Might as Well Not Marry
Today is the day I bring my boyfriend, Simon Collins, home for our engagement. The house was cleaned spotless early on; fresh fruit and tea were laid out on the coffee table, the air heavy with anticipation and a faint, underlying tension.
The living room was filled with relatives; aunts and distant female relatives gathered in small groups, speaking in hushed tones and occasionally glancing toward the door.
Father sat on the main redwood sofa, holding a teacup, his brow slightly furrowed and his expression complex, as if some heavy burden weighed on his heart.
Aunt Luna Lee wore a bright red dress and sat on the sofa near the door, her gaze constantly sweeping across the room.
The moment Simon Collins and I stepped inside, she immediately stood up and hurried over, her eyes fixed intently on Simon, appraising his clothing from head to toe, a faintly discernible look of scrutiny at the corner of her mouth.
"Simon, you've finally arrived."
Aunt grabbed Simon Collins' arm, speaking warmly, though the calculation in her eyes was unmistakable. "This is your first time coming to our house as the prospective son-in-law, so the meeting gift must be decent. You can't let our Mia down."
As she spoke, her hands rubbed her fingers, the gold ring on her fingertip glittering under the light. "I heard that the gold watch worth 500,000 has become quite popular recently. Many families' sons-in-law have brought one with them. What do you think?"
I stood to the side, frozen the moment I heard that, my eyes wide as saucers, my heart skipping a beat.
A gold watch worth 500,000?
That demand is completely absurd, far beyond reason. Even though Simon Collins comes from a well-off family, he shouldn't be subject to such a request.
Simon Collins was momentarily stunned; the smile on his face froze for half a second before quickly returning to a gentle expression. He gently withdrew his arm from his aunt's grasp and said sincerely, "Aunt, thank you for your reminder."
But a watch worth 500,000 does exceed my budget. I have also prepared other gifts this time, all carefully chosen. Please have a look...
Saying this, he reached to pick up the gift bag placed by the door.
"Other gifts?"
Without waiting for Simon Collins to finish, his aunt suddenly raised her voice, sharp enough to cut through the air. "Are you looking down on our Mia, thinking our girl isn't worth that 500,000?"
Or do you still think our family is easy to bully, that you can just throw any old thing at us and get away with it?
I quickly stepped forward, took Simon Collins' hand, and turned to his aunt. "Auntie, please don't say that."
Simon Collins had really put a lot of thought into the gifts; he went shopping several days in advance and chose items that were both practical and meaningful. A 500,000 watch is way over the top—we're just an ordinary family. There's no need for such extravagance.
"Exaggerating?"
Suddenly, the aunt sprang up from the sofa, slapping her hands down on the coffee table with such force that the teacup wobbled and a few drops of tea spilled onto the tablecloth. "I've watched Mia grow up since she was little — she's truly the jewel of our family!"
Now that she's getting engaged, what's wrong with wanting a decent watch?
You ungrateful wretch, always turning your elbows outward. You haven't even married in yet, and you're already taking the side of outsiders. Do you even have any respect left for me, your aunt?
As she spoke, her legs suddenly gave way, and she collapsed to the floor. Slapping her thighs, she began throwing a tantrum: "Why is my life so bitter!"
This is such a major event—our niece's engagement—and the prospective son-in-law can't even be bothered to buy a decent watch. If this gets out, where will our family's reputation be?
What's the point of me staying alive?
She cried, occasionally glancing furtively at those around her, her voice heavy with calculated grievance.
The relatives were stunned; their quiet whispers abruptly stopped, leaving the living room in complete silence.
Everyone looked at one another, then crowded around, speaking all at once as they tried to soothe Aunt Luna: "Luna, don't be angry, let's discuss this calmly."
Simon means well too; don't make such a fuss.
Get up quickly; the floor is cold.
I watched this absurd farce unfold before me, feeling both anger and a chill.
