I brought my daughter back to my hometown for the holidays. On the way, I ran into an old acquaintance. "Owen! You're finally back to get married! Congratulations!" I was completely baffled. "Get married? Who's getting married?" The older lady laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't be shy! Isn't it you and your girlfriend, Sarah?" Even after she walked away, I couldn't process what she had said. Sarah? Didn't she and I break up five years ago? I shook my head, assuming the lady had just misremembered or confused me with someone else. That was, until I arrived at my parents' house. The entire front yard was strung with festive lights, and a massive, blindingly bright wedding poster featuring me and Sarah was set up by the door. I stood there, completely paralyzed. ... My parents, beaming with joy, rushed out to greet me and pulled me toward the house. The moment I stepped through the door, I was face-to-face with Sarah, fully dressed in a white wedding gown. Her gaze landed on me, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "Owen. Surprised?" "I owe you a wedding from five years ago. The day after tomorrow, I'm making it up to you!" The expression on my face froze, cracked, and froze again. I looked around at the "Just Married" decorations plastered all over the house, and I actually laughed out loud. "Sarah, I am already married." ... Sarah stiffened for a fraction of a second, but quickly regained her composure. "Owen, are you still mad at me?" She took a step closer. "Five years ago at our wedding, when Liam said he wanted to marry you with me, it was just a joke." "He's a guy, and you're a guy. How can you still be holding onto that?" She reached out and grabbed my arm, her expression softening into something gentle and coaxing. "Liam is literally just my male best friend. It's been five years. If there was really something going on between us, why would I have waited for you all this time?" Looking at her earnest expression, I couldn't help but let out a low, cynical chuckle. Sarah and I dated for seven years. Five years ago, we finally made it to the altar. But I never expected that on the day of our wedding, she and her best friend Liam would show up wearing identical wedding dresses, declaring that they were both going to marry me together. I was so furious I canceled the wedding on the spot and walked out. I just never imagined that five years later, she actually believed I was still standing in the exact same spot, waiting for her. "Sarah, I think you've deeply misunderstood the situation." "What happened back then? I let that go a long, long time ago." Sarah frowned slightly. Just then, a figure dashed out from the back room. "Brother-in-law! You're finally back!" "I told you he wouldn't hold a grudge forever! Who holds onto a joke from five years ago?" Liam sidled up intimately next to Sarah and looked at me. "Sarah and I grew up together. We're besties. We made a pact that we'd either stay single together or marry the same guy." "Since you didn't like the joke, I won't do it again. But this time, you better not run away and leave Sarah at the altar!" He said it half-jokingly, completely oblivious to how incredibly humiliating his words were. But his little speech seemed to smooth out the frown on Sarah's face. I ignored both of them, took my daughter's hand, and walked further into the house. My dad grabbed my arm. "Owen, be nice to Sarah." I turned to look at my dad. "Dad, didn't I tell you guys a long time ago? I am already married." My dad's face darkened. "You have the nerve to say that? There is absolutely no need to hire some woman to play your fake girlfriend just to trick me and your mother." "That 'girlfriend' of yours? I only saw her once on your Facebook page five years ago!" "We aren't so senile that we can't tell what's real and what's fake!" I took a deep breath, suppressing the rising frustration and exasperation in my chest. "Dad, marriage is a massive life event. I really don't need to lie to you about it." "As for my wife, due to the nature of her work, it's not convenient for her identity to be made public right now." "But she's coming back the day after tomorrow. When she gets here, you'll see for yourselves whether it's real or not." My dad froze. "Are you actually married?" 