate it. I really feel bad for him."
This person… is her brain functioning properly?
Our ways of thinking are not on the same level. Continuing to argue with her would be pointless.
I carelessly tossed out: "You're a bit of a doormat, aren't you?" Then I went back to my bedroom and closed the door. Soon after, I heard the sound of a door slamming next door. Looks like she's fuming.
But I'm also curious. As my cousin, Daisy has an inseparable blood relation with me. Why does she always side with Ivan in everything?
Little did I know, the answer to this question would reveal itself sooner than I expected, and in a way I never anticipated.
For the next week, Ivan and I didn't meet, and we didn't even exchange messages. I must have kicked him harder than I thought, and if I didn't take the initiative to apologize to Ivan, he would never forgive me.
But that was fine by me. I was relishing the peace and quiet.
One night as I was going to bed, I suddenly remembered that the price of gold had gone up recently. I had an old gold bracelet that I was planning to melt down and remake into a necklace and earrings set.
I opened the compartment in my wardrobe, but the box that should have contained my gold bracelet was nowhere to be found.
Inside was only a plain hand chain, with signs of discoloration around the edges, clearly worn for a long time.
Although Daisy and I both have keys to the front door, only Ivan and I have keys to my bedroom. During happier times, I had given him a spare key, and I lock my bedroom every day when I go out, so only Ivan could have come in.
Without hesitation, I called him. On the other end, Ivan sounded somewhat smug.
"Oh, you know you were wrong and are calling to apologize? Looks like the cold shoulder treatment works after all. You women just need to be put in your place."
I didn't want to waste words with him and got straight to the point: "What happened to my gold bracelet from my wardrobe, and what's this worn-out hand chain doing there?"
Ivan admitted it rather frankly: "Didn't you agree last time that we'd put our money together? So I took the bracelet. When my mom found out, she even specially gave you the hand chain she's worn for many years. You should be glad to have such a thoughtful mother-in-law."
"I don't want to argue with you. Just quickly return the gold bracelet to me."
"I've already sold it. I'm saving the money for you, it's like our dating fund. In the future, my bride price will also come from this dating fund."
Ivan spoke as if it was perfectly reasonable, but I was laughing with anger: "Why should my gold bracelet be used for your bride price? You're trying to get a free ride, you know?"
"How can this be a free ride? Molly, I think you're just too self-absorbed."
"You should learn from your cousin. It's strange, you're blood relatives, how can you two be so different in personality? Daisy is as gentle as a flower, while you always calculate everything in a relationship. It's really tiring being with you."
"If it's tiring, then let's break up. I'll give you two choices now: either I report this to the police, or you return the gold bracelet immediately."
"The ball's in your court!"
Just as I was about to hang up, Ivan's panicked voice came through the phone:
"Molly, can you stop being so unreasonable? Why do you always threaten me with breaking up? Is that fun for you? If you hadn't bought that two-thousand-dollar iPhone, would I have had to think of ways to save money for you? I'm doing this all for your own good, and you're not even grateful."
Unbelievable, when did thieves become so audacious?
Seeing that there was no reasoning with Ivan, I directly dialed the police.
Ivan arrived with the police when they stepped out of the elevator.
His face was dark with anger. Upon seeing me, he immediately started accusing: "Molly, how can you be so inconsiderate? Is it necessary to involve the police in a minor lovers' spat?"
I looked at the police with sincere eyes: "This isn't a lovers' quarrel, he stole my bracelet worth thirty thousand dollars."
The police took notes according to the situation and regulations. When questioning Ivan, he adamantly denied stealing, and kept slandering me: "My girlfriend is just being immature. Last time I was joking around and made her angry, now she's trying to get revenge on me."
"What gold bracelet? It's just a cheap hand chain she put in a fancy box to show off."
The police sighed: "Couples shouldn't let the sun go down on their anger. If you really took something, it's better to come clean. After all, thirty thousand isn't a small amount. Even if your relationship is good, you should still ask for permission first."
Ivan lied without blushing or his heart racing: "There's no such thing, officer. Sorry to trouble you with coming all this way. I'll have a serious talk with my girlfriend."
With composure, I played a recording on my phone.
"I just took the bracelet. My mom even gave you the hand chain she's worn for many years to replace it. You should be grateful to have such a mother-in-law."
Ivan's equally shameless voice quietly played in the bedroom. The police's expression hardened as they looked at him, but he still stubbornly argued: "I'm her boyfriend, we're going to get married in the future. What's wrong with taking her gold bracelet? When we're married, what's mine is hers and what's hers is mine, right?"
"I'm doing this for her own good. She's so wasteful now, if I bring her home after marriage, won't she bankrupt my family? I need to control her spending from when she's my girlfriend, so she can be a good wife in the future."
These outrageous statements even made the police laugh: "Do you know what thirty thousand means? If this young lady insists on pursuing this, you could be looking at a two-year all-inclusive stay courtesy of the state."
Ivan, who had been acting tough at first, started to cower when he heard about going in for two years.
I held out my hand: "Two choices, either give me the money or give me the bracelet."
