On Valentine's Day, I paid in full for a sports car and gave it to my wife as a gift.

But when my wife arrived at the private dining restaurant, she brought her parents—and her childhood sweetheart—along with her.

The moment my mother-in-law saw it, she slammed her hand on the table, furious.

"Tyler, do you have so much money that it's burning a hole in your pocket? Is all this really necessary just for a meal?

"Megan pinches every penny at home, and here you are throwing money around outside—just to show off?"

Embarrassed, I tried to explain that this was simply a token of my love for Megan.

My father-in-law, however, kept a stern face.

"No matter how expensive the car is, it's still going to get stuck in traffic during rush hour! It's not even as useful as the electric scooter Brandon gave her. If you ask me, you didn't put any real thought into this.

"Oh, right. I heard the salesperson who sold you the car was introduced by Brandon. How exactly are you planning to repay that favor? No matter how busy you are with work, you can't just push everything onto Brandon to handle for you."

I could hear the hidden meaning behind his words.

So that was what this was really about.

They were still holding a grudge because a week ago, when my father-in-law had twisted his back, I hadn't gone to the hospital to visit him.

But at the time, I had been busy cleaning up the mess Brandon Hayes had caused for the company.

I'd even kept him out of prison.

Yet, instead of gratitude, they were turning the blame on me.

After a long silence, my wife finally looked at me.

"Tyler, transfer ten percent of the company's shares to Brandon as repayment."

"And if I don't?"

My father-in-law barked angrily, "Then I'll have Megan divorce you!"

I laughed.

Then I calmly pulled a divorce agreement from my pocket and placed it on the table.

"Go ahead," I said. "Sign it."

"You could eat anywhere—did you really have to book a place this far away? Honestly, you've got nothing better to do!"

When I saw my wife arrive with her parents and her childhood sweetheart, the four of them pulling up on two electric scooters by the roadside, I froze where I stood.

Today was Valentine's Day. It was also the tenth anniversary of us being together.

I had worked nonstop for three straight months to secure a major project, and I'd just been promoted to vice president.

I spent over 100 thousand dollars setting up the venue, staying up late into the night to finalize every detail myself. All so I could surprise her today—and finally fulfill the promise I made ten years ago.

Thinking about the photos we'd take to commemorate the moment, I had even reminded her over the phone to wear something nice.

But now, the four people standing less than six feet away from me were bundled in thick coats, layer upon layer, their hands tucked inside the sleeves.

They stood outside the most luxurious restaurant in Alyes City… looking as disheveled as beggars.

Several curious glances drifted our way. A flicker of embarrassment—and irritation—rose in my chest.

"Didn't I tell you to wear something decent and take a taxi here?" I said. "And also…"

'Why did you bring them?' I swallowed these words.

I didn't know if she had failed to understand the hint in my phone call—that tonight was meant to be a date. Or if she understood perfectly well and simply didn't take it seriously.

It felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over me. The excitement I'd felt while preparing this surprise sank straight to the bottom.

My father-in-law spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground.

"What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to take us inside so we can warm up in the air-conditioning?"

My mother-in-law wrinkled her nose and nodded.

"Exactly! You haven't even greeted us. What kind of upbringing…"

But as she said those words, Megan Brooks shot her a glance, and her voice immediately dropped.

My fists clenched. My body stiffened.

I had no parents. I grew up in an orphanage. Even though I had achieved success in my career now, my background remained the most sensitive wound in my heart.

In the ten years we'd been together, Megan had never once touched that wound in front of me.

Sensing the tension in my body, she seemed to feel a little guilty. The reluctance on her face faded as she tugged lightly at my hand.

"Honey, taxis are expensive and traffic is terrible during rush hour. I just wanted to save a little money. The wind's strong out here. Let's go inside first."

I wanted to tell her she didn't have to pinch pennies for my sake.

But when I felt how cold her hand was—like a piece of ice—I simply wrapped it in my warm palm, forced a smile, and invited them inside.

The moment I pushed the door open, the deep, velvety notes of a piano drifted gently through the elegant space.

The crisp scent of champagne hung in the air, complementing the restaurant's refined and tranquil atmosphere.

Under the guidance of a waiter, we took our seats.

My father-in-law frowned and looked around. "Why is there only one table here?"

Brandon glanced around as well.

"Don't tell me the whole place has been reserved?"

My mother-in-law gasped in surprise. "Reserved? That must've cost a fortune, right?"

All four pairs of eyes turned toward me at once.

Brandon rested his chin on his hand. After noticing something nearby, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Wow! That's a world-class pianist! I heard the appearance fee for just one piece is in the five figures!"

"What?!" My mother-in-law's jaw nearly dropped. She shot me an angry glare. "You prodigal! Tyler, do you have so much money that it's burning a hole in your pocket? Is all this really necessary just for a meal?"

My father-in-law raised his hand and called to the waiter.

"Waiter, we're not eating anymore. Hurry up and refund us the money!"

He had barely sat down before trying to stand up again.

The waiter looked at me awkwardly.

Without changing my expression, I released Megan's hand, which I had just warmed.

"The payment's already been made. It can't be refunded. If you don't eat, the money will just go to waste."

I didn't particularly care, but the other four all looked visibly pained at the thought.

Megan sighed. "Mom, Dad, since we're already here, let's just enjoy the meal. Try something new."

Brandon exchanged a glance with her.

Understanding immediately, he patted the two elders on the shoulders and cracked a few playful jokes.

The pianist played three pieces.

My father-in-law gripped his knife and fork.

"What kind of nonsense is he playing? It's not even as nice as my harmonica!"

