On my wedding day, the bride's side arranged for relatives and friends to block the door and demand red envelopes—standard tradition around here.
I'd prepared plenty. It was all supposed to be in good fun, and the biggest envelope was a hundred bucks.
That's where the trouble started.
After I'd handed out dozens of envelopes, the bride's relatives started complaining. Too small, they said. They refused to open the door.
Instead, they slid thirty-two QR codes through the crack in the door.
"Scan each one for a thousand and one dollars. Otherwise, don't even think about getting in."
I counted them. Thirty-two.
My side said every nice thing there was to say. Their side had one answer: no money, no entry.
There's an auspicious hour for the bride to leave, and I couldn't afford to miss it. So I paid.
By then, the resentment was already building in my chest.
I had no idea worse was coming. The moment I finally laid eyes on my bride and moved to carry her out, her aunt spoke up.
"Tradition says you owe a sedan fee. One million dollars."
My expression darkened. "Aunt Judith, nobody mentioned this beforehand. I can't come up with that kind of money on the spot."
"Then don't expect to take Natalie home."
——
Natalie Chavez and I had been classmates from high school all the way through college. Eight years together. Our friends envied us—the couple that actually made it to the altar.
Never in my life did I imagine the altar itself would be where everything went sideways.
My uncle, Gerald Simmons, must have seen the look on my face. He grabbed my arm, steered me aside, and told me to wait while he handled it.
Uncle Gerald was furious too. Before the procession, our family had confirmed every single tradition with the bride's side—twice. We'd been meticulous precisely to avoid something like this, and here we were anyway.
Between the house, the car, and everything else the wedding had demanded, we'd already spent a fortune. There was no way to produce that kind of cash out of thin air.
"Judith," Gerald said, keeping his voice steady, "Bruno Simmons genuinely loves Natalie. But we simply don't have that much cash on hand right now. The banks aren't even open yet. Let us take Natalie first—I give you my word, the moment the banks open, we'll withdraw every cent."
Judith Chavez didn't flinch. "If you can't even scrape together this much, what business do you have getting married? You want Natalie to marry into poverty?"
Gerald forced a smile. "Judith, that's a bit much. You've been to Bruno's home yourself—you've seen the conditions. Natalie won't suffer."
"So what if his family has money?" Judith didn't yield an inch. "If he won't spend it on Natalie, a mountain of gold is just decoration."
"You won't put up the money, and you have the nerve to talk about family conditions?"
"Let me make myself perfectly clear. Without one million dollars, Natalie is not leaving this house."
Judith was clearly not someone to be trifled with. Gerald turned to Natalie's parents. "Mr. Chavez, Mrs. Chavez—shouldn't this be your call?"
Joseph Chavez spoke in a low, muffled voice. "I'm with her aunt."
Audrey Chavez nodded. "So am I."
I couldn't hold back any longer. I stepped forward and looked straight at Natalie. "Natalie. Say something."
She kept her head down. "I'm with my aunt."
We were both twenty-eight years old. Old enough to have minds of our own. I never expected her to take this stance—not now, not at our wedding.
I'm with my aunt. That was her way of telling me to pay the million.
It wasn't that my family couldn't afford it. It was the principle of the thing—the sheer gall of it—that made my blood boil.
Gerald saw me about to open my mouth again and grabbed my arm. "Come outside with me."
He pulled me into the courtyard. "You're young, and you've got a temper. Keep your mouth shut and let us handle the talking."
The anger sat like a stone in my chest. "Uncle Gerald, this isn't right. We already paid eight hundred and eighty thousand in betrothal gifts. The house, the car—all bought to their exact specifications."