2 Sarah's gaze also locked onto me. After a few seconds of silence, Liam suddenly burst out laughing, as if he had just figured out a punchline. "Brother-in-law, are you seriously going to rent a wife the day after tomorrow? Is that the new trend now? Renting a fake partner to bring home for the holidays?" "Stop messing around, man. Sarah has been planning this wedding for three months!" Hearing this, the doubt in Sarah's eyes dissipated. "Owen, I know you're going to love the wedding I planned." "That custom-tailored suit you loved five years ago, a beachfront villa in the most expensive part of Malibu, and that honeymoon trip to Europe you always wanted—I have it all prepared." She spoke as if she were reminiscing about our shared past. "Even though it's been delayed for five years, what I can give you now is infinitely better than what I could give you back then." She took slow, deliberate steps toward me. I stepped back to avoid her. "You said it yourself, it's been delayed for five years. I am absolutely not marrying you!" "Cancel the wedding." I pointed at the tacky decorations plastered all over the house. "And take all of this down." My dad rushed forward and covertly pinched my arm hard. "We have the bridal suite all set up! How can you just say you aren't getting married?!" I met my dad's furious glare and let out a harsh laugh. "You prepared everything so thoroughly, yet I, the groom, am only finding out about it today." "What? Are you guys planning my wedding without even bothering to notify the person actually getting married?" My dad stiffened. My mom looked at me with deep displeasure: "Your marriage to Sarah was settled five years ago! If you hadn't run away from the altar, you and Sarah would probably have kids by now." "It's a done deal. Why do we need to give you advance notice?" Hearing this, my dad seemed to find his footing again. He tried to push me toward Sarah. "Exactly! The invitations are already sent out, the catering is paid for. Stop causing trouble." I couldn't hold back a scoff of sheer disbelief. It was exactly the same five years ago. Sarah and Liam were crossing lines left and right, and as my parents, instead of standing up for me, they told me to "relax and be open-minded." They even accidentally caught Sarah and Liam in highly inappropriate, compromising situations, and actually helped them hide it from me. From that moment on, I made the conscious decision to minimize contact with them. If it weren't for my grandfather—the only person in this family who ever actually took my side—falling seriously ill, I wouldn't have even come back for the holidays this year. Sarah reached out, trying to grab my hand again. I retreated back to the entryway, staring at that obnoxious, life-sized wedding poster. I raised my foot and kicked it down hard. "I'm not joking around with you people. Do whatever you want with this 'wedding,' but leave me completely out of it!" Sarah finally showed a flash of anger. "Owen, what exactly are you still dissatisfied with?!" "You can ask for anything you want. Consider it my compensation for what happened years ago." Before I could even deliver a cold, sarcastic reply, my dad frantically grabbed my arm. My mom rushed over, picked the poster up off the floor, and carefully wiped the dust off it. "This poster cost thousands of dollars!" My dad, visibly agitated, began lecturing me: "Exactly! You hit the jackpot! Sarah is about to be admitted into the National Academy of Sciences! What do you have to complain about?!" The Academy of Sciences? Hearing those words, I paused for a second. Sarah sharply caught my reaction. As if she had seen right through me, she let out a low chuckle. "Back when we were in school, you always talked about wanting to be a scientist. But that field really requires natural talent." She raised an eyebrow haughtily: "You might not have the title of a scientist yourself, but how does the title of 'husband to a scientist' sound?" 3 I snapped back to reality, looking at her incredibly self-assured, arrogant expression. "It sounds terrible. Take your garbage and get the hell out of my house!" Sarah's face went paper-white. I ignored her, turned around, and started violently ripping down the "Just Married" decals and banners taped to the windows, throwing them directly into the trash. My dad panicked and lunged forward to physically pull me away. My mom stood off to the side, muttering angrily: "What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid boy?! We already accepted her fifty-thousand-dollar dowry!" I whipped my head around to glare at my mom. A towering inferno of rage erupted in my chest. "Fifty thousand dollars?! You accepted her money without even asking me?! Are you trying to sell me?!" A look of deep embarrassment flashed across my parents' faces. "You ungrateful brat, how dare you speak to us like that?!" My mom, furious, raised her hand, ready to slap me across the face. I was just about to dodge when a figure rushed forward and intercepted my mom's hand. "Mrs. Davis, please, calm down." Sarah looked at me with a sickeningly forgiving, magnanimous gaze. "I owe Owen for what happened