Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
I wired a million dollars to my girlfriend's parents just to get a signed agreement severing all ties with them.
She had cried in my arms countless times, sobbing about how her parents favored her younger brother and how she never wanted to set foot in that house again.
Her parents had demanded one condition to cut ties: one million dollars in cash.
My heart ached for her, so I paid the full million to buy her freedom.
When her parents signed the contract and took the money, they swore on their lives that they would never bother us again.
That day, she clutched the agreement in her trembling hands, weeping tears of joy, saying she could finally marry me.
We set the wedding date immediately.
Yet on the eve of our wedding, she vanished.
Knowing her parents, I figured they had gone back on their word.
I frantically started a FaceTime call, and sure enough, there she was—sitting in that run-down family house, flanked by her mother and father on either side.
Her eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow:
"My parents said we can still get married, but you need to transfer another five hundred thousand as a wedding gift."
"Ryan, I'm so sorry... It's all my fault."
I panicked. Grabbing my car keys, I bolted out the door, my head spinning with images of her looking fragile and helpless.
I sped through two intersections before a sudden realization hit me. I slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the curb.
My phone buzzed with a text from her:
"Ryan, maybe we should just call it off."
I stared at those words for a long time, then typed back a single word:
"Okay."
Sitting in the driver's seat, I felt like the biggest fool in the world.
The screenshot of that one-million-dollar wire transfer was still sitting in my photo gallery. Back then, I hadn't hesitated for a second.
My screen lit up again. It was an incoming call from Jessica.
I stared at her contact name, labeled "Wife." My thumb hovered over the decline button, but in the end, I swiped to answer.
"Ryan..."
Her voice was thick with tears.
"Are you really giving up on us? We've been together for six years. Six whole years!"
Six years.
The weight of those words crushed my chest with a dull, throbbing ache.
"Do you have any idea how many fights I had with my parents just so I could marry you?"
She sniffled on the other end.
"I know I let you down, but I had no choice."
She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Please don't be like this. You're scaring me."
I leaned back against the headrest, staring blankly through the sunroof.
"Ryan? Are you still there?"
Panic crept into her tone.
"Are you mad at me? I know it's my fault, but you have to understand my position. It's so hard for me..."
"Yeah, let's call it off," I interrupted.
"I'm exhausted. Go live peacefully with your parents."
The line went dead silent for two seconds.
"How could I ever live peacefully with them!"
Jessica's voice suddenly spiked.
"You know what my dad is like—"
I cut her off again.
"Your dad smashes things whenever he's mad. Your mom just tells you to endure it. And your brother is a total leech."
"You can't bear to stay in that house for another second."
I closed my eyes.
I had heard these exact lines far too many times.
So many times that I could recite them word for word.
Her sobs caught in her throat.
"Ryan, you..."
"Am I right?"
I opened my eyes.
"How many times have you said that? Every single time you cry, it's the exact same script."
She went silent. Only the faint sound of her shallow breathing filtered through the speaker.
A car honked outside, the piercing blare echoing sharply through the chilly night.
"Ryan, just five hundred thousand," Jessica pleaded, her voice turning soft and fragile again.
"Give them this last five hundred thousand, and we can really get married. No one will ever bother us again. Haven't you always dreamed of marrying me?"
I nearly laughed out loud.
"A minute ago you texted me saying we should call it off, and now you're demanding another five hundred grand."
I watched the digital clock ticking on the dashboard.
"Jessica, has a single word out of your mouth ever been true?"
"I was just overwhelmed! I felt like I was dragging you down, like I didn't deserve you..."
She started speaking faster.
"But I truly love you, Ryan! I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You have no idea how terrified I am of losing you."
"Well, I don't want to anymore."Dead silence fell over the line.
About ten seconds later, a man's gruff voice cut through the phone—her father.
"Tell him four hundred thousand works too! Stop wasting time in the middle of the night!"
Then her mother's shrill voice chimed in:
"Exactly! Talk to him, four hundred thousand is plenty!"
Jessica didn't answer them.
"It doesn't matter how much it is," Jessica suddenly whispered into the phone.
"None of it has anything to do with him anymore."
Click. The call disconnected.
I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat. It skidded across the leather cushion and landed face down.
The car's heater was still blasting, making my face feel uncomfortably hot.
I shut off the heat and rolled down the window.
A blast of cold, dry late-autumn air rushed in. I took a deep breath, my eyes stinging slightly.
The pain I had felt for her in the past had been real.
The hatred I felt right now was just as real.
When she told me her family was a bottomless pit, I believed her.
When she told me her parents favored her brother, never gave her a cent, and only treated her as an ATM, I believed her.
When she said she wanted to sever ties, I did everything in my power to buy her out.
One million dollars.
It took me three full years of relentless grinding to save that up.
During those three years, I worked late into the night every single day, took on freelance gigs every weekend, and didn't even dare tell her when I was hospitalized for stomach bleeding.
I genuinely thought that once she had that signed agreement, she would be free.
