What I didn’t expect was that I didn’t get to see Verna, but instead, they took the initiative to come to my house.
Verna smiled kindly:
“I was planning to meet Mara this weekend, but today, I thought I’d come over to meet you both. If things go well, we could even finalize the wedding.”
My mom, who was cutting fruit, brightened at the news.
“Marriage? That’s great! The kids have been seeing each other for quite a while, it’s about time they start thinking about marriage.”
“However…”
Verna’s tone shifted as she continued, suddenly turning serious.
“There are a few uncomfortable truths I need to lay out upfront.”
She sat back on the sofa, crossed her legs, and her previous warmth disappeared.
“To be honest, Pierce’s success today didn’t come easily.
“Back in the day, Pierce’s father and I had to send his sister away, working tirelessly from dawn to dusk, doing everything we could to support Pierce’s education.
“Fortunately, he’s turned out well. He graduated from an Ivy League school, got into a great company, bought a house on his own—he’s finally helped the Fletcher family gain some recognition.”
My mom nodded, but then her expression became puzzled.
“Verna, we know Pierce is an excellent young man, but what exactly are you trying to say?”
My mom asked bluntly, and Verna didn’t hesitate to give her answer.
Verna gave her a sideways glance, her tone dripping with arrogance.
“I’ve heard from Pierce that Mara tends to spend money recklessly, has no sense of financial discipline. So, in my opinion, since the two of them are talking about marriage, from now on, Mara’s salary card should be handed over to me for safekeeping.
“Also, I’m concerned that Mara is too delicate. I’d suggest she get pregnant soon—once she’s expecting, I’ll make sure they can get their marriage certificate.
“By the way, Pierce’s father passed away a few years ago, but Pierce is still part of the Fletcher family lineage. He can’t change his last name. So, when they have children, I think they should take the Vance surname, just like mine.”
My mom froze for a moment, then furrowed her brows and interrupted:
“Pre-marital pregnancy? That’s unacceptable in our family. And giving the children your surname? That’s probably not appropriate either.”
Verna’s face immediately darkened.
She trembled, her fingers counting off each point on her hand, her voice rising with each word:
“At the end of the day, my son has a prestigious job at the research institute, he bought his own house. With these conditions, there are countless girls lining up to marry him, offering cars and houses.
“But your daughter works at a private company, doesn’t even have a stable job—honestly, I’d be embarrassed to say that in our village.
“Also, your daughter earns 80,000 a year, while my son makes 200,000—twice as much, plus more. When you look at it that way, it’s clear that your family is trying to climb up by marrying into ours.
“So, when we make a few requests, is it really too much?”
My mom stopped what she was doing, her expression showing displeasure.
“What kind of talk is that? Mara is the only daughter we have. Both her father and I have decent salaries, and when she gets married, her dowry will certainly be no less. When the wedding happens, we’ll buy a house and put it in her name.”
“A dowry?”
Verna scoffed, her neck stiff with defiance.
“Your daughter’s house is already in her name, and you dare call that a dowry? Did you add my son’s name to it?”
At that moment, Verna placed her hands on her hips and couldn’t help but sneer.
“You city folk really know how to calculate. Don’t think just because I’m from the countryside I don’t get it—this house is your daughter’s property before marriage. Honestly, you’re not offering a single penny in dowry.”
Verna tapped her finger on the coffee table, spitting out words in rapid succession.
“No dowry at all, and if you won’t accept the few conditions I’ve mentioned, it’s clear you want to take advantage of my son.”
I was taken aback.
Pierce grew up in the countryside and later came to our city for college.
