I brought expensive gifts from my parents
to her home.
While we were eating,
Mrs. Lee suddenly set down her chopsticks
and asked sternly:
“David, are you only with my daughter
because of our old suburban house that’s about to be redeveloped?”
The room froze.
Sophia looked at me with suspicion.
Terrified, I leapt up and swore:
“Ma’am, I would never think such a thing!”
I trembled all over,
afraid my explanation wasn’t enough.
But Mrs. Lee and Sophia exchanged glances
and burst into laughter.
“Oh, young man, you scare easily.
I was just joking,
testing if you could keep your cool.
Look, your face has turned white.”
Embarrassed, I forced a smile.
Sophia added,
“My mom just doesn’t want me to be tricked by men.
If you really love me,
you need to give me enough security.”
I nodded repeatedly.
That dinner also pushed the wedding demand
from $25,000 up to $120,000.
Even then,
I carried the hidden label
that I might be after their property.
On our one-year anniversary,
at Mrs. Lee’s suggestion,
I booked a restaurant to surprise Sophia.
But Sophia never showed up,
and her phone was unreachable.
Finally, I got a call from Mrs. Lee:
“David, Sophia and I argued,
and now I can’t reach her.
What should we do?”
My legs nearly gave out.
I dropped everything to search for her.
After hours of frantic searching
and just as I was about to call the police,
Sophia appeared casually,
arm in arm with Mrs. Lee.
“Don’t worry,
I was just joking with you.
Seeing you so anxious proves you really care.
Good job—you passed this test.”
I froze in disbelief.
Sophia even teased me:
“See? Maybe you don’t treat me well enough normally.
That’s why my mom worries.”
My face turned pale,
my fear and devotion reduced to mockery.
To them it was just a harmless “test,”
but to me it was my heart and soul trampled.
All I got in return
was a dismissive “just kidding.”
Hearing Mrs. Lee now,
my mother’s face darkened.
She pulled me aside and asked:
“What’s going on?
Everyone’s watching.”
I tried to calm her.
“It’s fine, it’ll be over soon.”
This time, I knew what was coming,
so I had sent my father away beforehand.
His health was poor,
and he longed for a grandchild.
If he heard Mrs. Lee’s words,
he would have died of rage just like before.
I looked up at Mrs. Lee,
my voice cold:
“In front of everyone,
are you certain you’re not joking
when you say your daughter’s child isn’t mine?”
The atmosphere grew hotter and hotter.
