The morning after our wedding, I woke up to the sight of my mother-in-law, Tiara, standing at the foot of our marital bed, looking down at me with unmistakable disdain. “Layla, this house was only loaned to you two for the wedding,” she said, stressing the word “loaned” as though it were some great favors. Groggy and disoriented, I blinked at her, wondering if I’d misheard. Didn’t this house belong to Zac and me? What did she mean by “loaned”? Pushing myself up from the bed, I grabbed my phone and called Zac, who had disappeared early in the morning without a word. At first, Zac hemmed and hawed, his tone evasive. But under my persistent questioning, he finally spilled the truth. “Layla, the house is in my mom’s name. It’s meant for my little brother in the future. I only managed to convince her to let us use it for the wedding by giving her a thousand dollars. “Now that the wedding’s done, it’s time for us to move back to the countryside and live a simple, happy life.” As soon as Zac heard I wanted a divorce, he rushed back to try and talk me out of it. “Don’t be impulsive, Layla. We just got married yesterday. How can you be talking about divorce today?” I was furious, glaring at him as I snapped, “You mean you already showed your true colors the day after the wedding? “Before the wedding, you lied and told me this was your house. Fine, I let that slide. But now you’re telling me it’s actually for Marcus, and you had to pay your mom a thousand dollars just to borrow it for a day?” It wasn’t like I was desperate for Zac to have a house. I had always been financially independent and had a decent job. But I wanted to build a stable family, and if my husband had better financial standing, it would make raising kids easier in the future. Now, however, it was clear that things were different. This house was in Tiara’s name, and technically, both Zac and Marcus should have equal inheritance rights. But Tiara blatantly favored Marcus, and Zac didn’t put up any fight. He was more than willing to hand over everything that should have been his. This wasn’t just about not owning property; Zac was clearly a textbook “submissive to his younger sibling” type. If today they charged a thousand dollars for a day’s use of the house, what’s next? Would Zac have to pay for Marcus’ wedding, car, and future kids? I got married to start a life, not to sell myself as a servant to their family! Zac tried to guilt-trip me, “Layla, you know how hard it was for Mom to raise both me and Marcus on her own. “Marcus didn’t get to enjoy much growing up. It’s just one house. Isn’t it fair to give it to him? “Please don’t make a fuss. The moment I met you, I knew you were a good person, not someone materialistic.” He dared to accuse me of being the one making a fuss? Of being materialistic? Was I supposed to swallow the lies and pretend nothing happened? Wanting fairness and what was rightfully mine made me greedy? I gave Zac one last chance. “Can’t Tiara at least split the house equally between you two?” Before Zac could answer, Tiara, who had been quietly enjoying the show, jumped up and spewed a stream of insults. “Split the house? Dream on! You want my house? Over my dead body!” She continued, “What kind of wife did you marry? I’m still alive, and she’s already eyeing your brother’s things! “If I die, who knows how she’ll bully Marcus! Why don’t you get control of this shameless woman already?” Zac turned purple with embarrassment. After stammering for a moment, he finally went to stand behind Tiara, patting her back to calm her down. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll talk to Layla. She’ll understand!” Watching how they handled things, I knew it was pointless to keep talking. “No need to waste any more time. It’s still early. Let’s head to the city hall.” I was done with the drama. If we couldn’t reach an agreement, there was no point dragging it out. When Zac saw I was serious about the divorce, he dropped the act. “You think you can just leave like that? If you want a divorce, fine, but only if you pay back the wedding gift! Otherwise, I’ll sue you!” Tiara’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! Do you think you can just waltz in and out of our family? Pay back the money!” I couldn’t believe their audacity. “The fifty thousand dollars was all spent on the wedding, wasn’t it? Our messages clearly show that. If you want to sue, go ahead. I’m not afraid!” I wasn’t about to be intimidated. When I agreed to marry Zac after a whirlwind romance, it was only to shed the stigma of being a “leftover woman.” The fifty thousand dollars wasn’t why I said yes, so I hadn’t been paying close attention to the money. When Zac said he was short on cash for the wedding, I had generously transferred the money to him, not bothering to oversee the details. Who would’ve thought they’d have the nerve to turn around and accuse me?
