My parents gave me two hundred thousand dollars for my graduation trip. My boyfriend, Rylan Blake, wanted to come along, so I agreed. On the day we boarded, he showed up empty-handed with his parents and brother. His parents didn’t chip in a dime. They were not even for her underwear; that was on my tab, too. His brother, Alvin Blake, threw a fit at the amusement park, making us miss our train to the next stop. I lost my cool and snapped at the little brat. His parents immediately hardened, and she started scolding me with her hands on her hips. “How dare you yell at Alvin? He’s your future husband’s brother. Whatever he wants, you better provide!” My boyfriend held me back as I was about to retort, saying that his parents had worked hard their entire lives and this was their rare chance to travel, so it shouldn’t be difficult. Fine, fine, if that were the case, I would indulge them. That evening, I booked two presidential suites for them at a five-star hotel and took them out for a luxurious dinner. While they were busy taking photos, I made a smooth exit. At the airport, I was reviewing my travel itinerary while waiting for my boyfriend, Rylan Blake. Suddenly, an unruly child burst onto the scene, jumping and bouncing around. He yelled at the top of his lungs, “Airplane! We’re going on a big airplane!” People he bumped into or stepped on glared at him with annoyance, but he only became more energized. Just then, Rylan appeared in the distance, waving at me. I smiled and waved back. I had been planning this graduation trip for ages, and my parents generously gave me two hundred thousand to have a blast. My boyfriend Rylan, who I’ve been dating for two years, mentioned that he’s never even left the province and wanted to see the world with me. So I agreed to bring him along. Halfway through the trip, I noticed a man and a woman trailing behind Rylan. They gave a thumbs-up to the same kid who had caused trouble earlier. “Olivia, these are my parents, and that’s my younger brother Alvin Blake.” “The three of them didn’t buy plane tickets. Is it too late to buy them now?” Rylan pointed at the three of them, who hadn’t brought any luggage, and looked at me expectantly. His father, Oscar Blake, clasped his hands behind his back and glanced at me expressionlessly. His mother, Wendy Blake, on the other hand, unabashedly sized me up from head to toe. I felt a bit offended. However, Rylan mentioned that his parents had spent their whole life in the countryside. Perhaps their customs were different, and I could understand. The original plan for a romantic getaway for two turned into a trip with my boyfriend’s entire family, and my excitement instantly plummeted. Rylan seemed to sense my displeasure and pulled me aside. “Olivia, my parents worked hard to put me through college, and I want to take them on a trip. “They wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving Alvin home alone. “When I start working and earning money, I’ll take your parents on a trip too.” He spoke sincerely. Although my parents didn’t need him to spend money on them, his intentions were good. It was about understanding and compromising with each other. I nodded in agreement. Knowing Rylan’s financial situation, I took the initiative to buy their plane tickets. After boarding the plane, Alvin was so excited that he was jumping up and down and making strange noises. The other passengers were very annoyed and complained. The flight attendants tried to calm him down several times, but it didn’t work, and Wendy even accused them of meddling. I had to ask Rylan to intervene. When Alvin heard that he might be kicked off the plane, he finally quieted down. However, his parents looked at me with great displeasure. Two hours later, the plane finally landed in Kingstown. The sun was relentless, and the heat was stifling, making us all eager to get to the hotel and rest. As per the original plan, I had only booked two rooms. Now, with the hotel fully booked, we couldn’t get an extra room for Rylan’s family. “How are two rooms not enough? Rylan and Olivia can share one, and the three of us can take the other,” Oscar declared as if it were the most obvious solution. I quickly objected, “Mr. Blake, Rylan and I aren’t married. We can’t share a room.” My parents had raised me to value self-respect and to be cautious about intimacy before marriage. Wendy scoffed, her eyes lingering on my bare legs exposed by my shorts. “You’re with our Rylan now. This is bound to happen sooner or later. Don’t be so prudish.” Her words made me extremely uncomfortable. The others were also giving us strange looks. My already poor impression of them worsened, and my patience finally snapped.
