On my birthday, I spent a fraction of my allowance—fifteen hundred dollars—on a set of custom nails. But when Nancy, a coworker who constantly acted like a know-it-all elder, found out, her face instantly darkened. "Fifteen hundred! Just for some cheap nails? Aren't you afraid of bad karma for wasting money like this?!" She pointed at me, heartbroken and indignant, her spit almost hitting my face. "Can you eat these flashy things? You can't even do laundry or cook with them!" "My son's money doesn't grow on trees! If you keep spending like this, you'll bankrupt our Miller family!" I forcefully yanked my hand back from her painful grip. "Are you out of your mind? This is my parents' money. What does it have to do with your son or your Miller family?!" Nancy was furious. I couldn't be bothered with her, so I requested PTO and went on a trip. When I returned, I found that my limited-edition anime figures, worth thousands, were missing from my desk. And Nancy, still utterly absorbed in her self-assigned role as the "wicked mother-in-law," was standing nearby. "Don't bother looking. You're a grown adult, stop playing with these inappropriate toys. Not only do they waste money, but they also take up space. I already threw them away for you." "Your salary will also be direct-deposited to my card from now on. If you're going to marry my son, you can't be spending money recklessly like this anymore." I laughed out of sheer anger and dialed 911. Since she loves being the boss of the house so much, I'll send her to be the boss of a jail cell. 1 Having just attended the birthday party my parents threw for me yesterday, I brought some pastries made by our family chef to share with my coworkers. Under the office fluorescent lights, the rhinestones and gold flakes on my nails shimmered and sparkled. Nancy from accounting waddled over with her thermos. Her eyes habitually swept across my desk before firmly locking onto my hands. "Chloe, are those new nails?" Thinking it was just idle office chatter, I replied casually. "Yeah, do you like them?" Who knew her voice would suddenly rise. "Looking pretty doesn't put food on the table. Those couldn't have been cheap. Tell me, how much did you spend?" "Chloe, honey, I'm not trying to scold you, but it's not easy for a young person like you to make money. How can you be so extravagant?" "I know a salon that can do this exact style for ten bucks. If you really want them done, I'll take you there next time. Think of what you could do with the money you save." I kept my patience and explained with a smile. "Nancy, thanks for the offer, but I have a private nail technician. Both the materials and the technique are excellent. I'm just spending money to make myself happy, so I don't plan on switching for now." "Happy? You spent fifteen hundred dollars just to be happy with ten fingernails for a month? Is your brain full of water?!" I don't know where she found out the price, but her voice was so loud the entire office instantly fell silent. My face darkened as well. "This is my personal business and my money. I have the right to decide how I spend it. Is it any of your concern?" Seeing that I was angry, Nancy gave an awkward smile. "Oh, you child. I'm just offering some advice as someone with more life experience. Why are you getting so defensive?" "Fifteen hundred is not a small amount. It's enough to pay for a chunk of a house down payment, enough to buy a trunk full of baby formula, enough to cover our living expenses for a year." "Squandering money like this now is draining your future blessings. Aren't you afraid of bad karma?" I took a few deep breaths but still couldn't suppress the anger welling up inside me. "This is my money, and I will spend it however I please!" "Forget about getting my nails done; even if I bought a solid gold brick to prop up my desk, that's my freedom! It's not your place to dictate what I do!" 2 Seeing that I was genuinely angry, and feeling the stares of everyone around us, she sheepishly shut her mouth and returned to her cubicle. After distributing the pastries, I went to the break room to wash the empty container. Unexpectedly, Nancy followed me in. She closed the door and spoke again, sounding deeply pained. "Chloe, honey, there were too many people out there earlier, so I couldn't be too blunt. But I'm just so worried about you!" She grabbed my hand, which was under the running water, and frowned deeply. "Look at this. Can you eat these flashy things? You can't even do laundry or cook. You're washing a container so carefully... is this how someone who manages a household acts?" I pulled my hand, which she was gripping painfully, away, turned off the faucet, and looked at her coldly. She thought I was listening and got even more fired up. "I'm not being a busybody. Think about it. A woman eventually has to get married and have kids. You're so used to spending freely now; what will you do later?" "My son's money doesn't grow on trees. The hard-earned money he makes is meant to honor his parents and raise his children." "If you keep spending like this, won't you bankrupt our Miller family once you marry in? My husband and I are counting on you two for our retirement. We can't afford your extravagance!" I was absolutely stunned by her words. The good mood I had from booking a vacation with my best friend vanished, and the anger I had suppressed flared up again. I completely dropped any pretense of professional courtesy and yelled at her, using her full name. "Nancy Miller! Are you out of your mind?" "Who is your son? Do I even know him? And marrying into your Miller family—is your family trimmed with gold or encrusted with diamonds?" "Let alone the fact that I don't know your son at all, even if I were blind, heartless, and brain-damaged, and every man in the world were dead, I, Chloe Hayes, would become a nun