When I brought up the bank transfer records, Zac fell silent instantly. Tiara, however, kept barking. “You greedy little gold digger! The moment you see my son doesn’t own a house, you’re ready to divorce him. Don’t you have any compassion for your husband?” I let out a cold laugh. “The house isn’t in my name, and the fifty-thousand-dollar wedding gift was entirely transferred to Zac. That’s me being greedy?” Tiara wasn’t one to admit defeat, even when she was wrong. She straightened her neck and shouted, “What have you even contributed? And you want the house in your name? Let’s face it. You’re only here because we have a house in the city!” I scoffed. Fine. If they wanted to accuse me of being calculating, I’d show them what it really looked like. “So, I was the bride, right? Where’s the guest ledger? Let’s take a look at the accounts.” The wedding was held in the countryside, with plenty of relatives and friends attending. While the monetary gifts weren’t substantial, they should have totaled at least thirty or forty thousand dollars. And Tiara had kept every penny of it firmly in her grasp. I worked myself to the bone all day during the wedding, only to be kicked out after one night in the city. I didn’t even get to see a dime, and now I’m the one being labeled as greedy? What kind of luck did I have to marry into this family? Zac glared at me with bulging eyes. “Layla! All you talk about is money or a house. Did you marry me just for that?” What else? Did I marry him for being almost forty, without a house or a car? Or was it to follow him back to the countryside and struggle? We couldn’t find common ground, so I immediately packed my bags and called a cab to go back to my parents’ house. But as soon as I got there, I was greeted with looks of disdain from my parents. “What are you doing back here? There’s no place for you in this house!” I expected this. At thirty-five years old, I had been the “problem” child in their eyes, the daughter who couldn’t get married. If not for their relentless pressure to find a husband, I wouldn’t have rushed into this ill-advised, hasty marriage. Suppressing my anger, I recounted everything Zac and his family had done. Instead of siding with me, my parents berated me for not being a good wife. “You’re already at this age. You should be grateful a man even wants you. You can’t be so demanding!” “It’s just a house, isn’t it? You’ve been working for ten years. You and your husband can pool your savings for a down payment and pay off the mortgage gradually,” my mom said, glaring at me in frustration, her finger tapping against my forehead. My dad extinguished his cigarette and chimed in, “I told you a long time ago that women shouldn’t work so hard. But you wouldn’t listen, always chasing your career. “Now you’re thirty-five. All the good men are taken. You’re lucky to find someone who’s never been married. “Listen to me, go back to Zac’s place this afternoon, apologize to Tiara, and stop making trouble.” A wave of despair swept over me. Neither my in-laws nor my own parents considered me family. Dragging my suitcase back to my old room, I discovered my bedding and pillows had already been packed away. I had only been gone for a day… Before I could even argue with my parents, there was a rapid knock on the door. “Oh, Zac, you’re here. Layla just got home too. Young couples have little tiffs all the time. Sit down, talk it out, and everything will be fine!” My mom practically tripped over herself welcoming him, guiding him to the couch, pouring him coffee, and putting on her best hospitable smile. But Zac wasn’t having it. His face was dark as he growled, “There’s nothing to talk about. Your daughter looks down on me. Fine, I can take it. “But that wedding gift? That was borrowed from relatives. If Layla wants a divorce, you must pay it back!” The moment my mom heard it, her demeanor changed. “That wedding gift didn’t come to us! It all went with Layla! How can you expect us to pay it back?” She stormed to my door, banging on it furiously. “Layla, you ungrateful burden! You’re the bane of my existence. Get out here and explain yourself right now!”
