"Let me cook. Don't even think about it!"

During my pregnancy, my boyfriend asked me to drive 500 kilometers to cook for his family.

I immediately blocked him.

A man like that wasn't fit to be the father of my child.

His family begged for my forgiveness, crying.

Didn't you want to take advantage of me before I even married you?

I wouldn't marry you.

Without my support, your family would be left starving.

1

Finally, Christmas vacation arrived, and I returned home with gifts.

It just so happened that last quarter's bonus had been paid out, so I took the opportunity to prepare some gifts for my parents during the holidays.

I bought two bottles of fine wine for my father and a gold bracelet for my mother.

They were thrilled and shared photos on social media.

They were so happy when they saw relatives praising me for being filial in the group chat on the phone.

At dinner, we enjoyed a feast together.

Afterward, while my father washed dishes, my mother and I relaxed on the sofa, watching TV.

My phone buzzed with messages from my boyfriend, Ben.

"Baby, you're on vacation now, right? Can you drive over to my house tonight?"

"I've talked to my parents. You can leave tonight and arrive tomorrow morning."

"My mom says Christmas is for family reunions, and I can't leave you behind."

"She also said she will buy a lot of vegetables early tomorrow morning so that you can show off your cooking skills and surprise our relatives who come to my house tomorrow."

"By the way, I saw your mom's post about the bracelet. My mom loved it. Please buy some gifts for my parents too, since it's a holiday."

"Your bonus for last quarter should have come out by now. You can bring gifts to my parents, just like yours."

...

As I read his messages, my heart sank.

I suddenly felt angry.

I held the phone in both hands, and my fingertips were trembling, and I was at a loss for how to respond.

Noticing my distress, my mother came over to look at my phone.

I showed her the messages.

Her expression darkened as she read.

She asked unhappily, "What does Ben mean? Why does he ask you to drive over so late at night? Is he asking you to drive so late to cook? Is there any other reason?"

My father overheard and rushed in, concerned.

I handed him my phone.

After reading, he looked angry and was about to call Ben, but I stopped him.

I didn't react when I saw those messages. Seeing my parents caring for me so much, I calmed down.

Ben and I were college classmates. We were together for two years in college, and he only told his family about my existence a year after graduation.

We had been together for four years and I had never visited his home.

Most of our communication was through calls and videos.

I just heard him say that his parents seemed to have a good impression of me.

I had always chosen thoughtful gifts for his family.

He would also buy some gifts for my parents, which were simple in supermarkets. My parents didn't mind it.

We had planned to spend Christmas with our own families, so Ben went home to celebrate the festival the day before the holiday.

I was shocked when he asked me to drive five hundred kilometers to cook for his family.

I was not an experienced driver.

It was baffling that he made such a request, especially knowing my limitations. Maybe his parents said something to him.

It was unreasonable to ask me to travel to cook during the holidays.

I refused to go there.

Without consulting me, Ben had already promised his family I would come.

His mother had even started preparing ingredients and waited for me to come over.

She also informed her relatives of my arrival.

I was so speechless.

My parents watched me nervously as if afraid to hear my stupid words.

I gestured for them to sit on the couch and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I'm not that stupid."

Quickly calculating, I picked up my phone to reply to Ben's message.

"You want me to drive five hundred kilometers to cook a Christmas dinner for your family?"

His response came back fast as if he anticipated my question.

He replied naturally, "Because you're a fantastic cook! It's a great chance to impress my parents.

"We're not married yet, so if you cook for my family, it'll help smooth things over for our marriage."

I replied, "Are you mistaken? How does cooking relate to our marriage?

"Didn't you say your parents already liked me? Why do I need to cook to marry you?"

Just then, Ben sent a video call request.

Frustrated, I hung up immediately.

He called again and again, and I refused to answer.

He explained that he wanted to improve my standing in his family's eyes.

I thought, "Your family's feelings are important. What about my family's opinion?

Don't you know what my parents will think of you doing this?

Have you considered my feelings at all?"

The more I thought about it, the more I felt frustrated.

"How many of your relatives are going?" I asked him patiently, thinking that he would not be so inconsiderate of my feelings.

He replied, "Just my aunt's family."

I rolled my eyes. They asked me to cook for three families of no less than ten people.

"Have you counted how many people that is?"

"Just thirteen." His voice sounded dismissive.

"Oh, just thirteen." I emphasized the "just."

"Alaia. My aunt and her family have always been concerned about my marriage. After knowing that I asked you to come over, they are eager to meet you. I'm doing this for us. You should understand me and won't refuse, right?"

