Chapter 3

Pearl's mother-in-law had the driver carry a new red chest into the courtyard.

It wasn't large, and a strand of red thread was wound around the clasp.

She opened it in front of everyone.

Inside lay neat stacks of cash, jewelry boxes, a bank card, and a gift list with my name written on it.

"This is what our family put together to give Pearl her footing."

"If her own family won't provide, we will."

The courtyard went so quiet that all you could hear was the wind stirring the red silk.

My mother stared at that chest, and something in her eyes shifted at once.

A moment ago she'd been scolding me for caring about money. Now she looked at it like a lifeline.

"Ma'am, this isn't how things are done."

"Whoever heard of the groom's family preparing the dowry themselves? Word gets out and people will think the Hensons sold their daughter."

Jeanette's voice was even.

"How word gets out doesn't depend on this chest."

"It depends on what you two just slipped into the bottom of hers."

Somewhere nearby, someone let out a low laugh.

My father's face couldn't hold any longer, and he slammed the table.

"Pearl Henson, are you getting married today or not?"

"If you still claim this family, call the wedding car back and walk through the whole thing from the front door."

"But if you dare walk out of this hotel, don't ever call yourself my daughter again. Get mistreated, don't come running home. And the duties you owe us, we'll settle those in full!"

I looked at him, and all at once I understood why he was in such a hurry.

They weren't afraid I wouldn't come home.

They were afraid I'd stop bringing money home.

From the day I started working, the moment each month's paycheck landed, I'd wire three thousand home first.

Later, when Michael graduated and refused to work, I sent two thousand more.

He said finding a job had to be done with dignity.

I bought him a phone, paid for his driving school, even covered the red-envelope money the first time Stella came to visit.

And today, on my wedding day, they wouldn't even leave me my dowry cash.

I took out my phone and pulled up my bank transfer records.

"Dad, over these years I've wired this family two hundred and eighty-seven thousand."

"The fifty thousand for Michael's car, I lent him that."

"Stella's engagement gold, that was mine."

"The one hundred sixty thousand you took today, the Sawyers gave that to me as my dowry money, not to buy Michael a house."

Michael panicked.

"Sis, why keep such careful track? We're family. Counting every cent like this hurts feelings."

I looked at him.

"When you were spending my money, how come you weren't worried about hurting feelings?"

His neck stiffened.

"I'll pay it back someday!"

Stella grabbed his sleeve at once, her eyes going red again.

"Forget it, it's all my fault, I shouldn't have pushed about the house. If Pearl looks down on me as her brother's fiancée, I'll leave right now."

She made a show of heading for the door.

My mother caught her by the arm.

"Where do you think you're going? You're carrying a child. Who'd dare let you leave?"

Then she turned and glared at me.

"Pearl Henson, you won't be happy until you've ruined your brother's marriage, is that it?"

I didn't answer.

I walked to the bedroom and opened the wardrobe.

Half of it was empty.

The document pouch I'd tucked away yesterday was gone.

My ID, the copies of the household register, the bank card, even my spare phone, all of it gone.

I turned to face my mother.

"Where are my documents?"

Her eyes flickered.

"I'm holding on to them for you. I was afraid you'd lose them at the wedding."

I held out my hand.

"Give them here."

She pressed her lips tight.

"Call the wedding cars back first."

So this was her last card.

She thought that if she held my documents, I couldn't leave.

Something in me almost wanted to laugh.

But my mouth had barely moved before the tears fell first.

It wasn't hurt.

It was realizing how stupid I'd been.

I'd endured my wedding ring being scratched, endured my bedding being taken, endured my red umbrella being borrowed away, endured my money becoming Michael's footing.

I'd thought that if I just held out until today, I could leave with some dignity.

But they wanted to make me walk out of here on my knees.

Jeanette took my hand.

"Pearl, replacing documents isn't hard."

"What's hard is deciding whether you're going to walk out of here."

I wiped away the tears and looked up at my mother.

"Keep the documents."

"Keep the money too."

"This family, I'm done with it."