Everyone had heard me say the wedding was off.

The Simmons relatives didn't look the least bit fazed.

Eustace's aunt let out a cold snort. "Oh please. You think calling it off is going to scare us?"

"We've already paid the bride price. Paid every bit of what your family demanded, too."

"So if you don't want to marry in, just hand it back."

"Money like ours, you think a man goes without a wife these days?"

The others chimed in one after another.

"Exactly. You think a bit too much of yourself."

"You don't want him, there are plenty of girls lining up for the chance."

"Eustace is successful, handsome, and rich."

"Women who'd kill to marry him are everywhere."

"You want to marry into the Simmons family and enjoy the good life, but you won't swallow a little grievance? When has the world ever worked that way?"

"You expect to have it all your way?"

They talked over each other, one voice after another.

Every word aimed at me.

The girlfriends who'd come with me weren't the type to sit quietly either.

They fired right back at the Simmons relatives.

In a heartbeat the courtyard turned into a shouting market.

And it was then.

Eustace hurried to my side.

"Sweetheart, don't say things like that. If you don't want to drink it, then you don't have to."

"You've got me backing you. No one's going to force you."

If he had stepped up and said those words the moment his mother ordered me to drink that footwashing water, then no matter how many thorns lay ahead,

I would have walked on beside him.

Even torn to pieces, I wouldn't have cared.

Because the man I was marrying was him.

Not his mother.

But no.

He waited until things had spiraled out of control, until it was clear that forcing me wasn't working, and only then stepped forward to offer that hollow little speech.

It didn't bring me the smallest comfort or flicker of joy.

Instead my heart dropped straight to the bottom.

"Mom, today is my wedding day, mine and Willow's."

"Can't you just not make an example of her in front of everyone?"

Seeing me stand there stone-faced and silent,

Eustace could only turn his eyes to his mother.

But it was no use.

His mother had made up her mind like a stone had settled in her gut. Today, she was going to teach me my place, no matter what.

Her face was dark, and a cold snort came from her nose.

She just sat there with her arms folded and said coldly, "Son, you know the Simmons family tradition."

"Any woman who wants to marry into this family must obey her mother-in-law's wishes."

Eustace reached out and put his arm around my waist.

His face was earnest. "Willow is the wife I chose myself."

"I don't want her bound by any Simmons family tradition."

"I just want to bring her home."

At that, his mother couldn't hold back. "Have you lost your mind?"

"If you don't put her in her place now,"

"who's going to rein her in when she runs wild later?"

"Mom..."

Eustace tried to say more.

His mother cut him off coldly. "Enough. If she wants to marry in, she does it my way, or not at all."

Eustace hesitated.

Then he looked at me, torn.

"Willow, why don't you..."

"Just take a small sip?"

Eustace was actually telling me to drink it. One sip.

I stared at him, sure I'd misheard.

Then, fast, I laughed.

Not from happiness. From pure, blinding fury.

"Eustace, you're telling your own wife to drink someone else's footwashing water?"

"Willow, don't get worked up. Let me explain."

"This really is the Simmons family's rule."

"Once you're through the door, everything follows my mother's wishes."

"Honestly, my mom's easy to get along with."

"She doesn't have anything against you."

"She's just following the family tradition, that's all."

"I know asking you to drink my mom's footwashing water sounds insane to you. But for me, for our future—"

"Can you just put up with it, this once?"

He paused.

Then he pulled me in tight and swore it like a vow. "I, Eustace Simmons, swear to God, from now on, no matter what happens, I'll always be at your side and face it together with you."

I said nothing.

Eustace piled on more promises.

The gist of it was simple.

As long as I drank his mother's footwashing water.

He'd even be willing to die for me.

So.

I asked him, out of nowhere, "So no matter what I ask you to do, you'll do it?"

"Yes, absolutely. I'll stand with you through everything."

"My love for you, the sun and moon can bear witness."

"All right, then."

I nodded, and laid down a condition on the spot.

"Care to join me?"

