On the very first day Jason and I made our relationship official, he insisted on handing over his salary for me to manage.

He said marriage was only a matter of time and that he trusted his future wife to keep the money safe.

On the day of our engagement, Jason demanded that I hand over the $960,000 in salary I had “kept” for him over the past four years.

“Each month, I gave you $20,000. In four years, that’s $960,000. After expenses, there should be at least $800,000 left, right? I can’t bear to make my parents empty their savings for my marriage. We will use my savings for the wedding, $600,000 as the down payment for the new apartment, and the remaining $200,000 will be my wedding gift to you.”

I froze. “But there isn’t a single dollar left!”

Jason exploded. “You wasteful woman! You spent all the money?!”

His mother also erupted. “So much money, and you squandered it all! What shameful acts have you been up to?! This marriage is off!”

Jason demanded to see the accounts. I immediately pulled out the records in front of everyone. Seeing this, Jason’s mother panicked.

On the day of my engagement, both families gathered to discuss my marriage with Jason Lane.

Everything was going smoothly until a relative from Jason’s family laughed and said, “Who would have known that Jenny was this good at handling money? Over the past four years, she has saved quite a lot for Jason. Now there’s enough money for the wedding, and the parents would have nothing to worry about at all.”

I was baffled. Me? Saving money for Jason?

Before I could figure it out, Jason’s mother began wiping her tears. “You truly are my good son. You were afraid of burdening us, so you saved enough for the wedding on your own. I’m proud of you, Jason.”

…What?

Jason’s relatives were all touched by this scene.

Jason grew emotional as well. He immediately held my hand. “I gave you $20,000 every month. That amounts to $960,000 over four years. Even after expenses, there should be at least $800,000 left.

“I cannot bear to let my parents empty their retirement savings for my marriage. We will use my savings. We’ll take out $600,000 for the down payment on the new apartment, and we’ll set aside the remaining $200,000 for you.”

I was dumbfounded as he went on. “Your family can cover the renovation and buy the furniture and appliances. We can put both our names on the deed. $800,000 will be enough. Jenny, I hope you can accept it. This is the most I can give you.”

My parents believed him. They truly thought Jason had given me $800,000 to save. Because of this, they started to see him in a different light, and their admiration deepened.

My mother even agreed on the spot and agreed to buy furniture and appliances. “Since Jason has made such a sincere offer, we’re also fine with it.”

Around us came envious voices. “How nice. Both families are generous and agreeable, and Jason is responsible. Their days ahead will surely be prosperous.”

I could not join in the enthusiastic atmosphere. I pulled my hand out of Jason’s palm. “Are you certain you saved $800,000 with me?”

The relatives who had just been praising us looked confused.

Facing everyone’s gaze, Jason stiffened, then straightened his back. “Of course! I gave you $20,000 every month. That is $240,000 a year, and $960,000 after four years. Even after expenses, it’s reasonable to have $800,000 left.”

I laughed in disbelief. “You’re saying your yearly expenses are only $40,000? That means you spent just over $3,000 a month? Jason, think before you speak.”

As I piece it together, unease crept over me.

If I went along with this supposed $800,000 in front of everyone today, I would never be able to deny it later.

Jason did not even bother to think. He blurted out, “Of course! I do not smoke. I only drink with friends sometimes. How much could I possibly spend each month?”

My expression darkened. “What if I told you there is not a single cent left?”

“How could that be?! Jenny, stop joking.”

Jason tried hard to maintain his gentlemanly composure in front of all his relatives. Even though his voice nearly cracked in the first half, he forced the second half back down.

My future mother-in-law also stopped her act and forgot to shed tears.

My mother noticed something was wrong. She frowned and asked me, “Jenny, what’s going on?”

I pressed my lips together, then raised my voice to make sure everyone present could hear clearly. “Jason did hand me his salary every month. But for convenience, we rented an apartment together for work. The rent was $5,000 every month…”

Even before I finished, my mother already figured it out. “Even if you two split it in half, Jason said his monthly expenses were just over $3,000. Deducting $2,500 for rent, the rest would not even be enough for him to have several proper meals with his friends, right?”

The Lane Family immediately looked embarrassed. Jason’s expression almost slipped as well, but he still tried to keep his tone calm. “Jenny, I know my monthly expenses may be more than that, but it’s impossible for nothing to be left. Just be honest with me. How much of the money I gave you is still there?”

I shrugged. “I already told you, not a cent.”

Seeing how serious I was, Jason finally snapped. He shot up from his chair. “You wasteful woman, you spent the entire $960,000?!”

His sudden outburst startled me. I froze on the spot.

The Jason standing before me was cruel and twisted. I could not believe that he was the man I had lived with for four years.

