Search and Rescue called. They said my parents had wandered into a restricted "No Man's Land" in the desert and were begging for help. They told me to prepare a huge sum of money for the rescue operation. Before I could answer, my husband snatched my phone. "It's a scam. Don't listen to them." Then he smashed my phone on the floor and threatened, "If you touch a cent of our savings to save them, we're getting a divorce!" What he didn't know was that the luxury vacation package he bought for my parents had been hijacked by his parents. So the people stranded in the desert, waiting to die? Those were his mom and dad. 1 "Ms. Xu, this is the Search and Rescue team. Your parents have entered a restricted zone. Since this is a private, high-risk extraction, the estimated cost will be around one million dollars." One million. It sounded like a lot, but between my husband and me, we had enough savings to cover it if we scraped the barrel. I didn't hesitate. "Save them. Of course, save them! How do I transfer the money..." My phone was ripped from my hand. My husband, Mark, spoke into it, his voice cold and final. "Two old people walked into a restricted zone on their own? We aren't wasting resources on that. Thanks for calling." "What are you saying?!" I screamed, lunging for the phone. Mark threw it on the hardwood floor. Crack. He glared at me, furious. "Sarah, do you hear yourself? That is our life savings! Years of hard work! You want to just burn it?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you human? Those are our parents! You always preach about filial piety and how hard it is to raise kids. Now you want to let them die?" I scrambled to pick up my phone. Thank god for heavy-duty cases and screen protectors. The screen was shattered, but the call was still connected. I knelt on the floor and shouted into the mic: "I'll pay! Save them!" Mark dove at me, snatched the phone again, and screamed into it: "Save my ass! I said no! Two old fools wandered off to die, let them die! They deserve it!" Then he hung up. "Mark! Are you insane? Those are your parents!" He sneered. "My parents? Don't be stupid. Those are your parents. Sarah, listen to me: if you spend one dime on them, I'm divorcing you. Don't forget, you can't touch our joint assets without my consent." He stormed into the bedroom and locked the door. My heart turned to ice. I sat on the floor, trying to calm down, thinking of ways to bypass him and access the money. Then it hit me. He thought it was my parents out there. But... the people who took those tickets were his parents. 2 A week ago, Mark came home humming a tune. He pulled two tickets out of his briefcase. "My buddy just opened a high-end travel agency. He's doing a promo, so I bought two tickets. Your parents love to travel, right? Perfect timing. Let's send them on a trip." I looked at the tickets. "Western Desert Luxury Tour." Price tag: $5,999 per person, flights not included. Something felt off. "Mark," I asked, "You always complain about my parents wasting money on travel. Why the sudden change of heart?" He sat on the sofa, smiling. "Eh, they're old. Let them have their hobbies. They have savings and pensions. Walking around is good for their health." Hearing him speak so kindly about my parents warmed my heart. I immediately called my mom and dad. After hanging up, Mark beamed. "Happy?" I nodded vigorously. "Yes! Hey, why don't we buy two more tickets and send your parents too? The four of them can look out for each other." "No way!" He blurted it out instantly. "They can't go!" I was confused. "Why? If it's about money, I'll chip in. It's safer with four people." Mark always said his parents were simple country folk who rarely left their village. This was a perfect opportunity. He frowned, thinking for a long time. "They're just... rural people. They don't fit in with high-end tours. They wouldn't appreciate it. A local bus tour is enough for them." "That's not fair! Everyone has a first time. They worked hard their whole lives. Why can't they enjoy luxury?" I opened my phone. "Send me your friend's agency contact. I'll buy the tickets." Mark stood up and hugged me. "Babe, the promo is over. No more tickets. Let's just take them ourselves next time." "Besides, you need to book the flights for your parents. The tour vouchers have to be redeemed in person. I have a business trip tomorrow, so I'm leaving it to you. I trust you." He was so adamant, I let it go. That night, while he slept, I snuck into the living room to look up the travel agency on the tickets. I searched everywhere. Nothing. "Maybe it's so new it's not online yet?" I mumbled. Still, the guilt of sending my parents on a luxury trip while leaving his parents behind gnawed at me. Eventually, I called the travel agent my parents usually used. "Hey, any new deals?" The reply came fast: "Got a great one, Sarah. The usual. Satisfaction guaranteed." $1,299 per person. Flights not included. It was a packed itinerary at a budget price. Since I trusted this agency, I transferred the money right away. I went back to bed feeling virtuous. 