The Bride Who Was Meant to Die

He probably thought my family only ran a small business, but the truth is, we're the most famous enterprise in town. Even the company Silas works for is owned by my family.

When Silas graduated, I initially planned to recommend him to my father, but to my surprise, he got in on his own merit.

Afterward, his work was exceptional. He even suggested I break up with my boyfriend and give him a chance. It wasn't until I brought Silas home that my dad finally stopped making jokes about it.

So, my dad quickly agreed to my relationship with Silas. However, my mom, knowing Silas came from a small mountain village, was worried I might be taken advantage of. She hesitated to approve, but despite her reservations, she was still quite kind to him.

That’s why, when I first met Meredith, I wasn’t prepared for what happened. I thought Silas’ mother would be just as kind-hearted as him, but I never expected her to be so harsh. It reminded me of the awful mother-in-law-daughter-in-law stories I’d read online, and it made me nervous.

For the first time, I began to doubt my relationship with Silas.

Not long after, my manager sent me a video. In it, Meredith was berating Silas relentlessly.

He didn’t say a word. He just lowered his head and took the scolding. Eventually, he even knelt down with a loud thud.

I couldn’t bear to watch more. I knew how much Silas valued his pride, and even though I had doubts about our relationship, I still wanted to protect his dignity.

Just then, I received a message from Silas: "Emily, are you okay? I'm sorry about today."

I thought he would explain what had just happened, but after waiting for a long time, there was no follow-up message.

With a heavy heart, I turned off my phone. Maybe he had already decided that this relationship wasn’t worth it. After all, how long could a relationship survive when our parents didn’t support it?

But that night, I saw Silas waiting for me downstairs in my apartment complex. After a moment’s hesitation, I walked over to him.

“Emily!” He hurried toward me and wrapped me in his arms. “I’m so sorry. My mom's from the countryside. She’s never seen much of the world.”

“Don’t take it personally, please?” His eyes were red, looking at me like a sad, guilty puppy.

If this had happened before, I would have gently patted his head and told him it was fine. But now, I just didn’t want to deal with him.

“Silas, we need to think about this...”

“Our relationship isn’t just about the two of us. It’s also about our families.”

“If Meredith doesn’t like me, you’re going to be stuck in the middle, and that’s going to be hard on you.”

“If you can’t fix this, then maybe we should end things here.” With that, I turned and walked up to my apartment, not looking back.

Back in my apartment, I saw Silas standing downstairs for what seemed like a long time. A pang of sadness hit me—after all, we had been together for so many years.

Was I really going to end this just because of his mom?

I felt frustrated and went for a shower. By the time I checked again, there was no sign of Silas downstairs.

The next time I heard about Silas, it came from my best friend. She told me Silas was in the hospital, diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

Silas had a weak stomach. I remember the time my dad had cornered me at a family gathering, and Silas went to several bars just to find me. That night, he drank so much he ended up in the emergency room. His stomach had never been the same since. I’d been taking care of him for years, but his condition never really improved.

Thinking he had no one to look after him, I softened and rushed to the hospital. But when I arrived, I found Meredith lying asleep in a hospital bed.

And Silas was sitting by himself, getting IV fluids. My heart ached. Was this really his mother?

When Silas saw me, his eyes lit up. I bit my lip and walked in. "How did you end up like this?"

Silas gave a helpless smile. “You know, I’ve been living in the company dorm. My mom didn’t have anywhere to rest, so...”

He pointed to Meredith, who was fast asleep. “She had to sleep in the bed.”

Just then, Meredith woke up, glared at me, and shoved me out of the room. "You damn harbinger of death! You’ve been cursing my son!"

“If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be in the hospital, and he wouldn’t have wasted so many years without saving a penny.”

“Don’t you know how many women would jump at the chance to marry Silas? And you—you're not even grateful.”

I stood there, confused. “What do you mean by that?”

"Ugh, what do you think I mean?"

“If it weren’t for you, would my son be drinking until he passed out?”

“You’re the cause of all this...”