She would belong only to our future.
How ridiculously naive.
To ensure her parents would never bother us, I bought a new place in an upscale gated community and moved her in.
Only the two of us had the keys. Even my own parents hadn't visited yet.
No one else knew the address.
I thought it was our sanctuary.
Yet tonight, of all nights, she was sitting right there in that old house.
Nobody broke in. Nobody forced her.
She had walked back there entirely on her own.
All along the drive, one question kept haunting me: When did she go back?
This morning?
Or last night?
Maybe she had never truly left in the first place.
From the very beginning, this had been an elaborate scam crafted just for me.
The car radio suddenly clicked on, playing a late-night relationship talk show. The host's gentle voice murmured through the speakers:
"Love requires mutual trust..."
I reached out and shut it off.
The world fell silent again, save for the low hum of the engine.
I started the car, made a U-turn, and headed home.
In the rearview mirror, the streetlights blurred into streaks of light behind me.
It was nearly one in the morning when I walked through the front door.
The living room lights were on. Near the entryway sat two large gift bags filled with cash envelopes prepared for tomorrow's wedding banquet.
I crouched down and opened a few. Each held crisp bills, tucked neatly inside.
On the coffee table sat wedding favors wrapped in pastel pink paper. She had picked them out herself.
She said pink looked youthful and would look stunning in photos.
I picked up a piece of candy, squeezed it between my fingers, and tossed it back.
My phone rang. It was my mom.
"Ryan, sweetie, what time are you heading over to pick up the bride tomorrow? Your dad already got the celebratory sparklers, and your uncle drove all the way from out of town..."
"Mom, the wedding is off."Silence stretched for three seconds.
"What did you say?"
"The wedding is canceled. We're not getting married."
My voice was flat.
"Tell everyone not to come. I'll go to the venue tomorrow to cancel the deposit."
"What happened? Did you two have a fight? It's normal for couples to bicker before the big day, but tomorrow—"
"Mom, please don't ask."
I hung up, then sent a quick text to my dad:
"Dad, the wedding is off. Please apologize to the relatives for me."
My dad texted back instantly: "Understood."
I sank into the sofa. The crystal chandelier overhead cast a blinding glare.
She had chosen that light. She insisted on crystal, spending thousands more than standard fixtures.
She said a wedding home deserved nothing but the best.
The front door clicked open.
Jessica stood in the entryway. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and puffy, as though she had been crying her heart out.
She was wearing a white knit sweater—one I had bought for her just last week.
"Ryan."
She slipped off her shoes and walked in, her voice hoarse.
"When my parents saw you weren't going to pay, they realized keeping me was useless. They kicked me out."
She sat on the sofa, leaving the space of a person between us.
"They disowned me."
She hung her head, her voice trailing off.
"They said raising me was a waste of time and money."
I stared at her in silence.
"Ryan, you're the only one I have left now."
She looked up, fresh tears welling in her eyes.
"My parents threw me away. If you abandon me too, I don't know what I'll do."
"You're right. I'm abandoning you too," I said.
Tears clung to her cheeks as she froze completely.
"I already canceled the wedding."
I pointed at the gift envelopes on the table.
"All of this will be returned tomorrow."
"Why?"
Her voice suddenly turned sharp.
"Haven't you always wanted to marry me? We don't need that five hundred thousand anymore! My parents aren't asking for money! Why can't we get married?"
"Are you sure they don't want it?"
"They swore they don't want a single penny!"
Jessica scooted closer to me.
"Ryan, let's just get married tomorrow, okay? Just like we planned. Everything is ready."
"And what about after?" I asked.
"After what?"
"What happens when your brother needs a new car? When your parents want to remodel their house? When your brother needs money for his own wedding?"
I counted them off on my fingers.
"Are you telling me they won't come running to you for cash?"
Jessica bit her lip. "I won't give them anything."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive!"
Her tone sounded unwavering.
"They've already thrown me away. Why would I give them another dime?"
"Then what about this afternoon?"
I turned my head to look her dead in the eye.
"You asked me for another five hundred thousand."
"They forced me to do that!"
Panic flared across her face.
"Do you know how terrifying it was in that house? They threatened to show up and ruin our wedding if you didn't pay! I was just terrified!"
"Do you take me for a complete idiot?"
My words stopped her dead.
"Ryan, what are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?"
I stood up, looking down at her coldly.
"Jessica, your parents don't even know which hotel the reception is at. How were they going to crash it?"
Her face drained of color.
"Did you tell them?" I pressed.
"No!" She shook her head frantically.
"They didn't even know where the wedding was. Were they going to throw a tantrum on the street?"
Jessica's lips began to quiver.
"Ryan, why won't you believe me?"
She jumped up and grabbed my arm.
"I'm not lying to you! My parents are terrible people—they break their promises, so what could I do? I'm the victim here too!"
"Then how did you get into their house today?"
"What?"
"Only you and I have keys to this apartment."
I pulled my arm free from her grip.
