One Joke, One Broken Engagement

Mrs. Lee immediately flew into a rage:

“David Miller! It’s your fault my daughter was hurt,

and you dare question me?”

I laughed bitterly on the spot.

Even though I had prepared for this,

her shamelessness still stunned me.

The guests around us were equally shocked.

They couldn’t believe a mother-in-law

would accuse her daughter’s groom

of not being the father—

and call it a joke.

But that was exactly the kind of woman Mrs. Lee was.

In my previous life,

I first met her three months into dating Sophia.

That day, at Sophia’s suggestion,

I brought expensive gifts from my parents

to her home.

While we were eating,

Mrs. Lee suddenly set down her chopsticks

and asked sternly:

“David, are you only with my daughter

because of our old suburban house that’s about to be redeveloped?”

The room froze.

Sophia looked at me with suspicion.

Terrified, I leapt up and swore:

“Ma’am, I would never think such a thing!”

I trembled all over,

afraid my explanation wasn’t enough.

But Mrs. Lee and Sophia exchanged glances

and burst into laughter.

“Oh, young man, you scare easily.

I was just joking,

testing if you could keep your cool.

Look, your face has turned white.”

Embarrassed, I forced a smile.

Sophia added,

“My mom just doesn’t want me to be tricked by men.

If you really love me,

you need to give me enough security.”

I nodded repeatedly.

That dinner also pushed the wedding demand

from $25,000 up to $120,000.

Even then,

I carried the hidden label

that I might be after their property.

On our one-year anniversary,

at Mrs. Lee’s suggestion,

I booked a restaurant to surprise Sophia.

But Sophia never showed up,

and her phone was unreachable.

Finally, I got a call from Mrs. Lee:

“David, Sophia and I argued,

and now I can’t reach her.

What should we do?”

My legs nearly gave out.

I dropped everything to search for her.

After hours of frantic searching

and just as I was about to call the police,

Sophia appeared casually,

arm in arm with Mrs. Lee.

“Don’t worry,

I was just joking with you.

Seeing you so anxious proves you really care.

Good job—you passed this test.”

I froze in disbelief.

Sophia even teased me:

“See? Maybe you don’t treat me well enough normally.

That’s why my mom worries.”

My face turned pale,

my fear and devotion reduced to mockery.

To them it was just a harmless “test,”

but to me it was my heart and soul trampled.

All I got in return

was a dismissive “just kidding.”

Hearing Mrs. Lee now,

my mother’s face darkened.

She pulled me aside and asked:

“What’s going on?

Everyone’s watching.”

I tried to calm her.

“It’s fine, it’ll be over soon.”

This time, I knew what was coming,

so I had sent my father away beforehand.

His health was poor,

and he longed for a grandchild.

If he heard Mrs. Lee’s words,

he would have died of rage just like before.

I looked up at Mrs. Lee,

my voice cold:

“In front of everyone,

are you certain you’re not joking

when you say your daughter’s child isn’t mine?”

The atmosphere grew hotter and hotter.