I was angry because my aunt threw a tantrum in public, disregarding all dignity; I was chilled because the relatives, though clearly aware that my aunt's demands were excessive, only tried to smooth things over—no one stood up to speak a word of reason.
I held Simon Collins's hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his palm and sensing his quiet endurance.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my head and said firmly, "The engagement banquet is cancelled!"
I'm not going through with this marriage!
The living room instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
My aunt stopped crying, her hands still resting on her knees from the shaking; tears hadn't yet dried on her face as she stared at me in disbelief, her eyes wide as if she hadn't fully heard what I said.
The relatives were stunned as well, all turning to look at me, their eyes filled with surprise.
The morning after canceling the engagement banquet, just as dawn was breaking, there was a knock at our front door.
When I opened the door, my aunt, uncle, and several relatives who rarely come around were all blocking the entrance, their faces drawn and stern.
My aunt walked in first, holding a folded piece of paper, which she slammed heavily onto the coffee table in the living room, the sharp 'bang' echoing through the room.
"Mia Lynn, were you out of your mind yesterday?"
Canceling the engagement in front of so many relatives has brought nothing but disgrace on our whole family!
She pointed at my nose, her voice trembling with anger, "You need to give me an explanation today, or this is far from over!"
I followed her finger to the paper, reached out, picked it up, and unfolded it.
The paper was densely covered with writing, the handwriting messy, clearly hastily thrown together.
I read through each item, my heart sinking deeper with every line, my hand beginning to tremble slightly.
It read: Bride price eighty-eight thousand eight hundred, not a cent less; Buy my younger male cousin Henry Collins a wedding home in the city, at least 120 square meters, and the location must be downtown; Also, buy my uncle a car worth more than fifty thousand, with the model to be chosen by him personally.
"Aunt, these demands are simply impossible to meet!"
I threw the paper back onto the coffee table, my voice trembling with anger, "This isn't about bride price—you're clearly trying to sell your daughter!"
Simon Collins and I are planning to build a life together, not here to satisfy your greed!
Father came out of the bedroom; he hadn't slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He walked over to the coffee table, picked up the paper, glanced at it, then sighed and said wearily, "Mia, your aunt is only looking out for you."
"Demanding a higher bride price means that later, when you're with the Collins family, you'll have some standing and won't be easily wronged."
"For my own good?"
I looked at my father, my heart heavy with disappointment, my eyes growing a little red. "Dad, a bride price of 888,000, plus buying the wedding house and upgrading the car—that all adds up to several million!"
Even if Simon Collins' family owns a company, that money was earned through hard work—it can't just be demanded like this!
"Why can't it be afforded?"
My aunt interrupted, hands on her hips, radiating self-righteousness. "Simon Collins' family runs a company; their assets must be substantial. This money to them is just peanuts—practically nothing."
Besides, he's marrying our Mia; what's wrong with spending a little extra money?
"Even if his family is wealthy, they have no obligation to fulfill such unreasonable demands!"
I retorted, my voice rising slightly, "Simon Collins and I genuinely want to be together. What matters to us is our mutual affection, not money."
You can't just assume your own greed is something you're entitled to!
"Can sincerity really put food on the table?"
Aunt let out a cold sneer, her eyes filled with disdain, "Wait until after your wedding, when you have no money to spend, let's see if you can still say things like that!"
If you don't agree to these demands, then don't call us your relatives anymore. The Lynn family doesn't have daughters like you who push away their own kin!"
I looked at these relatives who only cared about money; their faces were filled with greed and calculation, completely lacking any shred of familial affection.
It felt as if something was blocking my heart—stifling and painful—but at the same time, I made up my mind.
No matter how much they pressure me, I will not compromise. I cannot let these unreasonable demands destroy the happiness Simon Collins and I share.
A few days later, my aunt suddenly called me. Her tone was much softer than before, saying she wanted to go out for a walk and have a chat.
I hadn't planned to go, but she kept insisting over the phone that she just wanted to talk properly—nothing else.
I hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed, thinking she might have come to her senses and would no longer make those unreasonable demands.
To my surprise, when we met, my aunt not only came herself but also brought my younger cousin Henry Collins. The moment we met, she said, "Mia, since you're out, why not call Simon Collins along? Let's go to the shopping mall, and Simon can buy you something while we're there."
Before I could refuse, she snatched my phone and enthusiastically called Simon, asking him to come over.
When Simon arrived, a trace of helplessness showed on his face, but he still smiled at me without saying a word.
When we arrived at the shopping mall, my aunt didn't give us a chance to discuss—she simply headed straight to the gold jewelry store.
The lights inside the store were bright, and the counters displayed all kinds of gold necklaces, gold bracelets, and gold rings, dazzling me almost to the point of seeing stars.
My aunt walked up to a counter, pointed at a thick gold necklace, and asked the sales clerk to take it out.
She took the necklace, put it directly around her neck, turned left and right in front of the mirror, then looked at Simon Collins and asked, "Simon, what do you think of this one?"
"Doesn't it suit me perfectly?"
Simon stood quietly nearby, saying nothing, only furrowing his brows slightly.
I know he's feeling really upset, but he doesn't want to lose his temper in front of everyone.
I tugged gently at my aunt's arm and whispered, "Aunt, we're just here to look around. There's no need to buy anything so expensive, especially since we don't usually wear gold jewelry."
"Just look around?"
My aunt took the gold necklace off her neck and set it down on the counter, her voice instantly rising and drawing the attention of other customers in the shop. "Simon is treating today. We hardly ever get to come to the mall, so of course we'll buy more."
You're too polite, kid. Simon Collins certainly isn't short of money.
As she spoke, she had the sales clerk bring out a pair of gold bracelets and handed them to me. "Mia, try these on. The design is fresh and quite suitable for you. Wearing them will really enhance your elegance."
I didn't take them and stepped back, saying, "Aunt, really, there's no need. I usually don't wear these kinds of things to work; buying them would just be a waste."
My aunt ignored my words and went on selecting other gold pieces on her own.
She kept trying on a gold ring, then held up a pair of gold earrings for comparison, and even had the sales clerk bring out a gold bracelet to examine.
Before long, the counter was piled high with gold items. The sales clerk held a calculator, calculating and calling out the numbers, his face lit up with an enthusiastic smile.
After choosing the gold, my aunt dragged us over to the home appliance section.
She approached the refrigerator counter, pointed to a large double-door fridge, and told the sales clerk, "This refrigerator is quite good, with a large capacity. Please prepare an invoice for me."
Next, she went to the washing machine counter, selected the latest front-loading washing machine, and a large-screen smart TV. Everything she liked, she had the sales clerk invoice immediately, without consulting us at all.
After leaving the home appliance section, my aunt once again pulled us into the mobile phone store.
She walked straight to the display case of the newest model, picked up a phone, and handed it to my younger cousin Henry Collins. "Henry, this phone is really good—great performance and a big screen. Haven't you always wanted one?"
Have your brother-in-law get it for you.
Henry accepted the phone with a smug smile, swiping across the screen without even glancing at Simon Collins or me.
Simon finally lost his patience. He took a deep breath, approached my aunt, and said calmly but firmly, "Aunt, all of this comes to hundreds of thousands, well beyond reasonable spending. I can't agree to this."
"What did you say?"
The smile on aunt's face vanished instantly, her expression darkened, and her eyes were filled with displeasure. "Just yesterday you told me on the phone that you liked Mia and wanted to treat her well, and now you're not even willing to spend this small amount of money. Do you not want to marry her at all?"
Or do you still think our Mia isn't worth that money?
I was angry too. I stepped forward, stood in front of Simon Collins, and said to aunt, "You've gone too far!"
"Simon is not your ATM; you can't keep demanding like this without end!"