"How did your parents manage to haul you back there? Did they kick the door down? Or do they have superpowers?"
"The only way you ended up there... is because you walked back yourself."Tears streamed down Jessica's cheeks, splashing heavily onto the floor.
"They called me, screaming that I forgot where I came from the moment I got a man! They called me an ungrateful traitor!"
She sobbed so hard she could barely catch her breath.
"I couldn't take it anymore! I just went back to tell them off, to beg them to stop pushing me!"
"And then?"
"And then they locked me in!"
She wiped at her face.
"They locked the door, took my phone, and forced me to call you for money! I didn't want to, Ryan, please believe me!"
"Enough."
I walked over to the closet, pulled out her shoes, and set them by the door.
"Get out."
Jessica stood frozen in the middle of the living room, the chandelier highlighting the tear tracks down her cheeks.
"Ryan, are we really going to end it like this?"
"Leave."
"Six years! How can you be so heartless?"
I snatched her designer purse and went through its contents.
Two keys: one for this apartment, one for her parents' old place.
I unhooked our apartment key and handed the bag back to her.
"All your personal belongings are in there. I'm keeping the key to this place."
"Ryan!"
She screamed.
"What is wrong with you? Do you have someone else? Or do you just regret spending that million dollars? Tell me the truth!"
"I'm tired."
I pulled the door open.
"Out."
Jessica stood on the threshold, tears spilling over once more.
"I didn't lie to you, Ryan. I swear I didn't."
"What do I have to do to make you believe me? I'll do anything! Please don't throw me out!"
The hallway motion-sensor light clicked off, plunging her silhouette into shadows.
"I'm saying this one last time."
I gripped the handle.
"Get out."
Slowly, she bent down, slipped on her shoes, clutched her purse, and stepped into the dim hallway.
I shut the door.
The deadbolt clicked into place, and the apartment plunged into total silence.
Tossing and turning in bed, sleep felt impossible. Memories from the past six years flashed through my mind like a movie reel.
She used to tell me her family was struggling, but that she would work hard so I wouldn't have to worry.
Then she started crying, saying her parents demanded money, that her brother needed tuition.
My heart had softened, and I gave her the first sum: three thousand dollars.
Then the second: eight thousand.
Then fifteen thousand.
Bigger amounts, closer together.
I had genuinely believed she was the victim. I thought her toxic family was bleeding her dry.
Only now did I realize that perhaps from the very beginning, she had been the one pulling the strings.
At 7:30 AM, I was supposed to be getting dressed up to pick up my bride.
Instead, I splashed cold water on my face, threw on regular clothes, and messaged the hotel banquet manager that I was coming to cancel the reservation.
As I walked out, I glanced at the pile of cash envelopes on the coffee table. Today was supposed to be the most celebratory day of my life.
Instead, it was dead quiet.
The hotel lobby was fairly empty. The receptionist recognized me immediately from my previous visits.
"Good morning, Mr. Miller!"
She beamed warmly.
"The reception is scheduled for noon today, right? Everything is set up. Would you like to check out the ballroom first?"
"No need."
I slid the deposit receipt across the counter.
"The wedding is canceled. Please process the refund."
The girl's smile froze. "Canceled? Do you mean rescheduled?"
"Canceled permanently."
She parted her lips, swallowed her questions, and quietly began processing the paperwork.
I waited by the desk, scanning the lobby absently.
When the elevator doors dinged open, a wave of icy shock washed over me.
Jessica walked out.
Right behind her were her father and mother.
The three of them were smiling and chatting. Jessica had her arm looped warmly around her mother's, a sweet, radiant grin on her face.
"Don't worry, Mom, Ryan is so easy to manipulate."
Jessica's voice drifted clearly across the quiet lobby right into my ears.
"He talks tough, but deep down, he's a total pushover. We've been together six years—nobody knows him better than I do."
Her mother patted her hand lovingly. "Are you sure he'll pay? Didn't he say it was over last night?"
"He's pulled that stunt plenty of times."
Jessica sneered dismissively.
"Last time I threatened to break up with him, he stood outside my office for three hours in the freezing cold with a massive bouquet of roses. He can't survive without me."
Her dad chimed in from behind, "When is that five hundred thousand hitting the account? Leo is waiting to renovate his new place."
"Dad, relax," Jessica laughed.
"I gave him six years of my youth. Of course he's going to pay. Once I play nice for a couple of days, that money will be wired right into our accounts."
Her mother nodded with satisfaction. "That's my girl. Smart and capable."
"Of course," Jessica lifted her chin proudly.
"Look whose daughter I am."
The three of them strolled cheerfully toward the lobby cafe. Her dad was carrying a glossy shopping bag from a high-end luxury jewelry boutique.
I pulled out my phone and hit record.
Through the lens, Jessica walked hand-in-hand with her mother while her father followed proudly—a picture-perfect, loving family.
The exact opposite of the "toxic, abusive parents" and "leech of a brother" she had cried to me about for years.
I stepped forward and stopped right in front of their table.
"Jessica."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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