"Auntie, Cindy's family made an outrageous demand—they asked for a bride price of one million at the last minute, and Mark said he wouldn't marry her," my friend Dave whispered next to me, speaking so quietly that my mom had to ask him to repeat it several times before she understood.
"Son, why didn't you say it was their fault up there? This family... even if we had the money, that's just unreasonable." My mom, seeing my dejected expression, sighed.
After a moment, she added, "Son, maybe it's time to let it go. I've never seen you care about a girl this much before. Cindy is still a good girl. Go and get her back."
A good girl? Hah, Cindy was already happily in someone else's arms. Would she really come back if I went after her?
Her joyful expression when she answered that call told me everything—I had lost. Completely.
"Mom, I don't like Cindy anymore. I just want to go home," I replied, carefully enunciating each word.
"Alright, alright, my good boy. Let's go home," my mom said, nodding her head.
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