before I'd marry your son! Stop having delusions!" Hearing my words, Nancy froze for a moment. "Marriage is ultimately decided by the parents. You don't know him now, but you will when you get married." "You're only saying this because you don't know my son. Don't you young girls love a man in uniform? My son looks so handsome in his." "Don't worry, I'll arrange for you two to get your marriage license as soon as possible. Feelings can be cultivated later. You'll see when you meet him; you two really look like a married couple." I was truly disgusted by Nancy's deranged behavior. Realizing she couldn't understand human speech at all, I didn't want to waste another breath. Shoving her out of my way, I went straight to my desk, grabbed my pre-written PTO request, and headed to HR. I was originally supposed to work at my family's company, but Ethan Pierce insisted I come to his, using the excuse that a united couple could overcome anything. As a result, I've been here for a year, and he's been overseas for a year. We've been engaged since we were kids, and we grew up together as frenemies. Now I'm seriously starting to suspect that Ethan put me in this crazy woman's department just to mess with me. I need to transfer departments. Absolutely must transfer. When I handed in my PTO request and brought up the transfer, the HR manager approved it immediately. He knew about my relationship with Ethan and wore a fawning smile. "Ms. Hayes, are things not going well in this department?" I was going to complain, but then I thought better of it. It's best to just stay away from people like her; there's no need to get too involved. That night, just as I finished packing my luggage, I checked my phone and saw a bunch of messages. The latest one was from Nancy. "Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, do not be late." I was baffled by this out-of-context message, but then I remembered there was a department meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. I assumed she was reminding me not to be late for the meeting. Since I had already taken PTO, I ignored her. After a ten-plus hour flight, my phone started ringing off the hook the moment we landed. "Chloe, what is going on? Where are you?" "I specifically reminded you yesterday. Why didn't you show up?!" "What are you doing? Why is your phone off?" Even through the screen, I could feel Nancy's exasperation. My head was full of question marks. Thinking it was something work-related, my fingers flew across the keyboard. "I'm on vacation right now. If there's something you need, just say it." She replied almost instantly. "Didn't we agree yesterday? Today was the day to go to City Hall and get the marriage license. My son and I waited for you for hours, and you actually went on vacation?" "Do you know today is an auspicious day for getting married that I stayed up all night calculating? If we miss today, we have to wait three years." "And to meet you, my son specifically wore his work uniform and combed his hair until it shone. Because he's so handsome, you have no idea how many people were looking at him today." Then I received a photo from her. The moment I opened it, I regretted it. 3 The man in the photo looked to be under 5'7" and easily over 200 pounds. The tight security guard uniform looked ready to burst at the seams. His neck was thick and short, looking like he could be strangled by the tie under his collar at any moment. A few strands of hair were desperately plastered across his head, only highlighting his shiny scalp. And he was showing off two rows of uneven, yellow teeth to the camera. Because he was smiling so widely, a string of sticky saliva stretched between his lips. My best friend took one look and declared it a visual assault. "Is this the heaven-sent husband you mentioned? Your tastes are... unique!" "I take back what I said last night about a 6'2" flight attendant with long legs. This mother's filter is way too strong." "I can't, I can't. If I look any longer... gag..." I ignored my friend's teasing, just feeling like I had been bitten by a rabid dog that refused to let go. Taking a deep breath, I blocked all of Nancy's contact info. A week of a wonderful vacation with my best friend temporarily washed away the bad luck Nancy had brought me. On my first day back, I was still jet-lagged and almost late. As I hurriedly parked and was waiting for the elevator, a panting male voice sounded behind me. "Are... you Chloe?" The moment I turned around, I was stunned. I actually saw a real-life version of Pigsy from Journey to the West—no, he was much darker than Pigsy. So the photo Nancy sent was actually heavily filtered? He tried his best to squeeze out a smile. "I waited for you for so many days, and I finally caught you. My mom said you're my wife from now on, and I'm responsible for picking you up and dropping you off." As he spoke, he shuffled forward, trying to shove a crumpled paper flower into my hand. The strong body odor and the visual shock made me step back twice. "Stop right there! I don't know you. If you come any closer, I'm calling the cops!" He, just like his mother, completely failed to understand human speech. "Hehe, I know you're shy. My mom said you're just acting tough because you're afraid you're not good enough for me, but deep down you really like me." "From now on, you're my wife, and you have to listen to me." As he said that, his hand, stained with some unknown grease, reached out to grab me. Fortunately, the elevator doors opened at that exact moment. Seeing the people inside, I rushed in like I had found my saviors. "He's crazy! Call security! Get rid of him!" The man closest to the door saw how terrified I was, then looked at the appearance of Nancy's son. Seeing so many people in the elevator car, Nancy's son was also a bit stunned. His small eyes were filled with