Escape After the Wedding
David and I were embracing when suddenly the door slammed open with a thud.
In came the mother-in-law, Lilian Warren, clutching a blue timer in her hand, her eyes fixed coldly on us.
Terrified, I quickly pulled the blanket over myself, while David Carter, still naked, froze completely.
Lilian ignored David's embarrassment and simply reached out to drag him off the bed.
I screamed muffled beneath the blanket, my voice filled with panic and shame.
"Time's up!" Lilian's voice was sharp and cruel. "This is taking too long—it's damaging my son's health!"
She turned and glared at me, her eyes sharp as knives: "Linda Scott, you're married to David Carter now—you should think about his health."
"A man's strength is meant for great deeds, not wasted on trivial nonsense like this!"
I pulled back the corner of the quilt, staring at her self-righteous face, and couldn't help but feel how ridiculous it all was.
David Carter and I met in the university's architecture department.
He was a poor student sponsored by my dad's company—tall, handsome, and even had an eight-pack; back then, many girls liked him.
His family lived deep in the mountains, dirt poor; he said that as a child, one steamed bun had to be split in half—half eaten in the morning, half at night.
I felt sorry for him, and after we got together, I begged my dad to hire him in the company.
David truly had talent; within a few years, he achieved results, and with my dad's deliberate promotion, he rose all the way to project director.
We planned to have two wedding celebrations: one in his hometown, and one in the City.
Lilian Warren's family was especially warm to me. They started cleaning the house half a month early and even prepared new sheets and quilts for me.
David and I are usually busy—he handles design, I manage projects—and we rarely have time to be together properly.
After finishing the wedding banquet back home and sending off the last batch of relatives that night, David and I had barely stepped into the bridal room before we eagerly embraced.
Who would've thought that just as things were heating up, Lilian stormed in holding a timer.
She boldly pulled the quilt off David, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him down to the floor beside the bed.
I was so scared that I hid under the quilt and let out a scream, my face burning hot.
Lilian Warren stared at the timer in her hand and said matter-of-factly, "It's already been half an hour. If this drags on any longer, my son's body will give out!"
Half an hour?
I was stunned for a moment. Could it be that as soon as David Carter stepped into my room, she started timing?
Hearing such an exact time, I could hardly believe my ears.
I pulled down the quilt and looked at David Carter behind Lilian Warren, hoping he would say something.
But Lilian Warren blocked David even more firmly and kept nagging, "Linda Scott, it's not like I'm causing trouble, but now that you're married to David, you have to learn to be considerate of him."
"A man's body is important; he needs to save his strength for his career. How can he waste it on something like this?"
I watched her spit flying as she ranted, and suddenly, a fire erupted inside me.
What kind of feudal remnant nonsense is this?
I shouted at David, "David, say something!"
David had already quietly put on his pants, and when I called out, his body visibly stiffened.
He turned his head and whispered to Lilian, "Mom, why don't you step outside for now? We can talk later if needed..."
He coaxed and gently pushed Lilian out the door, then turned to hug me, his tone softening: "Linda, don't be angry. My mom just wants what's best for me. She's afraid we young people go too far."
"We'll only stay here for three days. Once we're back, I'll have a serious talk with her."
With that, he leaned down to kiss me, as if to pick up where we left off.
But just as his lips brushed my forehead, Lilian Warren's angry voice rang out from outside the door: "David Carter, come out here right now!"
"Linda Scott! Stop hanging onto my son!" Lilian Warren's voice dripped with venom.
Lilian Warren's words stabbed at my heart like thorns—painful and infuriating.
I was just about to throw back the quilt and storm out to confront her when David Carter caught me around the waist.
"Don't be impulsive." His voice soothing, he said, "My mom didn't have much schooling and just tries to express herself—I'll go talk to her right away!"
He released me, slipped on his shoes, and headed into the next room.
I heard them whispering quietly next door, their voices so low I couldn't make out what they were saying.
But since David had already stepped in, I couldn't keep holding onto my anger—I clenched my fists and lay down.
That night, I tossed and turned, only managing to doze off briefly just before dawn.
The next morning, just after I got out of bed, I saw a circle of relatives gathered in the room—David Carter's cousin, and his aunt-in-law, Mary Lewis, who was holding a three-year-old child in her arms.
Right in front of everyone, Lilian Warren slammed a bill down on the table in front of me with a sharp "smack."
"This is the money for yesterday's wedding banquet, a total of 450,000. Transfer it to me," she demanded.
I picked up the bill, eyes wide, and instinctively asked, "Did the wedding banquet really cost this much yesterday?"
