They Used Compensation Money as My Bride Price,Then Said I Owed Them a Life

1: 1

My husband and I got married because I was pregnant.

On our wedding day, they tied me up like a hog at slaughter and set me on the scale.

Eighty pounds of me, eighty thousand dollars of bride price.

Ever since my father-in-law died in that accident, my mother-in-law had been out of her mind. I let it go.

During the toasts, she sat there clutching his memorial tablet and weeping.

"Come here, Davi, kneel and bow to your father-in-law. That bride price was bought with his life. My son married you, so now you owe this family a life."

I turned to look at my husband. He didn't step in to help me. He got down on his knees too, calm as anything.

"Dad, we've brought your guilty daughter-in-law to see you!"

I froze for only a second, then resigned myself and lit the incense.

I set it neatly in front of the tablet.

"Father-in-law, tonight when you all have your little reunion, don't blame me."

"There's no other way. As long as those two are alive, your daughter-in-law can't sleep."

1

What was supposed to be a lively wedding now looked like a funeral hall.

My mother-in-law came out cradling the tablet, sobbing, snot and tears everywhere. "Old man! Come back and take a look, this is the daughter-in-law you traded your life for! Come back and look!"

Even the emcee, who'd seen it all, was rattled.

I looked back at my husband.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder to soothe me and generously pushed me forward. "It's fine, Dad's just having a look at you, nothing to be scared of. My mom means well. There's nothing behind it."

She held the tablet up and waved it in my face.

"Old man! Did you see her clearly? Oh, right, you have to see the face."

She pressed the tablet against my cheek. "Old man, this is the daughter-in-law you traded your life for."

It was absurd.

I knocked the tablet aside with one slap.

The whole place went dead silent.

She stared at me, stunned, then snatched the tablet back and wiped it down, careful and thorough.

"What do you think you're doing! Son, are you not going to deal with your wife! What is the meaning of this!"

"Don't push it too far."

Seeing I was angry, my husband rushed to smooth it over. "Honey, my mom doesn't mean anything by it. She's from the country. Country people are the most down-to-earth. She's got no bad intentions."

He turned and shot the emcee a glare.

That snapped the emcee out of it. He swallowed hard. "Tea, bring the tea!"

The girl carrying the tea didn't dare go anywhere near the tablet.

She set it down and ran.

My husband handed it to me with a grin. "Honey, serve the tea. Once you've served it, everything's fine."

He made a little pleading gesture, and my face softened enough that I took the tea.

The moment I turned around, my mother-in-law dropped down onto the floor.

She sat there clutching the tablet, bawling.

The emcee was scared too, but he still tried to help. "Ma'am, dry your eyes, please stop crying. We're about to start the ceremony."

She cut loose at him. "I have to cry loud enough for my husband to hear me! What the hell do you know!"

Then she jabbed a finger at me. "Davi, kneel here and serve your father-in-law his tea."

I just wanted this part over with. I knelt on one knee and offered the tea. "Father-in-law, please have some tea."

She wasn't satisfied. "Well? Cry, then!"

I stood up and said nothing.

The emcee cleared his throat. "Then, then how about ma'am sits in the chair? No need to keep sitting on the floor."

"What do you know! You think I don't know I can sit on a chair! Sitting on the floor puts me closer to my husband!"

I stared coldly at the people around me, my fists clenched tight.

I'd been sparing them their dignity. When I turned back, my husband was smiling at me.

"Honey, let's sit on the floor and bow too. We'll be a little closer to my dad."

He didn't sense anything wrong. He came over and yanked hard at my arm.

I shook him off and smashed the teacup down. "There's something even closer. Why don't the two of you go down there and keep him company?"

I looked straight into my mother-in-law's eyes, waiting for whatever she'd say next.

But the one who fired back was the man beside me.

"Davina Finch, how the hell do you talk to my mom like that!"