When my dream of studying abroad was crushed, I didn’t give up. I set my sights on becoming a civil servant.
But when the political background check was announced, someone maliciously reported me.
Rumors spread like wildfire. My mother dragged me to my grandfather’s grave, forcing me to kneel.
"Swear!" she demanded. "Swear that you will never take the postgraduate exam, never take the civil service exam, and never bring shame upon me again!"
Later, I secretly moved into a rented apartment to prepare for my postgraduate entrance exam. When my mother found out, she burned all my study materials, nearly setting my room on fire.
Then, my four-year relationship ended.
His parents disapproved of me. My aunt wasted no time, scheming behind my back.
"I've had someone calculate your daughter’s fate," she told my mother. "She’s destined for hardship. Her path is to marry and fulfill her duty as a wife. That’s the only way."
And my mother believed her.
They took my dowry deposit while I was away.
That night, my mother did something she had never done before—she cooked an elaborate meal and shared a few drinks with me, her voice unusually gentle.