five years ago. He needs time to process this. I completely understand." I looked at her, feeling absolutely nothing but intense revulsion at her fake, performative grace. "Give that money back to her immediately!" "My daughter is already four years old! I literally do not have the time to play this pathetic 'second chance romance' game with you people!" Everyone froze. It was as if they had only just noticed the little girl standing right next to me. Sarah's deep, calculating gaze locked onto me: "Owen, are you absolutely certain that is your daughter?" Before I could even open my mouth, my dad rushed forward, frantically interrupting me: "What kid?! This definitely isn't Owen's kid!" He desperately tried to explain, "Sarah, you know this better than anyone. Think about how hopelessly in love with you Owen was back then." "He had a crush on you for three years. He secretly brought you breakfast every single day. And later, just so he wouldn't be separated from you, he gave up his chance to study abroad. You know all of this!" Sarah turned her gaze back to me, a confident smile playing on her lips: "Don't worry, I trust Owen. You and Mr. Davis have nothing to worry about." Hearing her say that, my parents finally nodded in relief. Then, they turned back to me: "I don't care where you found this kid, but take her back immediately! It's the holidays, why are you causing such a scene?!" As he spoke, my dad reached out, trying to grab my daughter's hand and pull her away. My daughter flinched in fear. I quickly pulled her behind me, shielding her. "Dad, I've already made myself perfectly clear. Believe what you want!" My parents' faces hardened. Liam, standing off to the side, was staring intensely at my daughter's face: "You know what, brother-in-law? This kid actually does look a bit like you." "Did you get so depressed over what happened five years ago that you just found some random woman to have a kid with?" My parents' eyes instantly flared with fury. Sarah's heavy gaze lingered on my daughter for a moment before returning to me: "Owen, I want to hear you explain this yourself." Meeting her stubborn, intense stare, I found the whole situation utterly absurd. "Didn't I explain it? I've said it a dozen times, but none of you want to believe it. If that's how it's going to be, I don't see any reason to stay here and humiliate myself!" I took my daughter's hand and turned to leave. My parents rushed forward, frantically blocking the doorway: "Wait! Wait a minute!" "Didn't you say you came back to see your Grandpa? The doctors said he might not make it past the holidays." My footsteps halted. If there was one single thing tethering me to this house, it was my Grandpa. I turned back to face my parents. "I'm going upstairs to see Grandpa." Sarah grabbed my hand: "Owen, no matter what happens, I am going to marry you." As she spoke, she glanced down at my daughter: "This child can be our flower girl. If you like kids, we can have our own later. I just hope their personality isn't as stubborn as yours." I couldn't help but violently shake her off. "You have no right to dictate anything regarding my daughter. As for the wedding, if you want to get married so badly, you can do it by yourself!" 4 I picked up my daughter and walked upstairs. Grandpa was thrilled to see me. We talked for a long time. He looked at his great-granddaughter with absolute adoration, hugging her and giving her a thick, red envelope stuffed with cash for the holidays. I didn't refuse it; it was an old man's genuine blessing. He was the only person in this house who actually cared about my feelings. The next day, my parents didn't bring up Sarah at all. I naively assumed they had given up. But the morning after that, I was jolted awake by the deafening sound of firecrackers. I threw open the curtains and saw a massive crowd gathered in the front yard. A fleet of luxury wedding cars was parked right outside the gate. My brain short-circuited for a second before I sprinted downstairs. My dad grabbed me immediately. "Look at you, why are you in such a rush? Go put your tuxedo on first." I violently ripped my arm out of his grasp. "Dad, I told you! I am already married! Have you all lost your minds?!" The smiles on my parents' faces vanished, replaced by looks of intense disapproval: "Owen, you are incredibly lucky to find a wife like Sarah. Why are you being so stubborn? Just take the out she's giving you!" I realized there was absolutely zero point in trying to communicate with them. I shoved my dad aside and charged out the front door. At that exact moment, my phone rang. I looked down, saw the caller ID, and quickly answered: "Hey honey, are you here?" "Owen, I'm at the entrance to the