His mother exploded as well and suddenly wailed hysterically. “That’s a massive sum, and you squandered it all! What shameful thing did you do with it? This marriage is off!”

The Lane Family relatives joined in the chatter.

“Jason is the most promising of our younger generation. He makes so much money every year, how could it all be gone?”

“Tsk, tsk. It seems dating is an expensive business for young people. When my son finds a wife, she must be someone who knows how to manage a household.”

“Exactly. I thought Jenny was virtuous and good with money, but she turned out to be nothing but a spendthrift.”

My parents did not look pleased after hearing such harsh words. But they knew my character. They also knew I was not someone who recklessly spent money.

My father quietly reminded me, “Jenny, explain everything clearly now. We don’t take advantage of others, but we mustn’t let others accuse us of something we didn’t do and then just take it either.”

Jason’s mother, sharp-eared, sneered through her tears. “Not taking advantage? You burned through almost a million dollars in four years. Your daughter lived in comfort with Jason, so how could you say she suffered?”

My mother, being a woman of dignity, could not stoop to that kind of bickering. Her face flushed red with anger. “Jenny, accounts must be settled properly. You should know this principle. Do not let them smear you! Since everyone is here today, we will settle it right here in the open!”

Settle it? Of course, it had to be settled.

The Lane Family relatives craned their necks, eager for a spectacle. How could I not give them exactly what they wanted?

I pointed at Jason’s suit. “The suit you are wearing costs $5,000. The shirt underneath was $1,200. The leather shoes on your feet were $3,000. Even your tie was more than $800.You have at least forty sets of similar outfits in your closet.”

At once, murmurs of calculation spread around the room. Some people even pulled out their phones and started using their calculators.

The conclusion came quickly. “Good heavens, just a few outfits add up to more than $400,000!”

Jason had not realized that he had been spending so heavily. His confidence faltered, and his parents were stunned as well.

After a long pause, Jason forced out a line. “Some of those were birthday gifts from you. You cannot seriously count those against me, can you? You were using my money to buy me gifts! I cannot believe you would think that way!”

I barked out an angry, sharp laugh. “When did I ever say I would count those against you?” I had been a fool and allowed myself to spend too much on him.

My gaze shifted to his wrist.

That watch — I had given it to him that year for his birthday. I had told him it only cost tens of thousands, but in truth, it was six figures.

Until that day, my relationship with Jason had been fine. He sometimes acted like a nobody who thought he had become somebody, flaunting himself and caring too much about appearances. However, he did not have major flaws and treated me decently.

When it came to food, clothing, housing, and travel, we were compatible. Our tastes matched. And unlike other men from rural families who were stingy, he was excessively generous.

What I had not expected was that his generosity came from the fact that I was safeguarding his salary. Spending it felt like dipping into an endless vault.

Once the flashy disguise was torn away, our four years together turned out to be unbearably hollow.

Just to protect his pride and his vanity, I had not even dared to tell him the truth about my real income and family background. He said his monthly salary was $20,000, so I claimed mine was $15,000.

In hindsight, it was utterly foolish of me.

Noticing my gaze, he quickly pulled down his sleeve to cover the watch. “That was also a birthday gift from you! You are not going to count that in too, are you?”

Disgust welled up inside me. “I know. I never intended to add everything in. I just want to ask you one last time. Do you still insist on continuing this calculation? Will you admit you never saved any money with me?”

Jason grew irritable. “Of course we’ll continue! Even if half of these outfits were paid with my own money, that is only a little over $200,000. These expenses were all necessary for work. If you claim there is nothing left, then where did it all go? I want to see what other big expenses you think you can name besides these!”

I said “Fine” three times in a row, then pulled out my phone and opened my accounting app. “Here are our household expenses. Rent is $5,000. Utilities, gas, tissues, and other household items cost $1,000 a month. During summers, electricity is much higher, so we need to add another $1,000 each month.

“Besides that, you do not cook, and I do not have time to cook either. For breakfast and lunch, we always eat outside or at our offices. Dinner is always takeout or dining out. That is at least $3,000 to $4,000 a month.

“And you don’t just go out for the occasional drink. You go out at least ten times a month. Each time, you would ask me for money. That adds up to $5,000 a month. Altogether, you alone spend about $10,000 every month.”

Jason ground his teeth audibly. “Fine, $10,000 a month. That amounts to $480,000 over four years. Add in $200,000 for my outfits, that is not even $700,000. But in four years, I gave you nearly $1,000,000! Where is the rest?”

Just then, Jason’s mother suddenly grew flustered. Her expression turned strange as she shoved Jason back into his chair. “Jason! Stop calculating!”