Then I turned to Brent and said:
"Let me tell you something that'll cheer you up. My parents have prepared a million dollars in cash as my dowry. As soon as you're better, we'll get married right away."
Brent's pained expression froze instantly. His eyes lit up with sudden intensity as he pressed eagerly:
"Really? Mira, are you serious? A million dollars in cash as a dowry?"
"Of course. You showed your sincerity with that gold jewelry—how could I possibly lie to you?"
My voice grew even softer, though my eyes remained ice-cold beneath the warmth:
"And that's not all. My father said he's giving you thirty percent of our family company's shares."
"As long as you treat me well, everything my family owns will be yours someday."
Brent couldn't hide his excitement. He grabbed my hand again, his tone eager and fawning:
"Baby, my leg is fine—really, it's nothing! The wedding can go ahead tomorrow as planned!"
I paused for a moment, then reached out to gently stroke his badly swollen cheek, my voice dripping with "concern":
"I know you want to marry me right away, and I want nothing more than to be your wife. But I can't ignore your condition."
"Tomorrow, when my parents come to visit, I'll coax them into handing over the million-dollar dowry to you first."
"As for the shares—we'll present those at the wedding, in front of all the guests. Think how impressive that will be."
Only then did Brent relax:
"Mira, you're so good to me! I swear I'll never let you down!"
Early the next morning, Marilyn Fleming was already hovering by the hospital room door, her eyes fixed on the entrance with naked anticipation.
In my previous life, when my entire family was being torn apart online, she had been right there fanning the flames and directing the mob.
I would settle every last debt with her.
It wasn't until eleven that my parents finally arrived, pulling two large suitcases behind them.
A videographer from the wedding company followed, filming everything in silence.
My father smiled apologetically:
"Sorry for the wait—withdrawing that much cash from the bank took longer than expected."
"Today was supposed to be the children's wedding day. Since Brent isn't well enough to attend, we shouldn't let an auspicious date go to waste. We'll handle the formalities privately today and hold the ceremony properly another time."
My mother stepped forward with a warm smile and slowly unzipped one of the suitcases.
A mountain of red-wrapped cash filled the interior, stacked high and dense. Each bundle was tied with a red cord knotted in an elaborate pattern—festive and striking.
Brent and Marilyn stared, their eyes going round, their mouths stretching into greedy grins.
Then my mother opened the second suitcase. Inside, arranged with perfect precision, lay the gold jewelry Brent's family had sent as betrothal gifts.
At the sight of the gold, Brent and his mother exchanged a glance. Something strange flickered across their faces.
But it vanished in an instant.
My mother continued warmly:
"This is the million-dollar cash dowry we've prepared for Miranda, along with your family's gold betrothal gifts—all of it's here."
"We're handing everything over to the young couple today, to give their new household a solid foundation."
Brent waved his hands hastily, even switching to a more familiar address:
"Mom, that gold was our gift to Mira. There's no need to bring it back."
I saw right through his little scheme.
He wanted the gold to stay in my possession so he could later accuse me of swapping it for fakes.
But my mother shook her head:
"That won't do. Since it was given to Miranda, it belongs to both of you now. It should stay in your home together."
"Besides, we'll need to display it again at the wedding ceremony. We're getting older—our hands aren't as steady as they used to be. It would be terrible if we accidentally damaged something."