Ivan's bravado evaporated: "I don't have the money anymore. I've spent all the money from selling the gold bracelet."
Under further questioning by the police, we finally learned that after Ivan sold my gold bracelet, he immediately ordered a custom-made Italian suit and shoes for himself, and spent the rest of the money on a new computer setup.
Thinking about how he had previously lectured me about wasting money, I couldn't help but find it darkly amusing.
It turns out he wasn't really upset about me spending money, he was just upset that the money wasn't being spent on him.
Ivan's tone turned pleading: "Baby, don't be angry, okay? When I get my salary next month, I'll pay you back a portion first, alright?"
I waved my phone: "If we don't resolve this issue today, I won't hesitate to let this recording make the rounds at our company."
The last trace of tenderness disappeared from Ivan's face, and he stared at me with intense hatred.
"Molly, are you sure you want to push things this far over such a small amount of money?"
"If you don't care about this small amount of money, then you shouldn't have stolen it," I retorted without fear.
Probably fearing the pressure from the police, Ivan immediately maxed out his credit limit to repay part of the money, and borrowed the rest from other colleagues. He was known as a nice guy in the company, so borrowing a bit of money wasn't a problem.
After the money was transferred, Ivan received a stern lecture from the police. While he avoided a criminal record, it was enough to cause our relationship to break down completely.
Before leaving, Ivan didn't forget to lecture me one last time.
"A cold-hearted and selfish woman like you, without me, you'll be on your own."
I laughed indifferently: "A man who lives off women like you, I hope you find someone rich to leech off soon."
After Ivan repaid the thirty thousand dollars in full, I added a bit more and bought myself a small Chanel bag.
When the express delivery arrived, I wasn't home, so Daisy signed for it.
I opened the package in the living room. Daisy pretended to be watching TV, but her eyes were practically glued to my delivery box.
When she saw me take out the luxury brand bag, a complex expression immediately appeared on her face, and she directly turned off the TV and went back to her bedroom.
Not even two minutes later, Ivan's phone call came through.
As soon as I picked up, I could almost see Ivan's face contorted with rage just from his voice.
"Molly, are you doing this on purpose? I'm your boyfriend, you have so much money you're willing to buy yourself a luxury brand bag, but you're not willing to buy me a set of suits to make me look presentable?"
"Do you know how many suits I could buy with the price of your bag?"
"How did I end up with such a self-centered gold digger? Other people always think of ways to take care of their boyfriends, I've never seen a woman like you!"
In this situation, arguing with him would only put me at a disadvantage.
So I affected a tone of mock surprise: "Wow, can you believe it? How can there still be men in this day and age who have meltdowns because they can't take advantage of their girlfriends?"
"What can I say, my family is just very wealthy."
"I'd rather buy a bag… than spend money on you. And about that boyfriend thing, you're being too polite. Consider yourself my ex-boyfriend as of now."
As Ivan's insults got increasingly vulgar, I simply hung up the phone.
Right now, the most urgent matter wasn't Ivan, but dealing with the traitor in my midst.
I knocked on Daisy's door. When she looked at me, there was a momentary flicker of guilt in her eyes: "What do you want?"
"What do I want? You have the nerve to ask me that?"
I stormed into Daisy's room, stuffed all her clothes and cosmetics into plastic bags, then roughly pulled her out by the arm.
Daisy immediately started screaming loudly: "What are you doing, Molly? How dare you kick me out? Do you want me to tell my mom about this?"
I gave her a hard slap across the face. My expression must have been fierce because she suddenly fell silent.
"How dare I? Because this house is mine. I've been letting you stay here without paying a cent for rent or utilities, and you repay me by stabbing me in the back. I was wondering how Ivan always seemed to know everything so quickly. What, you like Ivan or something? You've been feeding him information behind my back?"
"He's nothing but a lowlife. Is he really worth you pulling these little stunts?"
"Who's pulling stunts?" Daisy defiantly retorted.
I moved closer to her: "Don't think I don't know how Ivan got hold of that bracelet. Be careful, or I might just send the security camera footage to the family group chat. Let's see if you'll have the face to go home after that."
"Or how about this: swear on your life that you have no feelings whatsoever for Ivan. If you do that, I'll let you move back in. How about it?"
Daisy hemmed and hawed for a long time, but couldn't bring herself to say a word. In the end, she could only glare at me fiercely, gather her belongings, and run away.
I called my mom to tell her about Daisy's betrayal.
Mom sighed: "You don't need to worry about maintaining harmony among relatives. I'll talk to your aunt. If we have to fall out, then we fall out. Nobody gets away with mistreating my precious daughter."
"It's also good that you've used this opportunity to break things off with Ivan. He really wasn't a good match. Although our family doesn't look down on people for being poor, character is of utmost importance. Clearly, Ivan has no character."
"We are educated, modern women. We absolutely cannot be deceived by such scumbags."
Every time I encounter difficulties, talking with my mom always helps me feel much better.
Although Ivan and I still work in the same company, we've become complete strangers to each other.
