The day my parents traveled all the way from home to discuss the wedding arrangements, the Miller family—led by Grayson Miller—showed up late.

After my third call went unanswered, my mom forced a smile and tried to comfort me. "Maybe they're stuck in traffic. It's no big deal. Your dad and I don't mind waiting."

And wait we did—for three hours.

Their expressions slowly shifted from eager excitement to quiet sorrow.

My dad kept tugging at the stiff, ill-fitting suit he rarely wore. Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore. His eyes reddened, and his voice trembled as he asked, "Sweetheart… does it have to be him?

"I'm not trying to break you two up. It's just—you'll be thousands of miles away from us. If you ever get hurt, your mom and I… we won't be there in time to wipe your tears."

My nails dug into my palms. Still, I smiled, helped my parents to their feet, and said: "Dad, Mom, let's go home. Forget the engagement. I don't want it anymore."

After bringing my parents home and getting them settled, I finally got a call from Grayson Miller.

He opened with an accusation, his voice sharp. "We got to the restaurant. Why is the private room empty? Your parents don't give a damn about our wedding, do they? I can't believe they'd show up late!"

I paused for a second, then answered quietly, "Grayson, my parents waited with me for three hours. You never showed. It's not that we're not taking this seriously—it's that you and your family never took my parents seriously."

There was a beat of silence on his end. When he spoke again, his tone had softened.

"Hazel got into grad school with full funding. Her parents came from out of town to celebrate. They don't know anyone here, and Hazel's just a student—she couldn't handle it alone. So I went to the station to pick them up. You know my family has sponsored Hazel for thirteen years. I've always thought of her as a little sister. I couldn't just ignore her parents."

Grayson rarely bothered to explain himself. But instead of feeling better, I only felt worse.

When my own parents arrived yesterday, I'd been stuck in an all-hands meeting at work. I had no choice but to call Grayson and ask him to pick them up.

Do you know what he said? He said, "They're adults, not kids. They can take a cab. It's not like they're gonna get lost."

I tried to explain patiently. "My parents haven't traveled much. They don't know how to use ride-share apps. I even bought their train tickets for them. The station is barely fifteen minutes from our place. Couldn't you just drive over and—"

He cut me off, annoyed. "I'm exhausted after work every day. I don't need you ordering me around the minute I get home. Your parents, your problem. I'm not doing it."

Then came the dial tone. He'd hung up.

In the end, I called a friend. She didn't hesitate for a second—she drove straight over to pick them up. The man I was about to marry turned out to be less reliable than a friend.

The thought struck me as ridiculous. I laughed out loud.

On the other end of the line, Grayson's voice relaxed completely. "See? You laughed. That means we're done with this. Mia, no more sulking like this. You know our families are in different leagues. My parents weren't exactly on board with us to begin with. I'll pick a new date. This time, your parents can apologize to mine, and we'll move forward with the wedding."

His tone was condescending. The words came out like he was owed something.

I gripped my phone and said, "Forget it. My parents are leaving soon."

Grayson paused for a beat, then said smoothly, "Fine. It's not like they'd have much to add anyway. The wedding's going to be exactly the way my parents want it."

Then, through the line, I heard a sugary voice call out, "Grayson! My parents already ordered. Thanks for treating us to such an expensive meal. Come eat with us!"

And just like always, the line went dead. He'd hung up again.

In the living room, my mom walked over hesitantly and took my hand. Her face was gentle.

"Honey, don't say things you'll regret just because you're upset on our behalf. We don't matter. As long as Grayson treats you well, that's enough. We'll come to the wedding, then leave right after. We won't be a burden."

My throat tightened. I turned and hugged her arm. "Mom, my company just opened a new branch back in our hometown. I've already put in my transfer request. Three days from now, I'm coming home with you."

My mom couldn't hide her joy. Her voice lifted. "Really?"

I smiled and nodded. "Really."