A waiter placed an eight-hundred-dollar medium-rare steak in front of each of us.

My mother-in-law's face twisted with disgust.

"Does this chef even know how to cook? It looks terrible!"

Brandon grinned and asked Megan how it tasted.

She took one bite before setting down her knife and fork, wiping her mouth.

"It's nowhere near as good as the beef stew you make."

Brandon shot me a casual glance, his face brimming with smug satisfaction.

The entire dinner was excruciating.

After we finished, the waiter asked if the next part of the evening could begin.

But when they learned there were still fireworks across the city and a sports car waiting as part of the surprise, my mother-in-law slammed the table in fury.

"Are you done yet?! Megan pinches every penny at home, and here you are throwing money around outside—just to show off?"

I frowned and tried to explain.

"Mom, I'm not wasting money. These are all Valentine's Day gifts for Megan. She rides an electric scooter to work every day, exposed to the wind and rain. Having a car would make things much more convenient."

But my father-in-law kept a stern face.

"No matter how expensive the car is, it'll still get stuck in traffic during rush hour! It's not even as practical as the electric scooter Brandon gave her. If you ask me, you didn't put any real thought into this. You're always trying to solve everything with money!

"You've got a little money now, and your ego's already soaring! Instead of wasting money on all these flashy things, you should save it for something practical for the family!"

A tight heaviness built in my chest.

"Dad, I earned this money. I'm happy to spend it this way. I haven't neglected the household expenses, so you really don't need to worry about it."

My father-in-law's eyes widened with anger.

"I say a couple of words, and you dare talk back? Well, well, Tyler—you've really made something of yourself now!

"You talk to me like this right in front of my face—who knows how you bully Megan behind closed doors! I should never have agreed to let my daughter marry you in the first place!"

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me.

Months of nonstop overtime had left my chest tight, my heartbeat dull and heavy with pain. Disappointment and grievance tangled together inside me, swelling until they were about to erupt.

Just then, Megan suddenly pressed her hand over mine.

"Honey, don't be angry. Mom and Dad just hate to see money wasted. They got a little anxious—that's all. They don't mean anything by it."

Looking into her bright, watery eyes, my shoulders sagged helplessly.

Ten years ago, I had nothing.

Back then, even filling my own stomach was a daily struggle.

Yet Megan—our university's campus beauty, pursued by countless rich trust-fund heirs—had chosen to be with me without hesitation.

When I tried to back away, she held me tightly and told me she believed I would achieve great things someday. She was willing to walk beside me from nothing all the way to the top.

I promised her that the day I finally succeeded, I would set off fireworks across the entire city for her from the rooftop of the most luxurious restaurant in Alyes City.

I would buy her the newest model of a luxury sports car.

But now that I had finally done it, the feeling was completely different from what I had imagined back then.

After calming her parents, Megan tugged lightly on my hand. "Honey, take us to watch the fireworks."

A weary smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Alright."

…

Standing on the rooftop, the dazzling nightscape of Alyes City stretched out beneath us.

Brilliant fireworks burst across the sky for a full thirty minutes.

As the finale faded, the name "Megan" lingered in the night sky, drawing crowds of people below to stop and stare.

While preparing this surprise, I had imagined countless times how she would react—so moved that tears streamed down her face.

We would kiss beneath the fireworks.

Megan would become the happiest woman in Alyes City.

But when I looked at her expressionless profile… the last shred of expectation in my heart quietly collapsed.

"Is it over? Then let's go home."

There wasn't the slightest ripple in Megan's eyes, as though she had merely completed a task.

My mother-in-law widened her eyes, glancing around in disbelief.

"What? Thousands of dollars just for a bunch of loud explosions? What a waste! With that kind of money, you could buy a house back in our hometown! And instead, you spend it on these flashy but useless things. How much suffering must our Megan endure being with you?"

My father-in-law hunched his shoulders, hands tucked into his sleeves, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Young people really don't understand the hardships of life. No regard for anyone else's feelings. All this for a moment of happiness and some so-called romance—polluting the air and adding extra trouble to the city's environmental work! Absolutely selfish!

"That's enough. Now that it's done, let's head back. This wind is cutting my face."

With a cold snort, he turned and started downstairs.

My mother-in-law hurried after him, muttering under her breath.

"If I'd known it would be this miserable, I wouldn't have come!"

Brandon asked a waiter for three cups of hot water and carried them over.

"Here, have some hot water to warm up. It's not much, but it'll help."

He flashed a pleasing, slightly shy smile.

My in-laws immediately stopped complaining and accepted the cups with approval.

"Ah, Brandon is so thoughtful and observant! When Megan's dad hurt his back not long ago, you ran back and forth taking care of him at the hospital like a real son."

My mother-in-law deliberately shot me a sideways glance and snorted.

"Not like a certain someone who didn't even bother to show their face!"

A glint flashed in Brandon's eyes, but he pretended to defend me.

"Please don't say that. Tyler was just too busy with work to come."

But instead of calming them, his words only fueled their anger.

My father-in-law's face flushed red as he shouted, "How busy can work possibly be? Acting like some big-shot president in front of me! If I dropped dead one day, would he still say he's too busy with work to come?!"

My mother-in-law chimed in indignantly.

"Exactly! Tyler, even though you don't have parents, you're almost thirty now. How can you still not understand basic manners?

"You married Megan, which makes you part of our family. When your father-in-law is hospitalized, no matter how busy you are, you should still be at the bedside showing filial respect. No excuse is acceptable!"

I wasn't stupid. I could hear the hidden meaning behind their words.