Wearing a backless, form-fitting dress, I returned to the village with my fiancé, Roger Luray. I felt shy and embarrassed, but he casually remarked, "So what if everyone saw that? It doesn't really matter."

——

For our engagement party, I picked a backless, form-fitting dress and sent a photo to my fiancé.

I asked:[Do you think this might be too revealing for when I visit your family the day after tomorrow?]

He quickly responded with a cheeky emoji, his tongue sticking out.

[Go for something with a lower neckline, too. You're my fiancée, and it's all family—nothing to hide.]

I tried on a bunch of pink and red dresses, and he finally chose an ultra-short, low-cut dress covered in lace. A slight dip, and it left nothing to the imagination.

I asked: [Won't the uncles see everything during the toasts?]

He said: [So what if they do? Let them see but not touch. They can go home and sleep with their old ladies!]

That evening, Roger was in high spirits. He insisted I wear the dress and spin around for him.

I was taken aback, clutching the dress tightly. "Um… Isn't this dress a bit too much? I feel like it's more for a celebrity than for me."

"Just wear it, Vivian. Remember, tonight is our engagement. You're a star every day in my eyes!"

Then he tenderly embraced me, admiring our photos together, gently touching my face.

He continued, "I love you not just for your beauty but for your kindness. By day, you're a sweet nurse; by night, you take care of me. We're like a love lock on a bridge, bound together for life."

I sensed a deeper meaning in his words and gave him a playful punch.

"Are you watching too many soap operas? Answer me this: If I fell into a river with your mom, who would you save first?"

Roger replied, "Of course, it would be you. You're my precious, who I spent a fortune to marry. I've got to pamper you!"

My boyfriend Roger might be an ordinary worker, but he was generous. On our first date, he took me to a fancy restaurant and spent over 10 thousand dollars. After three months, he proposed, promising a gift money for marriage of 990 thousand dollars.

When the first 500 thousand came through, I knew he was my soulmate.

"Roger, I haven't met your parents yet. You'd better take good care of me tomorrow!"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you're thoroughly impressed and collect plenty of money!"

He gave a satisfied pat on my chest.

I imagined my future husband as a wealthy man, living in a villa and driving luxury cars.

Instead, I found myself standing in front of a self-built farmhouse with mud on my heels.

Pointing to the house with exposed bricks, I asked, "This is your place?"

He gave a casual push. "No, this will be your home from now on!"

In the living room, a massive, dark table loomed under the dim lighting.

The men gathered around were smoking and chatting in clusters; their eyes fixated on me as though they hadn't seen a woman in years.

Their stares were unabashed and unsettling.

I instinctively covered my chest and turned to leave, but Roger grabbed my wrist firmly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Where are you going? You're the star of the show today!"

"But I'm dressed like this?" I whispered, still in disbelief.

It was hard to reconcile that my well-off fiancé lived in this gloomy, spider-webbed shack.

"Vivian, come on! Everyone's waiting for you!" An elderly woman approached, pulling my hand with surprising strength. Her face, wrinkled and revealing yellowed teeth, made me shudder.

I yanked my hand away. "Don't touch me!"

The men in the room burst into laughter. "Oh, she's a spicy one!"

"The flavor's perfect!"

Feeling their scrutinizing gazes, I refused to step inside.

Roger pointed at the elderly woman. "This is my mom. You need to call her ‘Mom.'"

"Seriously?" I gaped at the woman, whose face was a spitting image of Roger's but looked seventy at least, despite Roger being in his twenties.

Seeing my shock, Amanda, as she introduced herself, pulled out two heavy gold bracelets from her pocket and slipped them onto my wrists.

She leaned in and whispered, "New brides need to go through a bit of teasing. You're shy, so just bear with it for now."

The bracelets were worth at least 100 thousand.

I hesitated for a second before she tugged me inside.

The room erupted into chaos as soon as I entered.

The nearest uncles lifted me up as a group, and I was gently placed on a glass turntable in the middle of the room.

Kneeling on the table, I felt like a small, embarrassed animal.

The noise grew louder as I realized everyone's eyes were on me.

"Ah…" I tried to reach for my coat, shouting, "Roger, are you a statue? Get me down now!"

Roger just waved dismissively, standing at the door without moving.

"Roger, let me down, or I'll call the cops!"

"Call the cops? You're overreacting!" Amanda rolled her eyes from the sidelines.

The spinning slowed as the uncles nearest to me pulled out stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

The man closest to me placed a stack gently on the table, followed by others who did the same.

Is this their version of a gift?

"What are you all doing?"

Panic rose in my chest, and tears started streaming down my face.

Suddenly, the turntable stopped.

I opened my eyes to see a woman who looked just like Roger gently wiping my tears.

"Oh, that's just how we do things around here. It's your engagement today, and everyone's thrilled. Didn't expect you to be so sensitive and end up in tears, did we?"

Her voice was soft, and she was dressed neatly.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Roger's eldest sister, Margaret Luray."

"Margaret?"

Roger had always told me he was an only child and that everything in the family was his.

I eyed Margaret suspiciously, only to notice that she was flanked by two more identical-looking women.

Roger introduced them one by one.

"This is my oldest sister, Margaret Luray, my second sister, Maia Luray, and this is my youngest sister, Amy Luray."

"What? Your family doesn't practice birth control or something? Or…"

A chilling thought crossed my mind. "Is it… a preference for sons?"

The dilapidated house, the rough manners, and the three sisters who seemed to have little formal education.

I touched my belly and squatted down, clutching Roger's hand with a whimper.

"I think I'm feeling unwell. I need to use the restroom."

Maia, who seemed the least friendly, yanked me away from Roger and led me to a corner, away from prying eyes.

She tugged at my elegant dress with frustration. "Do you think you're some kind of movie star? Dressing like this and trying to seduce who exactly? You asked us for 500 thousand dollars dowry? You're lucky you're getting such a son like Roger!"

As a nurse, I'd heard all kinds of gossip, but the jealousy on her face was palpable.

I pointed at her belly. "You... you... you… is that child Roger's?"

"What are you babbling about?" She slapped my face dismissively. "It's just our local custom. We're afraid that if a woman leaves her home, she might never return, so a son is kept here. When the baby's born, he'll call you ‘Mom!'"