I remembered very clearly—the banquet was held at a small restaurant in town, with thirty tables in total, each costing about 1,800. At most, it shouldn't have exceeded a little over 50,000.
Lilian Warren's face instantly darkened, and she slammed her palm on the table, making the cups shake. "Linda, what exactly do you mean by that?"
I glanced up at David Carter, who stood right behind Lilian Warren, his eyes nervously avoiding mine.
"David," I tried to keep my voice steady, "didn't you say you would cover the wedding expenses back home yourself?"
David quickly stepped forward, tugging my sleeve and lowering his voice. "Linda, my mom just wants to look good in front of the relatives."
"She raised me all these years, and finally, I am married. She has to show those people who used to look down on our family a good hard look."
He paused, then added, "You cover this expense first."
I tugged my sleeve out of his hand with force, my voice turning cold: "Sorry, I said I'm not paying, so I won't pay."
David Carter's face instantly darkened, his lips pressed tightly into a straight line.
At that moment, Mary Lewis, holding the child's hand, let out a soft, deliberate laugh, low but loud enough for everyone to hear: "Everyone says David has made it in the City, marrying a wife who's both beautiful and rich."
"It seems the saying is true: beautiful and rich, yes, but overly sensitive and secretly selfish as well."
The moment she said that, the relatives in the room began whispering among themselves.
Mary Lewis went on, "After marriage, isn't a woman's money supposed to be managed by her husband? Linda Scott, or, are you cheating with other men?"
Lilian Warren, like a fuse blown, suddenly jumped up and jabbed a finger at my nose, shouting, "Is what Mary Lewis said true? Since you won't contribute money, does that mean you plan to cheat on my son?"
The relatives quickly joined in, speaking one after another: "Women from big cities really are different — so full of themselves!"
Look at her—just by her appearance, you can tell she's not the type to behave herself!
Clutching the money and refusing to give it to David, who knows if she has someone else on the side!
I looked at David, still holding on to a flicker of hope—after five years together, could he really not know my character?
David felt my gaze and finally stood up, addressing the relatives: "Everyone, don't misunderstand. Linda is not that kind of person. I didn't communicate with her properly beforehand. I'll go talk to her now."
He grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the courtyard.
I shook off his hand, rubbed my wrist—red from his grip—and said tiredly, "If you have something to say, just say it."
David Carter frowned, his tone tinged with displeasure: "Linda, don’t embarrass me in front of the relatives."
"Four hundred and fifty thousand—isn't that just pocket change to you? But my mother has never earned that much money in her entire life."
My doubts deepened, and I couldn't help but ask him, "David, you've worked for five years and made at least a million last year, right? So how did our wedding end up emptying your mother's savings? You clearly said you'd cover the banquet expenses yourself."
David was visibly stunned by my words, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.
But he quickly lowered his eyes, hiding that flicker of panic.
When he looked up again, his tone had turned self-righteous: "Weddings cost a lot; my mom's life savings are all gone. She wants to keep some money for herself—what's wrong with that?"
"You say you love me, yet you won't even give forty-five thousand to my mom. Could it be that what Mary Lewis said is true? Are you seeing another man behind my back?"
Seeing him twist the blame onto me, and remembering Lilian Warren storming into our bridal chamber last night, I became more convinced than ever—they, mother and son, are definitely hiding something from me.
I crossed my arms and sneered, "David Carter, you've been working for five years with an annual salary of a million. Even if the wedding cost a lot, it shouldn't have drained your mother's entire savings."
"If you want me to help your mom look good, fine. Transfer 450,000 to me now, and I'll hand it over to your mom in front of the relatives later."
As I spoke, I took out my mobile phone, unlocked it, and held it out to him: "Here, make the transfer."
David's face immediately darkened, and his tone turned sharp: "Linda Scott, do you have to do this?"
Seeing him like this, the last flicker of hope I had inside just died out.
No matter what they're hiding from me, I don't want to deal with it anymore. I just want to leave this place as soon as possible.
"I'm going back to the City."
I turned and went back to the room to pack my bags. Just as I shoved my clothes into the suitcase, Lilian Warren stormed in and shoved me to the floor.
Clothes spilled all over the floor, and my knees throbbed with pain from the fall.
"No money paid and you want to leave?" Lilian Warren stood with her hands on her hips, eyes blazing, "The wedding banquet was organized for you, so you owe that money!"
"If you won't give it, then I'll find your money myself!"
She said that as she crouched down and started rummaging through my suitcase.
