He was about to leave.

He accidentally glanced at the bag I had bought.

"Didn't I tell you before that one bag is enough? There's no need to buy so many of them."

Cruz was confused about my behavior in buying bags.

But I liked buying bags before I met him.

"Thanks to me, he can now identify the brands of bags."

"This is the latest model in the series. With a purchasing agent's help, it costs about 5,000 dollars."

I casually mentioned the price of the bag.

Cruz was caught off guard.

"Maria, I praised you just now. You disappointed me again."

Looking solemn, he started to educate me.

"Didn't we agree to save money before? Why are you spending money recklessly again?"

"A bag of yours costs as much as my family's food expenses for a year."

He sighed when he saw that I didn't speak.

"Forget it. You're used to being extravagant. It's not your fault."

"Give me the pocket money from your parents, I'll save it for you and give it to you when you need it."

He looked as if he were doing this for my good.

"I don't want your money. I'm saving it. After we get married, won't the money still be yours?"

"Besides, with the money, we should buy a car."

I knew Cruz. The 5,000 dollar's deposit for the car was probably going down the drain.

He should be cursing the seller in his heart.

"With a car, it will be more impressive for us to drive it around. It's worth more than a small bag."

With a few words, he made all the arrangements for me.

I nodded.

"Next month, I'll transfer my pocket money to your card."

Hearing this, he nodded in satisfaction.

As he left, he looked as if he had been greatly wronged despite getting so many benefits.

It was like by managing money for me, he was suffering losses.

I received a message from my best friend on my cell phone.

I told her all that had happened.

She advised me to run away quickly.

"He is interested in your family's assets. He wants you to marry him to support his family."

Of course, I knew it.

I chatted with her while packing my luggage, and preparing to go back to school.

Every time I came to his house, I always asked to sleep in another room.

Because of this, Cruz even fought with me.

I insisted on not sleeping in separate rooms before getting married, and he agreed.

I was about to finish tidying up soon.

I planned to sneak out quietly.

As soon as I arrived at the door, Lane asked me from the kitchen, "Maria, it's so late. Where are you going?"

...

On All Souls' Day, there were some customs in Cruz's family.

In the evening, men would worship their ancestors outside, while women stayed at home and cooked for them before they came home.

...

"Lane, there is something urgent at school. I need to go back quickly."

Lane smiled and shook her head.

"Silly child. You are still too young to understand the importance and urgency."

"The most important thing for women is to focus on the family. The advice that women should prioritize their careers is just a trick for young girls like you."

She educated me with great earnestness.

"Those women who prioritize their careers over their families will end up getting divorced. What good can come out of that?"

Seeing that I was still standing there, she sighed.

"Well, since you're busy, go first."

"Although you are a college student, there are many things you need to learn about family matters. I will teach you patiently later."

I nodded politely to her.

When I was leaving, I asked her, "Lane, do you know about April Fools' Day?"

...

She shook her head in confusion.

Seeing such a situation, I quickly left.

I got in the car. Then Cruz started to send me messages desperately.

[Maria Bright, my uncle is here. He urgently wants to see you. No matter how important your matter is, come back immediately.]

[My whole family, where there are more than ten people, are waiting for you to have dinner. If you don't come back, we won't start eating.]

[Reply if you received my message!]

I browsed my cell phone and sneered.

[Cruz, let's break up.]

He stopped sending me messages. Then he started calling me.

I didn't answer any of his calls. Then he started to send me messages frantically.

[Is it your best friend backstabbing me again?]

[You can't trust what she says. She envies that you have such a good boyfriend like me.]

[She likes me, but I don't like her. I only like you. She's just jealous and trying to break us up. Don't fall for it.]

My best friend, Vivian, was my childhood friend. Our family backgrounds were similar.

"Can she be interested in Cruz?"

Seeing that I ignored his messages, he instead called me.

I answered his call.

"Maria, what's been going on with you these days?"

"Don't mention breakup to me. You know I'll take it seriously."

"If I take it seriously, it will be difficult for us to reconcile in the future. You will lose someone who loves you the most in your life."

"...Why didn't I notice before that he was quite good at embarrassing himself?"

"Cruz, if you don't believe me, find my WhatsApp message..."

"Then let me say it again. Cruz, I want to break up with you."

He sneered.

"Besides me, who else can tolerate your bad temper?"

I doubted if I had made him too confident in normal times.

After being with him, I introduced him into my circle.

All of my friends had similar family backgrounds as mine.

I was worried that he would feel inferior because of this.

I kept comforting him, saying that we happened to be born in our families and there was nothing special about it.

Not only did he take my advice, but he also became conceited.

I didn't want to hear him speaking nonsense. I heard Lane shouting at Cruz one second before hanging up the call.

"You shouldn't spoil a woman too much. If you spoil her now, it will be difficult to control her in the future."

My boyfriend's family retaliated against me in unison. I would treat them the same way they had treated me.