Chapter 3

Mona sped up at once. "Where's the million?"

Marlin pointed at the card in my hand. "It's all on that card."

"See? Wouldn't it have been nice to be this reasonable from the start."

Mona reached for the card, but I turned my wrist and pulled it out of reach.

"The money on this card was ready the day I learned you two were getting married. I thought the amount was too large to list at the gift table, so I'd hand it straight to you after the wedding."

"But I honestly never imagined it. Just because I was slow handing over this money, I had to suffer all of this out of nowhere."

Mona showed no remorse. If anything, she got more brazen. "And whose fault is that? You should've given us the money sooner. How were we supposed to know you weren't just refusing to pay!"

My mother tugged at my arm. "Florence, come on, just give your daughter-in-law the card. Then everyone goes home happy."

I looked at her, steady and unblinking. "Everyone happy? You mean all of you happy!"

"Mona beats me black and blue in front of everyone, and there's not even one apology?"

Mona nestled against Marlin, all wounded innocence. "Marlin, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize? It's your mom's fault for not bringing out the card sooner."

Marlin instantly shielded her. "You don't have to apologize. My mom's at fault here too!"

"This is just a misunderstanding. Nobody did anything wrong!"

"Florence, hurry up and give your daughter-in-law the card. We'll pretend today never happened."

I laughed. I was so far past speechless I didn't even know what expression to make.

"'We'll pretend today never happened.' That's rich."

"Fine, forget the part where she hit me. What about her deliberately smearing me online?"

I pulled up the video Mona had just posted and held it up in front of them.

"She muted the video on purpose and claimed I stood up there telling her to give this family seven sons in six years, or I'd make my son divorce her. That I called her a whore. Is that a misunderstanding too?"

"She smeared me online on purpose, whipped up the mob against me. Take a look at what everyone's calling me!"

I opened the comment section and read out the filth, one line after another.

"'This mother-in-law isn't even human, laying down rules for the bride. Who does she think she is? What a dumb bitch.'"

"'Look at that plastic-surgery face, mean as hell. You can tell she's trash just looking at her.'"

"'This mother-in-law should drop dead. I hope she walks out after the wedding and gets hit by a car.'"

"'I hope her second marriage is to a three-hundred-pound drunk, that she gives him seven sons in six years and gets beaten every single day.'"

My father suddenly bellowed. "Stop reading!"

I drew a deep breath and stopped.

"They took my likeness and made AI videos to humiliate me. Someone even photoshopped my funeral portrait. Want to see those too?"

My mother waved both hands. "No, no, don't. There's no point looking."

"You're right, there's no point. But this video's shares and comments are both over ten thousand now. That already counts as criminal defamation. If I take it to court, Mona goes to jail."

Marlin jabbed a finger at my nose. "You wouldn't dare!"