To avoid delaying other guests’ check-in, I pulled them aside. “Mrs. Blake. Rylan and I aren’t married yet. You’re overstepping with such personal matters.” My sharp retort didn’t sit well with Wendy. Just as she was about to blow up, Rylan arrived with water, offering a glass to each of us. When he reached Wendy, she didn’t take the water, only wiping her tears with her sleeve. “Rylan, you’re so successful now, mom’s words don’t matter anymore.” Oscar also had a dark expression, refusing to drink the water. It was as if I had caused them immense grievance while Rylan was away. How could they still be playing these manipulative games at their age? I looked Rylan in the eyes and demanded sharply, “Your mom said in public that I should share a room with you and sleep with you. “Ask any woman here how they’d feel about that.” Rylan didn’t expect me to get so angry and kept apologizing profusely. “My mom is just like that. She has a sharp tongue but a good heart. “She thought having us share a room would save you money.” At least they knew they were spending my money. He whispered something to Wendy, and though she looked reluctant, she came over to apologize for what had happened. Rylan winked at me and put his hands together in a pleading gesture. I didn’t want to stay angry and ruin the trip, so I softened my expression and offered to find them another hotel. Alvin was enjoying the air conditioning in the hotel lobby and refused to leave. So Rylan asked his parents to stay there with Alvin while he went to find another hotel. I was tired and didn’t have the energy to deal with their issues. I took my key card and went to my room to rest. I had booked two connecting rooms, and his parents loud voice could still be heard through the wall. They seemed to be saying they were hungry and wanted to eat and that it was time to take a shower and change clothes. The sound was intermittent, and it was making it hard for me to sleep. Just then, my mom called to ask how my trip was going. I vented all my frustrations from the day, not caring if the people next door could hear me. “Rylan’s mom actually said that to you in the lobby?” My mom’s voice was shocked and displeased. She was a university professor, and she usually interacted with students and intellectuals. She had never heard such rude and disrespectful language. “Olivia, Rylan is a good kid. How can his parents be like this?” I was silent because I didn’t know the answer either. From meeting in a club activity to me accepting his advances, Rylan had always given me the impression of being gentle, courteous, and responsible. He always indulged my little whims and fancies. Besides, he excelled in his studies and was ambitious. My parents met him once at school and were very impressed. They didn’t care about Rylan’s family background; as long as he was honest, dependable, and would love and cherish me, it was enough for them. If nothing unexpected happened, we were going to get married. However, after interacting with his family today, I felt it was better to put the marriage talk on hold for now. After a while, my mom spoke again. “Olivia, if you want a long-term relationship with Rylan, you have to consider his parents and family. “He can pretend in front of you, but what is he like in front of his parents when he doesn’t need to pretend? “You need to see his true character clearly. In any case, Mom will always support your decision.” My nose tingled; it felt so good to be loved by my mom. “Oh, and your dad is busy with the branch office in Kingstown these days. If you have any trouble, just contact him directly.” Just as I hung up the phone, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Rylan, sweating profusely, holding a bag of oranges out to me.
After taking a plane or train, I tend to feel nauseous and want to vomit. Eating oranges always helped. He had always been mindful of this little quirk of mine. “Aren’t you going to invite me in to cool off?” Rylan offered the oranges again. I didn’t take the oranges, but I opened the door to let him in. He went on about finding a cheap hotel nearby and asked if I was still planning to visit Kingstown’s famous night market tonight. The thought of the bustling market and its diverse array of goods lifted my spirits. I took the peeled oranges from him, and we shared them. As night fell, the weather cooled down considerably. The night market was a seemingly endless street filled with clothes, shoes, trinkets, and specialties from all over the country. I was having a great time browsing when a vendor grabbed my arm. “Miss, you haven’t paid yet!” He ran a clothing stall, but I didn’t buy anything from him. The owner pointed at Rylan’s parents’ backs. “They said you’d pay.” They were carrying a bag of clothes, and Alvin had a handful of grilled sausages. Seeing my hesitation, the owner grew impatient. “You’re not trying to skip out on the bill, are you?” Rylan stepped forward to explain and urged me to pay quickly. The long bill included underwear, socks, and other items. The total came to 1562 dollars. Then there was the grilled food, which cost 86 dollars. As we continued walking, several other vendors asked me to settle their bills. Rylan, beside me, was excitedly looking around, completely oblivious to the situation. I stopped and said sternly, “Rylan, your parents came to Kingstown without bringing anything. “They’re treating me like an ATM, aren’t they?” Rylan held a pair of shoes Oscar had worn, examining them as he spoke. “Olivia, why are you making such a fuss over this little bit of money? “Your mom gave you two hundred thousand dollars, so what’s the big deal if my parents buy some clothes and shoes?” His tone implied that it was my duty to foot the bill for them. “That two hundred thousand dollars is my money, and how I spend it is my decision. “Who says just because I have money, I have to buy clothes for your parents and snacks for your brother?” Rylan froze, then looked at me with a wounded expression. “Olivia, we’re going to be family soon. It hurts when you talk like that. “Shouldn’t family members support each other? What’s wrong with spending a little money now to make the elders happy? “When I have money in the future, I’ll also take care of your parents.” It finally dawned on me. Rylan was painting a rosy picture for me, like a boss promising future rewards to his employees. He was saying that when he makes it big someday, he would take my parents on trips and shower them with gifts. He was so sure of his bright future that he saw my current contributions as an early investment, something he deserved to receive without any guilt. So, I saw my current contributions as an early investment in him, something he deserved. Yet, he still hadn’t found a job. While everyone else was busy sending out resumes during spring and fall recruiting seasons, he was out wining and dining people, all on my dime. He called it “looking for entrepreneurial partners”. He looked down on ordinary jobs, only dreaming of getting rich quickly and soaring to the top. In a positive light, it was ambition. In a negative light, it was impatience. They said travel was the ultimate test of a relationship. Less than a day in, and he was already showing his true colors. I calm down, deciding to test the sincerity of his words. “Rylan, you’re right, family should support each other. “I have a bit of a headache now, and I’d like some mint lemonade.” With that, I hold my head and squat down. Rylan’s parents kept piling on purchases. Seeing that I hadn’t followed to pay, they turned around and angrily demanded to know what I was doing.