My parents went right back to packing—all the things they'd brought for me to use after the wedding. Now, everything was going right back with them.

Grayson got home after midnight. Half-asleep, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind.

"Babe," he murmured. "How come you didn't wait up for me tonight?"

I turned over, pulling away from Grayson's touch.

"I thought you'd be spending the whole night with Hazel. Since she's still a student and all. Can't function without you."

The bedroom light flipped on, harsh and sudden.

Grayson got out of bed, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Mia, do you have to talk like that? I've explained it to you so many times. I only think of Hazel as a little sister. There's nothing going on between us."

I didn't say anything. I just pulled out my phone and showed him Hazel's post.

In the photos, inside the exact private room we had booked, Grayson's family and Hazel's family were sitting together, perfectly harmonious.

In one picture, Grayson was lowering his head to peel shrimp for her. In another, Hazel was reaching down to touch his face. The two of them were so close they looked like they were about to press together.

The caption read: [Meeting the parents! The guy who's sponsored me all these years is about to become my husband.]

I held up my phone and looked at him. "You really know how to make use of things. I spent a whole week picking out that restaurant and venue. And just like that, it became the place for you to discuss marriage with someone else."

Grayson's expression shifted. He frowned.

"I didn't know she posted this. I'll call her right now and tell her to take it down. Besides, Hazel probably just heard that our families were discussing the wedding and got curious. She was posting for fun. She's just a kid. What does she know about this stuff? You're going to be something like her sister-in-law. You should be more understanding. Don't make a big deal out of everything."

I laughed. "A kid? She's twenty-three. Why don't you just call her a baby?"

Grayson ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "We're about to get married. I don't want to fight with you. I'm sleeping in the study tonight. When you can stop being unreasonable, I'll come back."

The bedroom door slammed shut. The noise woke up my parents. They hurried out, confused and worried, asking what had happened.

I shook my head, reassured them with a few words, and sent them back to rest.

The next morning, I got up early. My parents were already in the living room, having made breakfast.

On the table sat the pickled ginger they had brought from back home. I had loved it since I was a child.

Grayson came out of the study. He didn't look happy.

My parents hesitated for a moment, then warmly called him over to eat.

But the person they were calling furrowed his brow instantly. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes landed on the table. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "And what is that disgusting thing you brought? The whole living room smells like it. This is the city, not whatever backwater town you're from. Can you have some manners and some respect? Don't bring your garbage in here."

My parents froze, completely embarrassed. They didn't know where to put their hands or feet.

My mom hurried to clear the ginger off the table, her voice anxious and apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Grayson. I just thought that since Mia has loved this since she was little, I brought some. I wasn't thinking. I'll put it away right now. Please don't be upset..."

In her rush, a bowl slipped off the table and shattered on the floor.

My mom flinched. She glanced nervously at Grayson's face, unsure what to deal with first.

My dad didn't say anything. He just bent his hunched body down and started to pick up the pieces.

My eyes burned.

Back in our hometown, my parents always stood tall and straight. Whenever someone praised me for being successful, they couldn't help but puff out their chests with pride, even as they waved their hands modestly and smiled. But ever since I started dating Grayson, they had been like this all the time. Careful. Tiptoeing.

They refused to take the money I sent them, telling me to save it and buy things for Grayson's parents instead so they wouldn't look down on me. During New Year's, they wouldn't let me buy them anything. Instead, when I left, they would pack up a bunch of local specialties for me to take to his parents.

Even when Grayson's parents stood them up, they didn't dare get angry. The only thing they feared was that someday, I might be the one getting hurt.

I walked over and stopped them. My voice came out hoarse and choked. "Mom, Dad, just eat. I'll clean this up. And don't put the ginger away. I like it."

They tried to help, but I firmly pressed them down into their seats.

Grayson turned and saw me. His expression stiffened for a moment. He opened his mouth awkwardly and said, "That's not what I meant. I have sinus problems. Strong smells bother me. You know that."