She threw my clothes all over the floor, even yanking out my underwear and tossing it on the ground.
"What are you doing?" I jumped up, trying to stop her.
But David Carter and his cousin Gavin immediately rushed over and held my arms.
Gavin was very strong; my arms ached under his grip, and I couldn't move at all.
Lilian Warren rummaged for a while, couldn't find any cash, and then her eyes landed on the Hermes basket bag slung over my shoulder.
She snatched the bag, unzipped it, and dumped everything inside onto the floor.
Lipstick, powder compact, mobile phone, car keys, and my wallet—all scattered across the floor.
Lilian Warren picked up the empty bag and shouted toward the door, "Mary Lewis, come here!"
Mary rushed over quickly, her eyes lighting up.
Lilian shoved the bag at her. "This bag is pretty good. David said a new one costs over a hundred thousand. It's yours now."
Mary took it with a sweet smile, running her hand over the leather and softly saying, "Thank you."
She even brought it up to her nose to sniff, looking exactly like an innocent little thief who's never seen the world.
Lilian Warren's eyes landed again on the wallet on the floor. She picked it up, opened it, and saw that inside there were only a few hundred in cash; the rest were all bank cards.
"Weren't you the one bragging about having money? How come there's only this little cash?" She curled her lip, her tone dripping with disdain.
I was shaking with anger as I shouted at her, "You're restricting my freedom and seizing my property!"
Lilian Warren stormed up to me and slapped me across the face.
With a sharp 'smack,' my cheek immediately went numb, burning with pain.
"What do you mean, 'your property'? Once you're married, everything is joint property!"
She pulled all the bank cards out of her wallet and shoved them in front of me. "Hurry up, tell me the password! I'll have David use his mobile phone to transfer the money!"
I cupped my burning cheek, staring at Lilian Warren's arrogant face, then glanced around at the relatives watching coldly and silently. Deep down, I knew the situation was against me.
I can't force it; I have to calm them down first.
I took a deep breath and deliberately slowed my speech: "The password is... 628459."
That was a fake password I made up on the spot. I figured that when David entered it, I'd find a chance to escape.
Sure enough, David pulled out his phone, opened the mobile banking app, and began typing the password.
Taking advantage of the moment Gavin let his guard down, I swung my arm hard and broke free from his grip.
Then I grabbed the phone off the floor and quickly pressed the emergency contact — my dad's number.
"Hello... Dad..." I had just said the first two words when David caught on.
He rushed over and stomped on my mobile phone.
With a sharp crack, the phone screen shattered into a spiderweb of cracks.
Right after, a loud slap struck my face.
I was knocked to the ground, my cheek swelling up badly, the corner of my mouth split and bleeding.
"You b*tch, still daring to call the police?"
David Carter looked down at me condescendingly, his eyes full of disgust.
I raised my head and stared at him with hatred, feeling like I never really knew him at all.
The David I once knew was gentle and caring, remembered my cycle, and made me brown sugar water. But now, he was a stranger, his eyes cold and fierce.
I threw myself up, grabbed his arm, and sank my teeth deep into his forearm!
"Ah!" David howled in pain and kicked me hard in the chest.
He kicked me back several steps, and I crashed into the wardrobe.
A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. Holding my stomach, I crouched down as cold sweat broke out—I feared my ribs were broken.
Mary Lewis quickly released the child in her arms, rushed to David's side, and looked at his arm with worry: "David, are you okay? She bit you hard enough to draw blood!"
She turned and glared at me again, her voice dripping with venom: "Linda Scott, how dare you lay a hand on David Carter? You're acting like a fierce shrew!"
Gavin and a few cousins burst out laughing, their tones thick with mockery: "David, you're useless—married such a terrible wife?"
"David, if you can't control her, we'll help you out tonight!"
Those words pierced my heart like needles. Trembling with fury, I didn't even have the strength to stand.
David's face darkened further, humiliated by his brothers' mocking laughter.
He looked down at his mobile phone, realized the password was wrong, and his anger flared even more.
He grabbed my hair fiercely, yanking my head back. "Dare to fool me with a fake password? Tell me the real one!"
My scalp was painfully pulled; tears were on the verge of falling.
I couldn't help but ask him, "David Carter, when did you become like this?"
David was stunned for a moment, a flicker of complexity in his eyes, but he quickly snapped back to harshness: "Enough nonsense! I just want 450,000 for my mom, and you made such a mess."
Mary Lewis sidled up to David Carter, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness, deliberately making sure I could hear: "David, the one who's truly devoted to you has always been right by your side—you just haven't noticed."
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