My Wicked Mother-in-law

What I meant was, if you wanted to get married, you must have a house.

I was recruited as a talent into Edgeville, where my job came with housing and a substantial talent subsidy.

So, I wasn't concerned about the house itself; I wanted to see the attitude of Jason's family.

Marriage was a big deal; both sides should show some sincerity.

My mom had made her position clear early on. All the dowry would go to my new household, the wedding money would be mine, and she would also gift a car fully paid for.

We had a younger sister and brother in our family, and in a small town where having a son was valued, it wasn't easy for her to go this far.

Looking at Jason's family, they only offered enthusiastic words about getting married and avoided any discussions about finances.

Seeing that I insisted on having a house before getting married, my mom didn't want to pressure Jason too much. She tried to persuade me, "You've never managed a household, so you don't know how much weddings cost—jewelry, dowry, guest expenses—it's all a lot. If you ask them to buy a house in the city right now, it's tough for an ordinary family."

She also tried to convince Jason, "You could make a down payment on a house in the county. A 100-square-meter place only costs 60,000 to 70,000 dollars for a down payment. It would be a home, and we can help with the mortgage payments if necessary."

Jason never said our demands were unreasonable.

Instead, he got my parents drunk one evening and tearfully recounted his tough childhood, how hard his parents worked to raise him, and how difficult the current situation was.

My parents felt guilty for pressuring him. Amid his tears, the idea of buying a house was dropped, and the dowry was reduced from 166,000 to 33,000 dollars.

On our wedding day, my mom gave me all the dowry, the car, and the wedding money in front of Jason, along with an additional 60,000 dollars in cash.

But Jason's family, my mother-in-law specifically, took all the wedding money that very night.

Later that night, she knocked on our new home's door, saying they didn't have enough money to pay off debts and took another 20,000 dollars from Jason's WhatsApp account.

I was upset, but I held it in.