2: 2

2

After the new place was bought, both sets of parents were invited to dinner at a restaurant to talk over the wedding.

Otto had something come up at the office at the last minute and would be late.

"Eve, what were you thinking? Passing on a real home to buy some cramped, run-down flat?"

Otto's mother, Cicely Cobb, frowned, her eyes full of disapproval.

"That old place can't have cost much, can it?"

"Well, since the flat's such a downgrade, you'll have to make up for it with a bigger dowry."

"That twenty-eight thousand in savings you mentioned before is too little. Let's make it eighty-eight thousand."

"And the dowry has to include a new car. Something worth at least thirty thousand."

Cicely rattled it all off, stone-faced, spit flying.

Clearly Otto hadn't told them the flat had been his idea.

"Cicely, buying that place was Otto's request."

"He said if we didn't buy it, there'd be no wedding. And the old flat cost the same as a new one would have."

The two of them exchanged a glance, both looking like they couldn't believe it.

Just then the door to the private room swung open and Otto came in, out of breath.

He sat down in the seat beside me and took a sip of tea.

"Otto, you're the one who wanted that cramped little flat?"

Cicely's brow knotted, and the lines on her face cut even deeper.

"Mom, I only said it on a whim. How was I to know Eve would actually go and buy it?"

Otto said it lightly, like it was nothing, when at the time he'd flat-out threatened to call off the wedding over it.

"Still, it's done now, so we'll leave it be."

Then he turned his head toward me.

"Eve, I've accepted a dowry that's nothing but a run-down flat. That's good of me, isn't it?"

"Tomorrow's the weekend. I'll take you to buy the wedding jewelry set. But the pieces will stay at my place for now."

"It's part of your dowry too, and you'll be the one wearing it later, so you pay for it."

Before I could get a word out, Cicely jumped back in, debating how much the jewelry set should run.

The three of them, all one family, argued it back and forth with real enthusiasm.

My parents and I sat there in silence, unable to get a single word in.

Then another string of the feed drifted across my eyes.

【Your fiancé isn't working overtime today. He's at the jewelry store picking out pieces.】

【He and Ina Chavez already settled on the styles. They're just waiting for you to come pay tomorrow.】

【After the jewelry, your fiancé will drag you to the dealership to buy a car.】

【Oh, and both the jewelry and the new car will be handed over to Ina.】

【Your fiancé is really giving everything he has to get Ina married off.】

Once the waiter had set the dishes down, Otto's family finally went quiet.

"Eve, it's a hassle going to and from work with no car. After the jewelry tomorrow, let's go buy one."

Sure enough, every word out of Otto's mouth matched the feed exactly.

But I still couldn't understand why he was doing any of this.

If he was still in love with Ina, wasn't it simpler to just marry her?

Instead he was pouring everything into helping her marry someone else.

I tapped my fingertip against the teacup and knit my brow.

"Otto, I just bought the flat. I don't have much cash on hand right now."

"None of this is urgent anyway. I'd rather put the money toward renovations first."

Otto's face went ashen at once, his eyes anything but friendly.

Bang. Cicely slammed her hand down on the table and stood up.

"Eve, just what are you playing at now?"

"First you make us live in that run-down flat, and now you won't even spring for a basic car?"

"Let me tell you, there are plenty of women who'd love to marry my Otto."

"Come on, Otto. This wedding is off."

The words were barely out before Cicely grabbed Otto and marched him out of the room.

3: 3

3

Mom and Dad started to get up, ready to talk them out of it, but I shook my head at them.

His phone was still sitting on the table, so I picked it up and went after him.

At the entrance to the restaurant, I saw the three of them.

"Mom, what are you doing? You're making a scene."

"Otto, a scene is exactly what we need. In a minute Eve will fall in line and agree to everything."

"So what if Eve doesn't have the money herself. Her parents do."

"If they won't buy it now, they sure won't after the wedding."

I never imagined his family could be this calculating, or that they'd set their sights on my parents' money.

"I think I left my phone."

Otto patted his pocket, then turned around and saw me.

Surprise first, then that awkward look, and he stammered.

"Eve, why are you here?"

I held the phone out to him. "I came to bring you your phone."

"My mom was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

I let my eyes travel over him, head to toe. He felt like a complete stranger.

Two years ago, we'd met at a party.

He had that gentlemanly manner, always thinking of others, and before long we were together.

After we got married, he wanted a place to ourselves, just the two of us.

His family wasn't as well off as mine, and he'd joke that he was practically marrying into my family.

And I'd done well for myself these past few years, well enough to buy a place outright.

A newly launched development, and Otto set his heart on it the moment he saw it.

He said the area had everything, schools nearby, so it would be easy for our kids someday.

We looked at other developments too, but he didn't like any of them. He only wanted that new one.

He'd insisted over and over that he would never accept a resale place.

Then overnight he was like a different person.

"Eve, the renovations can actually wait."

"If we have to, we can just make do for now and redo it later once we have the money."

Otto's voice pulled me back.

Cicely chimed in at once.

"Otto has a point. The first thing to do is buy the jewelry set and the car."

"Gold only gets more expensive, Eve. Otto's trying to save you money here."

That was when Mom and Dad caught up too.

"Everything can be talked through. We ordered all that food, it'll go to waste."

"Why don't we go back inside and discuss it?"

Otto nodded at that. "Sir, ma'am, let's go back in."

"My mom just got carried away for a moment. Please don't be upset."

Just as they were about to head inside, I stopped them.

"Otto, I'm not buying the jewelry set or the car for now."

"And I'm not using my parents' money either."

His eyes went red in an instant, both hands clenched into fists, veins standing out on the backs of them.

"Eve, you really have to do this?"

"Then let's just not get married."

Once again he was using the wedding to force me to give in.

I let out a small, helpless laugh. "Fine."

4: 4

4

After that dinner ended on such a sour note, my fiancé and I didn't speak.

Mom and Dad kept telling me to go and patch things up with him, even offered to cover the car and the wedding jewelry themselves, but I flat-out refused.

On the third day, my fiancé called me first.

"Eve, are you buying the jewelry set and the car or not?"

"If you take me to buy them in the next couple of days, I'll let everything before this slide."

"But if you're going to keep being stubborn about it, then forget it. We're done. No wedding."

My hand tightened around the phone.

It was a moment before I answered, slow and even.

"I already told you I'm not buying them right now. If you want to break up, I won't stop you."

Otto started swearing on the other end.

Even without seeing his face, I could picture exactly how furious he looked.

"Fine, Eve. Don't come crying to me later."

"Go ahead and sit on that dump of a flat. See who'd ever want to live in a place like that."

"Oh, and, did you even bother to check what that dump is worth?"

"Let me tell you, it isn't worth anywhere near what you think, and you couldn't sell it if you tried."

This time, Otto had dropped the act completely.

The line went to a steady busy tone.

After I hung up, I boarded a plane and left for a two-week business trip abroad.

The whole time I was away, my fiancé posted constantly, all photos of eating, drinking, and having a good time.

His life looked pretty sweet.

The night before I flew home, he sent me a photo of himself picking up a new car.

He didn't say a word with it. It read like a boast, plain and simple.

I left it on read.

The moment the plane touched down back home, the feed floated up.

【Your fiancé took out an online loan to buy that new car, but it's registered under Ina Chavez's name.】

【Your fiancé and Ina Chavez know the old flat is slated for demolition.】

【They're about to come to you to buy that cramped, run-down flat back.】

【And this time the demolition payout is better than anything that's come before.】