I didn't answer him. I quietly swept up the broken pieces and threw them in the trash.

Grayson followed behind me, hovering. He tried to speak several times, but I acted like I didn't see him.

After breakfast, I planned to take my parents to a few nearby sights. But then I got a call from work. There was a problem with a project I was in charge of. A serious one.

Grayson spoke up. "Go take care of it. I'll keep your parents company and show them around. I don't have anything at the office today."

I turned and looked at him. Grayson glanced away, uncomfortable. "The things I said earlier were out of line. I was still carrying over last night's mood. After we get married, your parents are my parents. I promise I'll take good care of them."

I thought about how my parents were leaving with me in three days anyway, and it would be a shame for them to come all this way for nothing. In the end, I nodded.

By the time I finished dealing with the project, the moon was already high in the sky.

I was about to call and ask how my parents' day had gone when my phone vibrated.

I picked up. On the other end, my mom's voice came through, crying and panicked. "Mia, you need to come to the hospital. Your dad got hurt. He passed out..."

The words refused to process, leaving a dull ache in my skull. When I stood up, I almost lost my balance.

When I finally reached the hospital, I saw my mother lying on a stretcher bed in the hallway, crying silently.

I ran over and saw my father's head—there was a large gaping wound. It had been hastily bandaged, but it was still bleeding.

"Where's the doctor? Where are the doctors? The wound is still bleeding—why isn't anyone treating him?"

My mother hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. "There's only one emergency doctor on duty. And there was only one temporary room left. Grayson told him... told him to save someone else first."

Blood rushed to my ears. I stood up, and just then, the door to the room behind me opened.

Hazel was clinging to Grayson, her eyes red, her voice soft and fragile. "Thank you, Grayson. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't dropped Mia's parents to come help me."

Grayson patted her back gently and spoke softly. "Your parents are my parents. Don't say things like that. Stop crying. Your eyes are all swollen."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I charged forward and slapped Grayson as hard as I could.

My body was shaking uncontrollably. "Grayson, you said you'd take good care of my parents. This is how you take care of them?"

The person who got hit didn't react much. But Hazel let out a shriek and immediately started checking him for injury.

She looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears. "Mia, it was my mom who twisted her ankle. Grayson was worried it might leave lasting damage, so he had the doctor treat her first. If you want to hit someone, hit me. Don't blame Grayson. He was so worried about my mom that he didn't notice the car caught on your dad's clothes. That's how your dad got dragged and injured."

Grayson stepped forward, shielding Hazel behind him. He looked at me, his eyes a little cold.

"Mia, you're upset. I'll let that slap go. But when something happens, you need to be reasonable. Don't throw a tantrum like some backwater town shrew. The doctor looked at your dad's wound and said it was just a flesh wound. That's why I left him out here. But Hazel's mom's ankle can't wait. If it damaged the bone, that's a lifelong problem."

Behind me, I heard my father's weak voice. He called out to me. "Sweetheart... Dad... Dad's fine. Don't pick a fight with Grayson over me. We're country folk. Tough bodies. Not like other people who need such delicate care."

Grayson looked at me and softened his tone. He stepped closer and tried to pull me into a hug.

"See? Even your dad said it. It's probably nothing serious. Stop being upset. Once morning comes, I'll find your dad a new room right away."

I stepped back and avoided his touch.

Grayson's expression darkened. I ignored him. I just made some calls and arranged to transfer my father to another hospital.

I stayed with my parents through the night. The next morning, I went home to pack some things.

I opened the door. The living room was full of laughter and chatter. A sour, fermented smell hung in the air.

And the man who just yesterday claimed he had sinus problems and couldn't stand strong smells was happily eating a bite of pickled vegetables brought by Hazel's parents, smiling with delight.

Next to the trash can in the living room sat two familiar bags. They were the bags my parents had been carrying when they arrived.

I looked at Grayson and asked him, "What is this supposed to mean?"