Chapter 1

After working overtime on the weekend, I bought myself a durian as a treat.

I was right in the middle of enjoying it.

My mother-in-law came into the living room pinching her nose.

"What smells so awful?"

"Did you bring it into the living room?"

My older sister-in-law trailed after her, snide as ever.

"Mom, this is a black-thorn durian. Very expensive—something only rich people eat."

"That one durian of hers is enough to buy dozens of pounds of rice!"

My mother-in-law was shocked. "It stinks like shit and it's still that expensive?"

She glared at me. "Who said you could throw money away like this?"

I stared at them, stunned.

"I earned the money myself. What law am I breaking by spending my own money on durian?"

My mother-in-law's face was full of anger. "Now that you've married into the Henson family, you follow the Henson family's rules."

"From now on, no more eating fruit this expensive."

"And you make a high salary, don't you?"

"From now on, every month's paycheck—"

"You hand it all over to your sister-in-law to invest."

My mother-in-law's words almost made me laugh.

"My money—why on earth would I hand it to them to invest for me?"

"Which one of them even graduated from college? What successful investments have they ever made?"

My sister-in-law sneered. "Your husband already agreed."

I was startled. "Agreed to what?"

She smugly waved a bank card in her hand.

"All of your husband's savings are right here!"

...

At first I didn't believe it.

I figured Aria was lying to me.

My husband handing all his savings to her to invest.

A thing this big.

There was no way he'd hide it from me.

And yet.

The next second.

My husband came out of the room.

"What's going on out here?"

Aria sneered. "Little brother, perfect timing—your wife's been sneaking durian."

My husband, Val Henson, frowned slightly.

"Honey, how many times have I told you?"

"Durian's too expensive. Once in a while is fine."

"Why do you eat it every single week?"

I said, amused, "I bought it with my own money. If I want it, I buy it. What's wrong with that?"

"That stuff is smelly and expensive."

"You've got money for durian."

"You'd do better putting it toward groceries for the household."

"We're married now."

"You have to put the family first in everything."

"It's not like when we were just dating, understand?"

Val's words really put me off.

"First, since I married into your family, I have never once eaten for free—I've paid my full share of the household expenses every single month."

"Second, what fruit I eat is my own choice. I married you—I didn't come to do time in your family's house."

"Third—"

I hadn't finished speaking.

Aria impatiently raised a hand and cut me off.

"Enough, enough. Nobody twists words like you do."

"The Henson family has its rules."

"We have to stand together."

"So I've already talked it over with Mom."

"From now on, whatever money this family earns—"

"It all goes to me to invest."

Hearing this.

I frowned and asked Val, "You agreed to this?"

"Mm."

Val nodded and said, "I've already handed over the money we saved while we were dating, plus the money we set aside to buy our wedding home, to your sister-in-law to invest."

At that.

I shot to my feet and stared at him, stunned.

"Val Henson, have you lost your mind?"