When I opened the door, Zac stood there with a smug expression plastered on his face. I knew he wasn’t serious about wanting me to return the wedding gift. He just wanted to use the debt as leverage, keeping me tied to him, obediently playing the role of a dutiful wife-slash-servant for his family. But I wasn’t some helpless lamb ready for slaughter. If he wanted to play dirty, I’d gladly up the ante. Taking my time, I said, “The wedding was held in your hometown, right? If I’m not mistaken, the catering was done by Fabian’s family at the edge of the village?” Zac, confused by my calm response, hesitated. He clearly expected yelling and accusations, not a casual reference to wedding logistics. “What does that have to do with anything?” he snapped, feigning confidence. “Either pay back the money or come home with me!” “You…” Before I could respond, my father chimed in, siding with Zac and scolding me. “Layla! I raised you better than to argue with your husband’s family!” I stared at my father, incredulous, as he turned to Zac and handed him a cigarette. “Zac, take Layla back with you. If she misbehaves, discipline her however you see fit. Hit her, scold her, whatever you need. We won’t interfere.” Buoyed by my father’s support, Zac accepted the cigarette, speaking to me with even more audacity. “You hear that? Even your own parents can’t stand you!” I closed my eyes briefly, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll go back with you.” If my own family wouldn’t back me up and would only hold me back, I’d rather fight this battle alone. As soon as we got out of the car, Zac reached over, trying to wrap his arm around my waist. Disgusted, I dodged. Zac chuckled, brushing off my reaction. “Still shy, huh? If it weren’t for being so tired yesterday, last night would’ve been our wedding night!” Clearly, Zac assumed that my agreeing to return meant I had resigned myself to this life. His tone made that abundantly clear. I glanced at him and asked, “Where’s the expense report for the wedding?” His expression darkened, and he barked, “Why keep bringing that up? It’s over and done with. We’ll pay back the money together and focus on building our future!” Rubbing my neck, I sighed, “Well, if you won’t tell me, I’ll just go to your hometown and investigate myself. “Fabian’s family handled the catering, didn’t they? It wouldn’t take much effort to ask them how much they charged.” The food at the wedding had been mediocre at best. The beef and lamb didn’t even seem fresh. It couldn’t have cost much. As for other wedding expenses, there hadn’t even been a proper emcee. I refused to believe Zac’s modest wedding had burned through the full fifty thousand dollars. Zac stormed off, too angry to keep arguing. Of course, I never expected him to hand over any records. My point wasn’t to make Zac confess; it was to establish a reason for staying in the city. Zac, pushing forty, was floundering at work and eager to retreat to the countryside for a quieter life. But I wasn’t about to throw away my career in the city for his sake. Whenever Zac suggested I move to the countryside with him, no matter how much he tried to romanticize rural life, I’d bring up the finances. That was all it took for Zac and Tiara to glare at me in silent frustration. Eventually, they stopped bringing it up altogether. But I stayed put, waiting for the perfect moment. Zac’s brother’s upcoming wedding. A month later, I made a call to Marcus. “Hey, Marcus, just thought I’d give you a heads-up. Mom might be planning to transfer the house to Zac. “I’m serious. Zac’s mentioned it a few times already. Originally, we were just supposed to borrow the house for the wedding and move back to the countryside. “But it’s been a month now, and Mom’s starting to think she’s been too hard on Zac over the years. She might be trying to make it up to him!”
I was deliberately misleading Marcus. Tiara treated him like the apple of her eye; there was no way she would ever hand over the house to Zac. “Once your wedding is over next month, they might officially transfer the house. You’d better keep an eye on it!” Marcus panicked immediately. He had grown accustomed to everything in this family being his. “I knew it! Zac may seem honest on the surface, but he’s definitely plotting something!” From his tone on the phone, it sounded like Marcus was about to stomp his feet in frustration. I smiled. Look at that. This brother, whom Zac cherished and defended so much, thought so poorly of him. Marcus had dropped out of vocational school and gone to work out of town. With his wedding scheduled for just before the New Year, he wouldn’t be back until then. He was ready to call Tiara and Zac right away to demand an explanation, but I couldn’t let him ruin the fun just yet. “The moment you ask,” I cautioned him, “your mom will just brush you off. If she truly wanted you to have the house, she would’ve transferred it to you as soon as you turned eighteen instead of dragging it out until both of you were married.” “But don’t worry,” I continued with feigned sincerity, “I would never try to take something that rightfully belongs to you. You’re still young, and I feel bad for you.” I quickly sent him a photo of a draft I’d prepared—a voluntary waiver of any claim to the house. “Here, look at this. It’s legally binding. I absolutely won’t try to take the house from you!” Marcus, spoiled and with little understanding of legalities, was quickly duped. “Layla, you’re amazing! My brother’s so lucky to have married such a kind and understanding woman!” Sure. A “good wife” who was willing to sacrifice herself for them? That was how they see me. If I so much as hinted at claiming a share of the house, they’d probably curse me to high heaven. I chuckled sweetly and said, “Oh, stop it. You’re about to get married. What matters most is living a happy life with your wife!” Hearing Marcus’ cheerful laugh on the other end of the line, I smoothly changed the subject. “By the way, have you decided who’ll host your wedding? These days, brides care so much about having a proper ceremony. Zac and I just had a small family gathering with no vows, no ring exchange, none of that special stuff.” I sighed dramatically, “Thinking back, it all feels like something was missing.” Marcus, still trying to process what I’d said, started to get anxious. “I’m not very educated, Layla, and I’m not familiar with all that. Do you think it’s too late to arrange something now? If you don’t mind, could you help me out?”
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