What I didn’t expect was that I didn’t get to see Verna, but instead, they took the initiative to come to my house.

Verna smiled kindly:

“I was planning to meet Mara this weekend, but today, I thought I’d come over to meet you both. If things go well, we could even finalize the wedding.”

My mom, who was cutting fruit, brightened at the news.

“Marriage? That’s great! The kids have been seeing each other for quite a while, it’s about time they start thinking about marriage.”

“However…”

Verna’s tone shifted as she continued, suddenly turning serious.

“There are a few uncomfortable truths I need to lay out upfront.”

She sat back on the sofa, crossed her legs, and her previous warmth disappeared.

“To be honest, Pierce’s success today didn’t come easily.

“Back in the day, Pierce’s father and I had to send his sister away, working tirelessly from dawn to dusk, doing everything we could to support Pierce’s education.

“Fortunately, he’s turned out well. He graduated from an Ivy League school, got into a great company, bought a house on his own—he’s finally helped the Fletcher family gain some recognition.”

My mom nodded, but then her expression became puzzled.

“Verna, we know Pierce is an excellent young man, but what exactly are you trying to say?”

My mom asked bluntly, and Verna didn’t hesitate to give her answer.

Verna gave her a sideways glance, her tone dripping with arrogance.

“I’ve heard from Pierce that Mara tends to spend money recklessly, has no sense of financial discipline. So, in my opinion, since the two of them are talking about marriage, from now on, Mara’s salary card should be handed over to me for safekeeping.

“Also, I’m concerned that Mara is too delicate. I’d suggest she get pregnant soon—once she’s expecting, I’ll make sure they can get their marriage certificate.

“By the way, Pierce’s father passed away a few years ago, but Pierce is still part of the Fletcher family lineage. He can’t change his last name. So, when they have children, I think they should take the Vance surname, just like mine.”

My mom froze for a moment, then furrowed her brows and interrupted:

“Pre-marital pregnancy? That’s unacceptable in our family. And giving the children your surname? That’s probably not appropriate either.”

Verna’s face immediately darkened.

She trembled, her fingers counting off each point on her hand, her voice rising with each word:

“At the end of the day, my son has a prestigious job at the research institute, he bought his own house. With these conditions, there are countless girls lining up to marry him, offering cars and houses.

“But your daughter works at a private company, doesn’t even have a stable job—honestly, I’d be embarrassed to say that in our village.

“Also, your daughter earns 80,000 a year, while my son makes 200,000—twice as much, plus more. When you look at it that way, it’s clear that your family is trying to climb up by marrying into ours.

“So, when we make a few requests, is it really too much?”

My mom stopped what she was doing, her expression showing displeasure.

“What kind of talk is that? Mara is the only daughter we have. Both her father and I have decent salaries, and when she gets married, her dowry will certainly be no less. When the wedding happens, we’ll buy a house and put it in her name.”

“A dowry?”

Verna scoffed, her neck stiff with defiance.

“Your daughter’s house is already in her name, and you dare call that a dowry? Did you add my son’s name to it?”

At that moment, Verna placed her hands on her hips and couldn’t help but sneer.

“You city folk really know how to calculate. Don’t think just because I’m from the countryside I don’t get it—this house is your daughter’s property before marriage. Honestly, you’re not offering a single penny in dowry.”

Verna tapped her finger on the coffee table, spitting out words in rapid succession.

“No dowry at all, and if you won’t accept the few conditions I’ve mentioned, it’s clear you want to take advantage of my son.”

I was taken aback.

Pierce grew up in the countryside and later came to our city for college.

After graduating with my master's degree, I got a job at a research institute through my mentor, Mortimer Grey.

I worked there for three years, living frugally. Eventually, I was able to save enough for a down payment on a 40-square-meter apartment near my family’s home.

My mom always believed Pierce was ambitious and had a bright future. However, she also thought the apartment was too small and wouldn’t be practical once we got married.

So, when Pierce first came to our house for dinner, she promised to buy me a separate apartment as a dowry.

At that time, Pierce looked genuinely touched, repeatedly saying how lucky he was.

But in such a short time, it seemed like he had turned into a freeloader, taking advantage of my family.

“You wouldn’t believe it, but lately, Mr. Grey's niece, Tessa, has returned from abroad. Mr. Grey has been trying to set them up,” my mom said. “If your family doesn’t have any dowry to offer, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly. I’d rather Pierce marry someone else than let him marry your daughter.”

What seemed like a warm conversation quickly descended into an awkward silence.

I looked over at Pierce.

He was sitting there, head down, absorbed in his phone, his lips curled into a smile.

He looked completely uninterested in what was being said.

My mom sat beside me, her brow furrowed.

After a long pause, she spoke.

“Marriage has always been about mutual affection. If your family is forcing things, then we’ll have to put the wedding plans on hold.”

She finished speaking without looking at either of them on the couch and walked straight to her room.

I followed her inside.

As the door slammed behind me, my mom finally lost her composure.

“What kind of family is this? They’re already way below us financially. I let it slide because I thought Pierce had good potential. But now look—this is ridiculous. We're being wronged for no reason at all.”

She fumed, her voice rising.

“And now they’re talking about getting married because of the baby? And the kid’s supposed to take their last name? Who does she think she is to bring that up? Did she get a diamond or lose her mind?”

The more she ranted, the angrier she got. She raised her hand as if about to slap me.

“I told you to find someone from a similar background, someone whose family was on the same level. But you didn’t listen. Now look at Verna, strutting around like she owns the place. If you get involved with this so-called 'phoenix man'—someone who has nothing to offer—you’ll be stuck with him for life.”

She was seething now, waving her hand in frustration.

“Enough! Send him a message right now! We’re done. Pack up all your things from his place and bring them back today!”

My mom moved quickly, grabbing her coat and heading out the door.

She hailed a cab and headed straight for the apartment Pierce and I usually stayed at.

Though Pierce had bought a house here, he rented it out to save money, and we lived in a free government-subsidized talent apartment.

At the time, he’d gently convinced me.

“Of course, the wedding house should be reserved for after we get married. Let’s rent it out for now. The rent we make can go toward the renovations. Once it’s done, it’ll be a brand-new house, and we can pick the style together. It’s a win-win.”

I was naive back then, and somehow thought he made sense. I ended up living with him in a cramped 15-square-meter apartment for a few months.

I spent even more money, buying him appliances like a fridge, washing machine, and air conditioner.

Since we were together, I often felt sorry for his family’s situation and ended up paying for most of our living expenses.

But recently, when Verna came to town, Pierce didn’t hesitate to pay the tenant two months’ worth of breach-of-contract compensation.

Then, he let Verna move into what was supposed to be our wedding home.

It was around that time that I started to realize something.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford certain things.

It was that he didn’t think I deserved them.

When we reached the apartment, I packed up my personal things.

But my mom thought that wasn’t enough.

She began removing all the appliances I had bought, including the computer and speakers I’d gotten for Pierce, and packed everything up.