The day of my brother’s wedding. I was all smiles, happily following my brother Brian to pick up his bride, but then I got slapped across the face by his future mother-in-law. “Why bother spending so much money on a girl’s education? It’s a waste! She’s just going to marry into someone else’s family. That money should’ve been used for my son’s wedding instead!” I was stunned. Who does she think she is, telling us how to spend our family’s money? Today was Brian’s wedding. I went with him to the Adams’ house to pick up his bride, Chloe. Out of nowhere, Chloe’s parents pulled a stunt—demanding an additional $40,000 for the wedding, otherwise, they wouldn’t let my brother take her to the ceremony. Is this some kind of joke? The wedding was about to start, relatives and friends were already arriving, and now they’re pulling this? This is nothing short of extortion! That’s exactly what I thought—and said out loud. I’ve never been one to hold back, and let me tell you, the looks on their faces turned green. Chloe’s mom, Mrs. Adams, with this puffed-up attitude, said, “Girl, do you even know how to talk? How is this extortion? This is for my daughter’s wedding. Shouldn’t your brother, the groom, be paying for it?” I was speechless. What in the world? Chloe’s brother is getting married, but they want my brother to foot the bill? Does Brian look like a complete fool to them? Chloe stood there in her white wedding dress, but she wasn’t smiling. She looked conflicted, torn between us and her family. She grabbed Brian’s arm and said, “Brian, I only have one brother. He finally found a girlfriend, and they can get married if he gets this dowry. Can’t you help him out? I know your parents can come up with the money. Consider it a loan to me, and I’ll pay it back, I promise.” Unbelievable! They were practically tossing the calculator beads in my face. “So, because our family has some money, we have to cover your family’s debts too?” I snapped, anger boiling inside me. “We’ve already given $40,000 and a house as part of the wedding. Now you want to take more from my parents? Are you even human? This money is what my parents saved for my education!” I had just gotten into grad school, and my parents set aside a fund for my tuition. And now, these people had their eyes on it! Before I even finished my sentence, I got slapped. SMACK— It was loud. Chloe’s mom, Mrs. Adams, yelled at me, “How dare you talk like that! What’s the point of a girl getting an education? It’s a waste of money! She’s just going to belong to someone else’s family. That money is better used for my son’s wedding!” Her father added, “No money, no wedding today.” I stumbled back, head buzzing, trying to steady myself. My face was burning from the slap. I had always known Chloe was the type to prioritize her brother over anything else, ever since I first met her. Two years ago, Brian brought Chloe to our house for dinner for the first time. Chloe immediately took a liking to the gaming action figures I had spent sleepless nights trying to get. I remember that day vividly—she didn’t even ask for my permission before waltzing into my room and looking through my stuff. First, she spotted the makeup on my vanity. She was amazed. That amazement soon turned into envy. Her eyes practically lit up. “Amanda, how do you have so many high-end makeup products? They must’ve cost a fortune. I’ve never used brand-name cosmetics in my life.” She picked up one of my favorite lipsticks, treating it like some kind of treasure, unable to put it down. Brian had told me before that Chloe’s family didn’t have much money, and she only managed to go to college thanks to financial aid. As for my family? Well, my parents run a small business. We’re not rich, but we’ve got a house, a car, and savings. I’ve never wanted for anything growing up. Honestly, I’m not a fan of people touching my things without asking. Sure, she was my brother’s girlfriend, but this was the first time we’d met, and to me, she was still a stranger. But I didn’t say anything. I just smiled. Chloe must have taken that smile as permission because she went further. “This lipstick looks like a nice color. I bet it would suit me. You don’t mind if I try it, do you?” Yes, I minded. But before I could say anything, she had already twisted the tube open and started applying it. Internally, I was losing it. That was my favorite lipstick! Chloe admired herself in the mirror, clearly pleased, then turned her attention to my eyeshadow palette. “My friend uses this one too. You’ve got great taste, Amanda. But you’re only twenty, you should focus more on your studies instead of just makeup.” Wow. Now she’s lecturing me? Not even my parents nag me like this. She was acting like she belonged here. I was getting angrier by the second, but Chloe’s hands still hadn’t stopped. After finishing her full face of makeup, she reached for my action figures.
“You actually have this? My brother begged me to buy one, but I couldn’t get it.” I thought Chloe was just making a passing comment. But I was wrong. The next moment, she gave me a hopeful look, saying, “Amanda, can I have this? You know, as a little gift from you to me? My brother really loves this, and it’s really more of a boy’s toy anyway.” Are you serious? I’ve never heard of a girl visiting her boyfriend’s family for the first time, not bringing any gifts, and then asking his family for presents instead. And for her brother, no less. On top of that, she was justifying it with the excuse that girls shouldn’t play with action figures. “No way,” I snapped, pointing at the figure in her hand. “Put it down.” I would’ve been heartbroken if she had damaged it. Chloe looked startled, probably shocked at how harsh my tone was. Then, as if she did it on purpose, she loosened her grip, and the figure fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. The commotion brought my parents and Brian running into the room. Before I could say anything, Chloe started crying. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look as pitiful as possible, like I was the one who had wronged her. Thankfully, my parents and Brian were reasonable people, and they adore me. After I explained what happened, no one blamed me. In fact, Brian apologized to me. But Chloe wouldn’t give up. She made Brian ask me multiple times to give her the action figure until, tired of the hassle, I finally gave in and handed it over. A while later, it was my 20th birthday. My parents threw me a birthday bash, inviting lots of family and friends. Chloe brought her brother Tommy along. Tommy, who’s my age, had dropped out of school early and hung out with a rough crowd. He had red hair and tattoos—just exuding that troublemaker vibe. My best friend Sarah noticed too. “Amanda, did you get into some kind of trouble? That guy looks like he’s here to start something.” “He’s my brother’s future brother-in-law,” I said dryly. “Ah, I see…” I knew exactly what Sarah was thinking. And yeah, I didn’t like Tommy either. Toward the end of the party, I went to the restroom and saw Chloe helping Tommy, who was completely drunk and vomiting everywhere. Chloe looked annoyed. “I told you not to drink so much! Serves you right, throwing up like this. What a mess! The Taylors sure have money to burn, throwing a huge party for a girl’s birthday! So pointless.” “Exactly. Dad says daughters are just money drains. Everything at home is mine—mine!” Tommy slurred, gesturing wildly. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Are these people for real? And instead of being angry, Chloe agreed. “Yes, yes, everything is yours. You’re the only son, after all. It’s up to you to carry on the family name!” Family name? Are they royalty or something? After the party, when I was going through the gifts, I noticed my Cartier bracelet was missing. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. I suspected the Adams siblings, but I didn’t have proof, and my parents told me to let it go—for Brian’s sake. A few days later, Chloe added me on Instagram. She said she had something to discuss with me. I was curious, so I accepted. Chloe quickly sent me a message: “Amanda, I didn’t want to bother Brian with this, so I’m coming to you.” Me: “What is it? Go ahead.” I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be anything good. Chloe: “You know, you’re going to get married one day too. Once you do, you’ll belong to someone else’s family. Even if your parents and Brian spoil you now, you can’t just take what rightfully belongs to your brother, right?”
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