"We came to the shopping mall to shop, not to satisfy your and your cousin's greed!"
"Am I being unreasonable?"
My aunt glared at me sharply, "I'm testing him for your sake!"
If a man can't even spare this small amount of money for you, how can he ever treat you well?
How is he supposed to make you happy?
I'm doing all this for your own good—why can't you see that?
Those around us were drawn in by our argument, gathering to watch the spectacle, some even pulling out their phones to snap secret photos.
My face burned with embarrassment and anger. I grabbed Simon Collins' hand and said, "Simon, let's go. Let's not waste time arguing with her here."
But my aunt grabbed my arm with astonishing strength, refusing to let us go: "You're not leaving until these things are bought!"
I want everyone to judge—does a prospective son-in-law like this even exist?
The wedding is just around the corner, and yet he's stingy even about buying gifts for the relatives!
Both parties remained deadlocked in the shopping mall, while the whispers around us grew louder.
The crowd in the shopping mall grew thicker; people formed a circle around us, staring, pointing, and whispering.
Some whispered, "These relatives are way too greedy," while others said, "If the prospective son-in-law truly wants to marry, spending a bit shouldn't be an issue." The mixture of voices only made me more restless.
Aunt was still stubbornly arguing, holding onto my arm and tearfully pleading with everyone around, "Everyone, please judge who's in the right!"
My niece is about to get engaged, and this prospective son-in-law won't even spend on anything decent. I just wanted him to buy something for me and my son, but he refused. If my niece marries into that family, won't she end up suffering?
Simon Collins stood quietly to the side, his expression calm, unlike Aunt who was shouting loudly.
He took a deep breath and pulled out two pieces of paper from his bag: one was the list of unreasonable demands Aunt had written before, and the other was the receipts from the gold jewelry store, the home appliance section, and the mobile phone store.
He stepped into the middle of the crowd and, in front of everyone, tore the list and receipts to shreds piece by piece. The paper fragments fell to the ground like white snowflakes.
"Aunt, I won't agree to any of your demands."
Simon Collins' voice was firm, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I love Mia, I want to marry her, and I want to build a good life with her."
But I will not marry into a family like yours, who values only money and lacks any sense of kinship, nor will I pay the price for your greed.
My aunt was stunned. She looked at the torn pieces in Simon's hand, then glanced at the strange looks from those around her, her face flushing from red to pale.
After a few seconds, she started throwing a tantrum again, sitting down on the floor and slapping her hands against the ground: "You heartless wretch!"
You're trying to destroy Mia's happiness!
Our Mia is such a wonderful girl; how can you treat her this way?
"I am the master of my own happiness!"
I looked at my aunt, my eyes completely cold, all the affection I once had for her drained away after her repeated unreasonable demands. "From today on, I have no relation to you. This wedding is completely cancelled!"
From now on, your affairs have nothing to do with me!
After speaking, I forcefully shook off my aunt's hand on my arm, grabbed Simon Collins' hand, and without looking back, pushed through the crowd and left the shopping mall.
Behind me came my aunt's frantic shouting, but I didn't look back. Inside, I felt nothing but a deep sense of relief.
Once I got home, I blocked every relative in my contacts—my uncle, aunt, and those aunts and distant female relatives who had fueled the drama.
Looking at the empty contact list on my phone, I felt no sadness; on the contrary, a deep calm settled over me.
Simon Collins sat beside me, gently patting my back before pulling me into a tight embrace. "Mia, I'm sorry for making you suffer this injustice."
From now on, I will protect you and won't let anyone bully you again.
I leaned into his arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace; tears, long held back, finally flowed freely, soaking his shirt.
"Simon Collins, thank you. I'm so grateful to have you by my side."
Without you, I don't know what I would do.
Though I've cut ties with the relatives and may face more gossip ahead, I know this is a choice I must make.
For my own happiness, for the future with Simon Collins, I can no longer be held hostage by this so-called "family affection."
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