My In-Laws Scolded Me for Wasting Money, So I Ran Away Overnight

After working overtime on the weekend, I bought myself a durian as a treat. I was right in the middle of enjoying it. My mother-in-law came into the living room pinching her nose. "What smells so awful?" "Did you bring it into the living room?" My older sister-in-law trailed after her, snide as ever. "Mom, this is a black-thorn durian. Very expensive—something only rich people eat." "That one durian of hers is enough to buy dozens of pounds of rice!" My mother-in-law was shocked. "It stinks like shit and it's still that expensive?" She glared at me. "Who said you could throw money away like this?" I stared at them, stunned. "I earned the money myself. What law am I breaking by spending my own money on durian?" My mother-in-law's face was full of anger. "Now that you've married into the Henson family, you follow the Henson family's rules." "From now on, no more eating fruit this expensive." "And you make a high salary, don't you?" "From now on, every month's paycheck—" "You hand it all over to your sister-in-law to invest." My mother-in-law's words almost made me laugh. "My money—why on earth would I hand it to them to invest for me?" "Which one of them even graduated from college? What successful investments have they ever made?" My sister-in-law sneered. "Your husband already agreed." I was startled. "Agreed to what?" She smugly waved a bank card in her hand. "All of your husband's savings are right here!" ... At first I didn't believe it. I figured Aria was lying to me. My husband handing all his savings to her to invest. A thing this big. There was no way he'd hide it from me. And yet. The next second. My husband came out of the room. "What's going on out here?" Aria sneered. "Little brother, perfect timing—your wife's been sneaking durian." My husband, Val Henson, frowned slightly. "Honey, how many times have I told you?" "Durian's too expensive. Once in a while is fine." "Why do you eat it every single week?" I said, amused, "I bought it with my own money. If I want it, I buy it. What's wrong with that?" "That stuff is smelly and expensive." "You've got money for durian." "You'd do better putting it toward groceries for the household." "We're married now." "You have to put the family first in everything." "It's not like when we were just dating, understand?" Val's words really put me off. "First, since I married into your family, I have never once eaten for free—I've paid my full share of the household expenses every single month." "Second, what fruit I eat is my own choice. I married you—I didn't come to do time in your family's house." "Third—" I hadn't finished speaking. Aria impatiently raised a hand and cut me off. "Enough, enough. Nobody twists words like you do." "The Henson family has its rules." "We have to stand together." "So I've already talked it over with Mom." "From now on, whatever money this family earns—" "It all goes to me to invest." Hearing this. I frowned and asked Val, "You agreed to this?" "Mm." Val nodded and said, "I've already handed over the money we saved while we were dating, plus the money we set aside to buy our wedding home, to your sister-in-law to invest." At that. I shot to my feet and stared at him, stunned. "Val Henson, have you lost your mind?"

"What kind of talk is that?" "Who curses her own husband like that?" Julia rushed to shield her son. Then she shot me a vicious glare. "Your older sister-in-law is quick-witted, she has a wide network, and she's got a steady temperament on top of it." "We give her the money to invest." "You basically can't lose." "We're only asking you to invest. Nobody said we're taking your money away." "What are you getting so worked up about?" I couldn't be bothered with my mother-in-law. My eyes were fixed straight on Aria Fox. "You know how to invest?" Aria nodded, all haughty. "Before I married Brad, my whole job was managing investments for other people. Annual returns of around twenty percent." Val chimed in from beside me. "Wife, you should have some faith in your sister-in-law." "We put in three hundred thousand." "Do nothing at all, and we clear sixty thousand a year." "And that's just the floor." "Aria says that when the market's good—" "—we could make over a hundred thousand." I laughed right then, and looked at Val the way you'd look at an idiot. "Whatever number she says, you just believe it?" "Of course I believe it. We're family." Soon after. Anthony and Brad came home. The whole family was behind letting Aria handle the money. Anthony even said it plainly. "How much do you even make a month?" "I even handed over my own funeral savings to your sister-in-law." Hearing that. I sat back down and went on eating my durian, and said mildly, "If you want to give her money to invest, that's your business. It has nothing to do with me." "Amber Mason!" My mother-in-law glared at me. "You married my son, so you do as I say." "You make twelve thousand a month now." "Every month you hand eleven thousand five hundred over to your sister-in-law." "You throw money around." "Even your fruit costs a fortune." "All those clothes and pieces of jewelry." "You buy them and never wear them." "To keep you from drowning in debt down the road." "You'll do exactly as I say!" Aria looked at me, smug. Brad tried to talk me into it. "My little brother's already agreed. What is there left for you to object to?" My brows knotted together. "And if I'm not willing?" "If you're not willing." "Then I'll have my son divorce you!" The second Val heard that, he panicked. "Mom, everything's fine—why are you talking about divorce?" Julia glared at him. "A disobedient wife will be the death of you sooner or later." "Better to end it early." Val scratched his head and didn't argue any further. I looked at Val. "You agree with this?" Val came over, smiling to smooth things over. "Wife, your sister-in-law is only doing this for our own good—and it'll cure that bad habit of yours, spending money all over the place." "Just hurry up and say yes." I set down the durian and pulled out a tissue to wipe my hands clean. Then I stood up and held out my hand to Aria Fox. "Give me back my money."