"You want a drink? Sure, no problem, but let's get through the door first. Tonight we'll drink till we drop." Eustace looked at me, thrilled.

He thought I'd caved.

"Sweetheart, I knew you'd never put me in a hard spot."

"You're too good to me, really."

And right there in his moment of pure joy—

I reminded him, "The drink I meant isn't liquor."

Eustace blinked. "Then what?"

"This!"

I pointed at the footwashing basin.

"What?"

His face changed in an instant. "You... you want me to drink the footwashing water with you?"

"That's right."

"Didn't you say you'd stand with me through everything?"

"Your mom insists I can't come through the Simmons door until I've drunk her footwashing water."

"So we'll drink it together."

Eustace shook his head at once, frantic.

"No. I can't drink that."

"Why not?"

I asked.

He obviously couldn't admit he was afraid of being sick, so he braced himself and made something up. "This is a rule my mom set for you. If I drink it, I'm breaking her rule, and that would hurt the Simmons family's luck."

"Ha..."

"Even that ties back to the Simmons family's luck. Eustace, how did I never notice before what a talent you have for making things up."

My words left Eustace squirming with shame.

The next second.

I stripped off my wedding gown, right there in front of everyone.

"Babe, what are you doing?"

Eustace watched me strip off the wedding gown.

A bad feeling rose in him at once.

I threw the gown on the floor and gave a cold laugh. "You really need to ask?"

"Willow Mason, are you trying to scare me?"

My mother-in-law's voice went low.

"I'm not trying to scare anyone."

"This Simmons daughter-in-law job — whoever wants it can have it."

"I'm done waiting on this family."

I motioned for my girls to head out.

But Eustace's aunt jumped in front of us.

"Nobody's leaving."

"Not before the bride price is returned."

"You're not going anywhere!"

My mother-in-law immediately called for someone to shut the doors.

"The three gold pieces, the bride price, all the money spent on this wedding."

"Settle up, then you can go."

Her words made me double over laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Just how the whole Simmons family is one nest of trash."

I paused.

Then I told them, "Relax. I won't take a cent of the bride price."

"As for the three gold pieces..."

"Even if I gave them back, would he dare take them?"

I shot a glance at Eustace, whose face had gone ugly.

The others didn't know the truth.

But how could Eustace not?

His so-called "self-made success."

That was built on my help — the money that let him strut around the village, put up a fancy house for his family, buy a car.

Without me, frankly, it was all a pipe dream.

"Willow, this is all a misunderstanding..."

Eustace tried to say more.

His aunt shouted him down. "Calling off the wedding and still trying to keep the three gold pieces? You city women are greedier than any country girl."

"Our Eustace worked hard and earned the money to buy those."

"Take them off, now!"

Before the words were even out, she lunged forward to snatch the jewelry off me.

A few of my girls stepped in to stop her, but she was a big, heavy woman, and strong with it.

She shoved every one of them to the ground.

"Hand it over!"

She wrenched the gold necklace clean off my neck.

Then had someone pin me down.

Earrings, ring, bracelet.

All of it taken.

"Even the underwear on your body was bought by my nephew, wasn't it?"

"Take it off!"

"Auntie, what are you doing?"

"Eustace, keep quiet. This woman wants to take you for everything, and I'm not letting her get away with it."

"Don't worry. Auntie's got your back."

Eustace's aunt came at me to rip the underwear right off my body.

I screamed at her, "Don't you dare!"

"And why wouldn't I dare?"

"This is a crime!"

"Ha! What crime is that, exactly?"

"I'm only helping my nephew take back what he bought. Returning things to their rightful owner."

"Call the police if you want. We're not afraid."

The Simmons relatives burst out laughing.

And soon.

She tore my top apart, baring a wide stretch of my skin, and even that didn't satisfy her.

So she pinched me on purpose, hard, and while a cry of pain tore out of my throat.

A small chunk of flesh came away between her fingers.

Blood poured wildly from the wound.

She sneered. "You dared take advantage of my nephew — let this be your lesson!"