The more Irvin listened, the more convinced he became that he was in the right. He shot me a sidelong glance and said, "Phyllis, do you hear what everyone's saying about you? All this drama over a little gift money."
"You need to take a good hard look at yourself. Apologize to Antonia right now, or I don't even want to go through with this wedding."
I stared at the crimson bills scattered across the floor, my cheek still stinging.
I thought back to when he'd first pursued me—how he'd tiptoed around me every day, eager to please. He'd bring me breakfast, pick me up after work.
He'd even pressed his salary card and property deed into my hands with that stubborn insistence of his.
"Phyllis, everything I have is yours from now on. I'm going to make you the happiest woman alive. No one will ever hurt you."
Yet here we were, on our wedding day, and he was demanding I apologize to his so-called "little sister."
Every word out of his mouth accused me of being materialistic. Greedy.
Looking back now, I couldn't believe what I'd become. I was an only child from a major city with three properties to my name, and I'd let myself turn into a bitter, resentful woman—all for a love that was never real.
I crouched down and gathered the crisp stack of bills. My expression hardened as I locked eyes with Irvin's indignant face. Then I hurled the money straight at him.
"Who the hell do you think you're telling to apologize?"
"Go crawl back to whatever backwater you came from, Irvin. Stop making me sick."
Men like him—men who came from nothing—they never actually cared about respect or sincerity. What they cared about was making sure no one was after their money, finding people willing to dote on them for free, all to prove their so-called irresistible charm.
The moment anyone pushed back, they'd slap labels on them. Petty. Greedy. Difficult.
Irvin froze, clearly not expecting me to throw money in his face.
His composure shattered. "Phyllis, don't push your luck. Walk out that door today, and see if any man ever wants to marry a gold-digger like you."
My steps faltered for just a second. A cold laugh escaped me, and I kept walking.
But I didn't get far. His mother and the rest of the Floyds blocked my path. Before I could react, her palm cracked across my face.
"Have you lost your mind? Humiliating the Floyd family in front of everyone over a red envelope?"
"You ungrateful wretch. If it weren't for Antonia's father pulling strings, Irvin never would have gotten into that prestigious school. You think you'd have landed such an accomplished husband?"
Antonia drifted over, playing the peacemaker. "Mom, please don't be upset. It's understandable that she'd want to squeeze out a little extra money while she can—it's her wedding, after all."
"This is all my fault. I just wanted to share in the good fortune of Irvin's big day and offer you my blessings. If I'd known it would cause trouble, I never would have done the tea ceremony."
She sidled up and hooked her arm through mine. Under her breath, so only I could hear: "Who do you think you are, Phyllis? I'm the one who's family to them. If you want to marry Irvin, learn to keep your head down and your mouth shut."
I looked at her smug little face.
Then I raised my hand and slapped her with everything I had.
"Save the performance. The cheating bastard is all yours."
I grabbed a fistful of her hair and shoved her straight into Irvin. Then I walked away without looking back.
Behind me, everyone stood frozen. They'd never seen this side of me—the quiet, refined woman they thought they knew.
Antonia had been ready to crumple to the ground and play victim the moment I touched her. Instead, my slap sent her sprawling for real, and she took Irvin down with her. He landed right on top of her.
Please. My patience and kindness were reserved for people I actually loved. A cheating scumbag and his scheming mistress deserved nothing.
Behind me, Antonia's shrill scream pierced the air.
"Irvin! She hit me! She actually hit me!"
"Oh god—my stomach! My stomach hurts so bad!"
Chaos erupted. Someone called for an ambulance. Others rushed to comfort her.
I didn't turn around.
Three hours later, my flight touched down in Dali. I lay in a cozy guesthouse, scrolling through my phone. I canceled the honeymoon itinerary. Deleted our marriage registration appointment. Then I forwarded all the bills—the wedding planner, the venue, the hotel—to Irvin.
Let him sort it out.
After finishing all that, I finally saw Antonia's post online.
She was wearing a hospital gown, nestled in Irvin's arms, happily sipping the chicken soup he was feeding her.
"Thanks to a certain someone's care, my baby and I are both safe and sound."
"A blessing in disguise—I've finally found my true love. Some materialistic women must be kicking themselves right now."