neighborhood. How do I get to your house from here?" Hearing my wife's familiar, comforting voice, I couldn't help but smile. I kept her on the phone and started walking down the street to meet her. But someone grabbed my arm. I spun around. It was Sarah. "Owen, why haven't you changed your clothes yet?" I didn't have time to argue with her. But Sarah aggressively stepped in front of me, blocking my path: "Owen, listen to me. Today is our wedding day. Whatever issues we have, we can talk about them after we get married, okay?" I was forced to hang up the phone. I looked at the crowd of neighbors and relatives watching us, and raised my voice. "Sarah, I will say this one last time. We were over five years ago. I currently have a wife and a child!" The crowd erupted into shocked whispers and gossip. Sarah's face turned dark. She grabbed my wrist tightly, trying to drag me back toward the house: "Owen, you can't fool me. I know you still have feelings for me in your heart. How could you possibly marry someone else?" I struggled forcefully, but her grip was bizarrely strong, as if she were desperately clinging to a lifeline. "Sarah, let me go!" "I have to go pick up my wife! My wife is waiting for me at the neighborhood entrance!" Sarah's footsteps paused for a fraction of a second: "Owen." "Today is our wedding day. Besides me, who else would ever want to marry you?" Looking at her furious, arrogant expression, my anger boiled over into a cold laugh: "Sarah, my wife is literally down the street. We'll see who's real and who's fake in about two minutes." The surrounding neighbors, never ones to miss a good show, started murmuring loudly. "Yeah, let's go see for ourselves." "The guy already has a wife and a kid, and she's still trying to force a wedding? This is a joke, right?" Sarah's face grew uglier by the second. She was just about to snap back when another car pulled up to the curb. Liam stepped out and grabbed my arm: "Brother-in-law, congratulations! You finally got to marry Sarah." He clearly hadn't witnessed our argument just now. He was smiling broadly: "But Sarah has very high standards. If you want to officially be my brother-in-law, you have to prove you've got some skills." "I won't make it too hard on you. Just cook a few of Sarah's favorite signature dishes. I've already got the ingredients prepped for you." He clapped his hands, and two neighbors stepped forward carrying trays of raw ingredients. I met his smug, arrogant gaze and couldn't help but let out a cynical scoff: "Liam, are you looking for a husband for Sarah, or are you hiring a live-in chef?" "When you tried to humiliate me five years ago, I walked away. Today, I don't give a damn about your pathetic little games!" "Especially since I have absolutely zero intention of marrying Sarah!" With that, I violently ripped my arm out of Sarah's grasp and started walking toward the entrance of the neighborhood. "Liam. Apologize." I heard Sarah's voice ring out, cold and sharp. "Owen is my husband. He doesn't have to do any of that, and he certainly doesn't need to prove himself with any 'tests'." Liam's face went white. He looked at Sarah, playing the victim: "Sarah, I was just playing a little game with my brother-in-law. How was I supposed to know he'd be so sensitive about it?" Sarah's voice grew even colder: "Shut up. If you speak like that again, you don't need to attend my wedding." As she finished speaking, I heard footsteps rushing up behind me. Sarah grabbed my arm again: "Owen, ignore what Liam said. Let's just get in the wedding car, okay?" Her gaze softened considerably. My parents hurried over, chiming in to pressure me. "Owen, stop lying about being married to get out of this." "Exactly, it's your wedding day. Stop throwing tantrums." Hearing even my own parents say this, the neighbors watching the spectacle began to look confused. "What? They're just having a lover's spat? So the whole 'wife' thing was fake?" "Young people love drama, but you shouldn't joke about marriage! On a day like this, it's bad luck!" I ground my teeth together, a fiery rage surging up my throat. Just as I was about to fire back, Sarah suddenly threw her arms around me in a tight embrace. She looked up at me, her eyes curving into a sweet smile: "Owen, be good. We're getting married. This time, I won't let any 'accidents' ruin our wedding." Seeing that she was about to literally drag me into the bridal limo, I struggled violently: "Sarah, let me go! Get off me!" I shouted in fury, but Sarah ignored me, shoving me toward the open car door. Just as the door was about to slam shut. The next second, a familiar voice rang out: "What exactly are you doing?"
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