I brought expensive gifts from my parents
to her home.
While we were eating,
Mrs. Lee suddenly set down her chopsticks
and asked sternly:
“David, are you only with my daughter
because of our old suburban house that’s about to be redeveloped?”
The room froze.
Sophia looked at me with suspicion.
Terrified, I leapt up and swore:
“Ma’am, I would never think such a thing!”
I trembled all over,
afraid my explanation wasn’t enough.
But Mrs. Lee and Sophia exchanged glances
and burst into laughter.
“Oh, young man, you scare easily.
I was just joking,
testing if you could keep your cool.
Look, your face has turned white.”
Embarrassed, I forced a smile.
Sophia added,
“My mom just doesn’t want me to be tricked by men.
If you really love me,
you need to give me enough security.”
I nodded repeatedly.
That dinner also pushed the wedding demand
from $25,000 up to $120,000.
Even then,
I carried the hidden label
that I might be after their property.
On our one-year anniversary,
at Mrs. Lee’s suggestion,
I booked a restaurant to surprise Sophia.
But Sophia never showed up,
and her phone was unreachable.
Finally, I got a call from Mrs. Lee:
“David, Sophia and I argued,
and now I can’t reach her.
What should we do?”