Rylan accused me of making a fuss over nothing. “It is Kingstown, not Butterwort. Where do you think you’ll find mint lemonade here? “Are you trying to ruin the mood for my parents?” Kingstown had mint lemonade; he just couldn’t be bothered to look for it. It was what he meant by supporting each other. It essentially meant I could support his family, but his family couldn’t return the favor. I went along with Rylan’s words. “Fine, I won’t ruin the fun. I’m heading back to the hotel.” I stood up, shouldered my bag, and returned to the hotel alone. The front desk handed me a long bill. It turned out Rylan’s parents had ordered room service. They’d ordered every overpriced dish on the menu. I put away the bills, returned to my room, locked the door, and prepared to take a bath. Between the flights, hotel, and various other expenses, the Blake family had already cost me over twenty-six thousand dollars. My planned trip still had fourteen days left. If things continued like this, I wouldn’t even be able to afford a return ticket. I’d deal with the breakup later. Since I was already here, I was determined to complete my planned itinerary. I hung up on Rylan’s call and went to bed early, deciding to go to the amusement park alone the next day. When I finished my makeup and set off with my selfie stick, Rylan’s parents’ room was still quiet. Finally, I could enjoy myself alone. It was cloudy today, but it was more relaxed than yesterday. In a great mood, I lined up outside the park to get my ticket checked. To my surprise, Rylan showed up with his entire family. Alvin, who had always been rude to me, rushed over as soon as he saw me, begging to ride the coin-operated kiddie ride. “Olivia, please, just let me play for a little while,” he pleaded, lying on the ground and refusing to get up, drawing the attention of both visitors and staff. Rylan knew I hated making a scene in public, which was why he had the owner make me pay the bill last night. He was trying the same trick today, but it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t even glance at him, continuing to wait in line for the ticket check. Because his tantrum was disrupting the order of the amusement park, security had to step in and remove Alvin. It triggered Wendy. She immediately went up and shoved the security guard, who accidentally bumped into her during the struggle. She instantly collapsed to the ground. The park management had no choice but to call the police. Rylan pointed me out as a related witness, so I ended up going to the police station, too. Because of the complicated situation between Rylan, Wendy, and the security guard, the mediation dragged on for two hours without any resolution. Alvin, under someone’s influence, cried incessantly, claiming the security guard had broken his arm. So, we went back to the hospital for another X-ray. The amusement park plan was ruined. We also missed the 3 pm train, and tomorrow’s trip to Oceana was off the table. The ridiculous part was that Wendy actually had the nerve to demand that I pay the hospital bill. “If it weren’t for you, Alvin wouldn’t have been hurt.” I looked at the perfectly fine Alvin and the now useless Disney tickets, my anger boiling over. “Is he hurt? Where is he hurt?” Furious, I grabbed his arm and shook it back and forth. “If he hadn’t been rolling around on the ground at the entrance, I’d be taking pictures and watching shows at Disney right now. “Every time he walked with me, I wanted to find a hole to crawl into, do you understand?” From the airport onwards, Alvin’s bratty behavior annoyed countless people. Only Wendy still thought her child’s wildness and boldness were admirable. Rylan and Wendy swatted my hand away and shielded their younger son. Oscar glared at me fiercely and said, “Alvin is your husband’s brother. You have to give him whatever he wants, or you can forget about joining the Blake family.” They thought the Blake family was some prestigious clan everyone was dying to join. I pulled out a mirror from my bag and held it up to them. “Take a good look. You guys think you’re something special, huh? Chasing after things way out of your league and still not satisfied. “And now you want your whole family to get a piece of that swan. “Well, let me tell you, swans aren’t so easy to fool. Be careful, or one of them might just peck you back to reality.” Rylan came rushing over with the inspection report in hand. He snatched the mirror out of mine, frustrated. “How can you speak to my family like that?”
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