Aria was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Where did you get money?" "Half of the money on the card Val gave you is mine." "This is money your husband handed me to invest." "He's him, and I'm me." "Give me back my share." "The rest is up to you." Beside her, my father-in-law let out a cold snort. My mother-in-law's face fell. "What our Henson family needs is unity." "What are you trying to do?" I looked at them with a cold smile. "If you want unity, that's your business." "I won't get involved." Aria shook her head and refused. "Not unless Val agrees." "Otherwise, no way!" I turned to Val. "Tell your brother's wife to give me back my money." Val gave an awkward smile. "Honey, stop making a scene..." "Who's making a scene with you?" I asked, my face cold. "Little brother, you're the head of the household. How can you let your wife lord it over you?" Faced with his brother's challenge. The smile on Val's face slowly faded. "Amber, my decision won't change." "The money on the card goes to your sister-in-law to invest." Seeing their son's attitude turn firm. My in-laws' faces broke into satisfied smiles. Without a word, I dialed 911. "Hello, I need to report a crime." "Someone is forcibly seizing my property!" The in-laws and the brother and his wife went pale in an instant. Val was trembling with rage. "Amber, have you lost your mind?" "You're calling the police over something this small?" I swept a cold look over their whole family. "I may have married into your family from far away, with no relatives to back me up." "But that doesn't mean I'm easy to bully." "You want to force me to fall in line." "Well, I won't!" My mother-in-law was so furious her face turned green. She jabbed a finger at me in anger. "Fine. You seemed so well-behaved back then, who'd have thought you'd turn out to be such a troublemaker." "Go ahead and call the police, then." "This is a family matter." "No one can interfere!" I stayed perfectly calm. "Then we'll wait for the officers to come." A dozen or so minutes later. The officers who took the report came in. After hearing what had happened. The officer told Aria to transfer the money that belonged to me immediately. Aria answered, unhurried, "I can't transfer it." When the officer frowned. She explained, "I've already invested it. The money's tied up, I can't pull it out." "It'll take at least a month or two." "If I force a cash-out now." "I'd lose at least half." When my mother-in-law heard she'd lose half the principal. She dropped to the floor and started thrashing around in a fit. Letting out a shriek like a pig being slaughtered. "Shoot me dead." "I don't want to live anymore..."

The police couldn't do anything about it. All they could do was tell me to work it out with Aria Fox. Aria Fox agreed. She'd cash out in a month and pay me back. I knew this was just Aria's stalling tactic. But I agreed anyway. After the police left. My mother-in-law, who had been rolling around on the floor moments ago, immediately stood up. She glared at me viciously. "Amber Mason, don't ever expect a comfortable life in this house from now on." "I'll make trouble for you every single day." "Let's see how you manage to live!" Val Henson looked at me with disappointment too. "I thought you'd be the most important partner in my life." "But it turns out that was all just wishful thinking on my part." "A measly two or three hundred thousand is all it takes to see someone clearly." "You've disappointed me so much." My brother and his wife were even colder and more sarcastic. "Some people, you know, value money more than their own lives and family." "Isn't that the truth?" "I said back then we shouldn't have let her in." "Our family was perfectly fine, and the moment she showed up, all kinds of things started happening." "A total jinx." Once everyone had gone back to their own rooms. The moment I walked in, I was met with Val Henson's long, sour face. He grabbed a bath towel and headed for the bathroom. As he passed by me. He stopped in his tracks. "I'll sleep in the living room tonight." "Whenever you figure things out and realize you were wrong." "That's when I'll come back to sleep in here." I didn't ask him what I'd done wrong. I just told him, "Handing the whole family's money to Aria Fox to invest." "This will be the worst decision you'll ever make in your life." "She's going to ruin all of you." Val sneered. "I think Mom is right. Brad's wife is quick-witted and has a wide network. She's willing to help us make money because she values family and wants us all to get rich together." "But you judge a decent person by the standards of a petty one." "How did I never notice this before?" "That you value money this much?" "In your eyes." "Family, love, and money—which one matters more?" I didn't answer, and he walked out of the room, full of disappointment. While he was in the shower. I dragged out my suitcase and stuffed all my personal belongings inside. Then, while no one was in the living room, I fled overnight! The next day. Val Henson, asleep on the sofa, was woken up by his mother. As the family ate breakfast. Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning Amber Mason. When they'd finished, only empty plates were left. Aria Fox reminded him, "Time to wake your wife up for breakfast." Brad Henson grinned, baring his teeth. The in-laws smiled too. They just wanted to put Amber Mason in her place. So she'd learn. In this family, anyone who didn't fall in line would be frozen out. Val Henson got up and went to knock on the door. He knocked for a long time with no answer, and it turned out the door wasn't even locked. He pushed it open, but there was no one on the bed. Soon. He noticed something was off. The room looked empty. Everything that belonged to Amber Mason. Was all gone. His face changed, and he cried out, "Oh no, my wife has run away..."