My In-Laws Tested Me at the Door, So I Refused to Marry In

I had barely stepped down from the wedding car, hadn't even found my footing, when a crowd of the groom's relatives closed in on me, bamboo canes in hand.

I'd heard beforehand that weddings out here included a "humbling ritual," but Matthew Stephens had told me plainly that it had been dropped.

Matthew saw my displeasure, and his eyes went uneasy. "My mom says people will look down on us if we skip it. But don't worry, it's only for show."

"Please. Just do it, for the elders' sake."

Seeing how torn he looked, I softened and agreed. But the moment I took one step forward—