3 After Mark left for his trip, I called both sets of parents. I told them to come to our city to depart together. My in-laws, hearing "trip," demanded business class train tickets and rushed over from the countryside. The moment my mother-in-law walked in, she started complaining. "Traveling again? You make a little money and just burn it." That was her style. Loud and cheap. I was used to tuning it out. I smiled and pulled her to the sofa. "Mom, Mark said you guys never travel. We wanted to treat you. Money is meant to be spent, right?" She eyed me up and down. I showed her my phone. "Look, this agency is great. My parents use them all the time. No forced shopping, great guides. Five-star hotels." She looked interested until she scrolled up and saw the price. Her face soured. "You send your parents on fancy trips, and you give us this cheap junk?" She snorted. "My son makes all that money just for you to spend on your family?" "Mom, if you don't like this package, we can add extras..." My father-in-law stood up and snatched the $5,999 tickets off the coffee table. He looked at them and exploded. "You booked us a $1,299 tour and your parents a $6,000 tour?!" My mother-in-law grabbed the tickets, read the price, and started stomping her feet. She sat on the floor, slapping her thighs. "Oh, the injustice! I thought you finally grew a conscience! You're feeding us garbage!" I tried to explain. "Mark bought those from a friend! It was a special promo!" She shoved the tickets into my chest. "I don't care! We are going on the $6,000 tour!" "But..." I was stuck. Mark bought those specifically for my parents. "You just don't want us to have nice things!" she screamed. "You look down on us country people! Trying to fool us with cheap tours!" Even my father-in-law chimed in. "We watch TikTok! We know about these cheap tours! They lock old people in stores and don't let them pee until they buy jewelry! You trying to kill us?" I pointed at my chat history. "My parents love this agency!" My mother-in-law slapped my phone out of my hand. "I don't care! Book our flights now! We're going to the desert!" I picked up my phone, exasperated. I tried to call Mark. The first call cut off. Before I could dial again, my father-in-law barked, "Stop calling! Men are working! Why is a woman always bothering him?" "I just need to confirm..." "Confirm what? He's the head of the household! Don't distract him from his promotion!" "Yeah," my mother-in-law added. "It's normal for Mark not to talk to us for months when he's busy. Don't bother him." Fine. Keep the peace. Treat it as charity. I sighed and opened the airline app. I entered their info for economy seats. My mother-in-law snatched the phone again. "Economy?! That's for poor people! My son buys houses in the city! We are First Class people!" I was too tired to argue. First Class it is. Paid with Mark’s credit card, naturally. "I'll postpone the other tour for later," I said. "Don't bother!" she huffed. "We know what you're doing. Trying to punish us with cheap trips. We won't go! Either refund it or send your parents!" Her eyes lit up. "Yeah! Send your parents on the cheap one! Let them suffer a bit!" Even with my patience, that stung. "Fine. My parents will take the $1,299 tour." 4 Just then, there was a knock. My parents arrived. "Sarah! What tour did Mark get us?" My dad's booming voice filled the room. He saw my in-laws. "Oh! The in-laws are here too! A seniors' trip? Fun!" My mom smiled warmly. "We travel a lot. We can help with packing tips." My mother-in-law cut her off. "I don't need your tips. My good son bought us a $6,000 luxury tour. Unlike your daughter, who's so stingy she only got you the $1,000 one." My mom paused. "Six thousand? That sounds nice." "Of course it is! My son is filial. He knows we suffered in the village. We aren't going with you on your budget trip." She added with fake concern, "But hey, be careful. Those cheap tours are scams. Maybe you shouldn't go." The malice was dripping from her voice. My mom, bless her heart, didn't even frown. She patted my back. "The city tour is great. Short and sweet. Dad and I were looking at that one anyway. Great minds think alike, Sarah." Seeing that her insults didn't land, my mother-in-law got bored. "Hmph. Wait until you're forced to buy jade bracelets. Come on, husband. Let's go. Don't wait up." They left. I held my mom's hand. "Mom, I really didn't mean to..." She shook her head. "Those expensive tickets were meant for us, weren't they?" I couldn't lie to her. "Your in-laws never travel. Let them enjoy it. Don't worry about us." I was so grateful. I called the agency and swapped the names right there.
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