confusion and panic, but he didn't make any further moves. I frantically pressed the "Close Door" button. Amidst his unwilling gaze and the shouts of the other passengers, the elevator finally started going up. I rushed into the office, still shaken. Just as I was about to find Nancy to settle the score, I was surrounded by several coworkers. "Chloe, congratulations! How come you didn't drop any hints before? You kept it really well hidden." "Don't worry, I'll definitely come early on the big day." "I thought young people nowadays just wanted to play around. I never expected our Chloe to have the courage to settle down right after graduation. That's great." I was a bit dazed, completely unable to keep up with the rhythm. "Congratulations? Congratulations for what?" Mary shot me a teasing look and laughed. "Stop pretending. I get it, young people are shy." "But you can't hide this. Nancy told all of us." Nancy? Nancy Miller? Mentioning her made my temples throb. I had a really bad feeling about this. Before I could ask, congratulations and well-wishes poured in from all sides. Only then did I notice the wedding candy on everyone's desks, and the handwritten invitations next to them. The crooked handwriting on them read: "Cordially inviting all colleagues to attend the wedding banquet of my son and Ms. Chloe Hayes on the 25th of this month." The sender at the bottom was Nancy Miller. 4 My brain exploded with a boom, and I was trembling with rage. "Chloe, what's wrong? Why is your face so red? Are you too excited?" Excited? Yes, I was excited. Excited enough to want to kill someone! Right at that moment, Nancy walked in, holding a half-empty bag of wedding candy. She ignored the fury in my eyes and loudly explained to the surrounding coworkers. "Oh, stop crowding around Chloe. Look, you're making the girl shy." "Alright, everyone stop staring. My Chloe is thin-skinned. It's my fault. I was just so happy I wanted to share it with everyone early." As she spoke, she reached out to pat my shoulder, which I overtly and forcefully swatted away. My coworkers were stunned by my intense reaction, and the atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward. Nancy's expression also stiffened for a moment, but then she put on a tolerant look. "Sigh, this child is stubborn. She's mad at me. Look, she won't even pass out the wedding candy herself. I have to do it as her mother-in-law." "Please bear with her, everyone. At the wedding, I'll make her toast you all a few extra times to apologize." The surrounding coworkers showed looks of understanding. Seeing Nancy's smug face, I knew any words would be pale and powerless right now. I completely ignored everyone, picked up an invitation nearby, and prepared to call the police. But when my eyes swept across my desk, I froze. The spot where my limited-edition anime figures used to be was completely empty. I frantically opened drawers and searched my cabinets. They were all gone. "Don't bother looking." Nancy stood a few feet away, arms crossed. "I already threw away those messy plastic little people for you. You're a grown adult. Stop playing with these inappropriate things. They waste money and take up space." "What did you say? Threw them away!" My chest heaved violently, and my voice almost cracked with anger. Those were limited-edition figures; you couldn't even buy them with money, and she actually threw them away. I don't know if my previous silence had given Nancy courage. She spoke self-righteously, even acting like she deserved praise. "Yeah. No need to thank me." "Once you're married, you need to settle down. Your mind should be on the right path: serving your husband, honoring your in-laws, and bearing children for the family. That's what you should be doing." I thought she had already reached peak delusion by automatically inserting herself into the "wicked mother-in-law" role. I didn't expect there was only more delusion, no limit to it. She took a step forward, her face showing an even stronger desire for control as the head of the household. "Oh, right, there's one more thing I haven't told you." "I've already adjusted the payroll system. From now on, your salary will be deposited directly to my card." I thought I was hearing things. As an accountant, she should know this is illegal. Seeing everyone looking at her in disbelief, Nancy just kept talking. "You guys don't understand. This child is used to spending freely." "She spends fifteen hundred just to get her nails done, travels abroad at the drop of a hat, and buys those useless plastic little people. Tell me, how is her little salary enough for her to squander like this?" "Nowadays, a lot of young people don't know how to plan. They spend beyond their means, end up with online debt, and jump off buildings. I'm just looking out for her." Although everyone disapproved of her actions, hearing about my large expenses and considering that we would soon be "family," they found it hard to say anything. Seeing that I remained silent, Nancy's arrogance grew. "From now on, you are the daughter-in-law of our family. It's perfectly appropriate for me to plan this money for you. This is called managing the household finances. The money saved will eventually belong to you two anyway." "Don't worry. I won't shortchange you on your allowance. As long as you listen and live a good life, I won't mistreat you." It turns out that the angrier a person gets, the calmer they become. I pulled out my phone and, without unlocking it, dialed three numbers. The call connected almost instantly, and I put it on speaker. "Hello, 911 emergency. How can I help you?" I looked at Nancy's face go from smug to dead pale and slowly said, "I want to report a crime. Someone stole thousands of dollars worth of my property and diverted my salary..."
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