I felt aggrieved because he always used the same excuse every time we had a disagreement.

If it were in the past, I might have tried to empathize, but this time was different.

His arbitrary decisions and disregard made me reevaluate our relationship.

I remembered my birthday in college when Ben asked me what gift I wanted a week in advance.

I knew his family wasn't wealthy, so I casually mentioned a small handmade bag that cost two hundred dollars.

He agreed.

I thought he would remember it, so I was a little looking forward to it on my birthday.

However, he showed up empty-handed on my birthday and accused me of not giving him the link.

Finally, we celebrated my birthday with a cake I bought and the food I cooked.

His only gift was an insincere "Happy Birthday" before bed.

Coincidentally, his birthday was two months later.

He sent me a message, "My birthday is next week. I want a birthday present. Can you buy it for me with your scholarship?"

I casually asked what the present was.

He said his roommate got three thousand dollars in shoes from his girlfriend, and he also wanted one.

I said I didn't have that much money. We were still students and didn't have to buy such good shoes.

He asked me to buy him shoes with my scholarship.

He said I was looking down on him if I wouldn't buy them.

I even forgot how I convinced myself to buy it for him.

In the next month, I spent less on expenses and saved the scholarship.

When he found out, he just hugged me and felt sorry.

When we went out, he prioritized his meal without asking what I wanted.

I always thought we could solve issues by talking.

But when I brought these up, he promised to change but never did.

Then he would brush it off, saying I was petty and needed to be considerate of him.

I tried not to overthink it.

I once believed he loved me. He just wasn't attentive enough.

Now, I realized he didn't love me at all.

I organized my thoughts, and suddenly, everything became clearer.

Without hesitation, I called him. And he answered quickly.

I asked, "Ben, do you know how far apart our two families are?"

Before he could say anything, I continued, "Do you know I've never been on the highway?"

My voice quivered as I fought back tears.

Ben softened his tone, trying to soothe me. "Alaia, I know you're scared. You can drive slowly. There's no rush. It's okay if you arrive tomorrow."

I could hardly believe my ears. Was it just about "driving slowly"?

"I'm not going," I said coldly.

He said, "Alaia, don't be like this. I've spoken to my relatives. If you don't come, it will be humiliating for us."

I sneered inwardly, "So, I was ignorant for not going? You're trying to scare me with your whole family.

A boyfriend who disregards my feelings isn't worth keeping."

The call was on speaker, and my parents were listening. They couldn't help but speak out after hearing his words.

I made a gesture for silence, allowing a slight smile as I replied gently, "Okay, I won't make a fuss anymore. Ask your mother to buy more vegetables tomorrow."

Just as I was about to hang up, Ben called out, "Alaia."

His voice was urgent.

"What else?" I asked.

"Well, don't forget to buy a gold bracelet for my mother when you come back," he said hesitantly, clearly worried I'd be upset.

His hesitation told me the bracelet was his mother's wish, not necessarily his.

They were the same kind of person with their family.

I sneered in my heart, and all my expectations for him were gone.

I responded lightly, "Okay, don't worry, I promise to satisfy your aunt and her family tomorrow."

Ben sounded relieved, and before hanging up, he excitedly called out, "Mom! She agreed."

After the call, my parents wore worried expressions.

I took my cell phone to book a ticket.

They were about to persuade me.

But before they could start, they saw the booked ticket on my phone.

They exchanged bewildered looks, not understanding my intention.

Nervously, I put down my phone and said, "Mom and Dad, what if I want to break up with Ben? What do you think?"

The delicate rose shined beautifully on its own.

Upon hearing my words, they grasped my intentions immediately.

My mother gently took my hand and sighed, "Alaia, you are our heart and soul. We've always protected you from suffering. We don't want you to suffer after you get married."

She added, "Your father and I have modest hopes. We only wish for your health and happiness."

"Alaia, a woman's life is like a flower. She blooms more beautifully when she meets the right person, while the wrong one can make her wither."

Tenderly stroking my hair, she continued, "I hope this carefully nurtured flower will bloom forever."

My father nodded, "Although we aren't wealthy, we have enough to live comfortably. You're extraordinary. I won't let you cook for someone else's family without tasting your cooking first."

I snorted, realizing his intentions.

I said, "Dad, I'll be the chef tomorrow and let you and Mom taste my cooking."

I smiled, tears still in my eyes, and my parents mirrored my expression.

Even though they said this, they still worried about me, refusing to embarrass me further.