Pre-wedding Absurdities

Did any of you ever experience being pressured by your parents to get married, only to have them tear your relationship apart once you did?

After my mom, Anna Mills had urged me to get married countless times, I told her that I had made up my mind to get married. However, instead of showing the joy that I had expected, her expression gradually turned gloomy as I answered her numerous questions about my fiancé.

One day, I got off work early and happened to overhear Anna talking on the phone with her old acquaintance. "I never expected that the boy's family would go to such extremes. They even sold their house just to meet my requirements" she said with a sigh, sounding rather regretful. "If I had known, I would have raised the price even higher."

I was dumbfounded on the spot, and a sense of coldness filled my heart. Anna had deliberately demanded an outrageously high dowry from Kaden Gill.

"Oh my! What are you doing standing there? You're scaring me!" Anna exclaimed in surprise when she turned around and saw me.

I stood there in a daze and asked her, "What are you talking about?"

Anna pursed her lips, looking rather reluctant. "It's just grown-ups' conversation. Why should a child like you interfere?"

"To be honest, do you actually not want me to marry Kaden at all? He's such a nice person and treats me so well. What on earth are you trying so hard to break us up for?" I asked her point-blank.

"You're too young to know anything at all! What's the use of being a nice person? Love without a material foundation is nothing. You two definitely won't last long without money." Anna yelled at me furiously.

"Mom, I'll be able to live a good life with Kaden," I said, taking a deep breath and then resolutely walking out of the house.

(1)

I had been single since I was born until now. It wasn't until I changed to a new company at the age of 27 that I finally had a romantic relationship.

I worked in the planning department while Kaden was in the operations department. Our paths crossed because of work. I didn't know if it was Cupid's mercy that he suddenly shot an arrow at us. Anyway, we took a liking to each other at first sight, and the more we got to know each other, the more we felt that the other was the one we were meant to be with. Things developed naturally after that, and within just three months, we had smoothly transitioned from friends to close friends and then to a couple.

A year after we officially started dating, on my birthday, Kaden proposed to me in front of all our colleagues, holding 99 roses and a diamond ring.

Amid the cheers of our colleagues, with tears of joy in my eyes, I accepted his proposal.

Considering my mom's worrisome nature and the fact that I had been single for years without finding a boyfriend, I was worried that once she knew I had a boyfriend, she would go overboard and keep pestering me with endless questions. So, I kept this important piece of news from her.

On the day I accepted Kaden's proposal, we first went for a candlelit dinner and then watched a movie. As a result, it was already rather late when I got home.

Anna shifted her gaze from the TV to me and complained in an unhappy tone, "What's the matter with your boss? Why does he make you work overtime every day?"

"Mom," I said, my cheeks flushed with excitement, proudly showing her the ring on my left hand. "I'm getting married."

There was not a trace of the joy I had expected on Anna's face when she learned that her daughter had finally found her Mr. Right. Instead, she was frozen in place, with a look of shock on her face.

Moments later, my parents had me cornered at the dining table for a thorough interrogation.

"What does your boyfriend do? Is he an only child? Where is his family from? Are they locals? What do his parents do? What are his family's financial conditions?"

I helplessly told my mom, "Mom, it's Kaden as a person that I've fallen for. Our future life will be built by the two of us together. So whether he's an only child or what his family's financial situation is like, I don't care at all."

Anna exploded, "You're too young to understand anything."

(2)

After answering all of her questions about Kaden and his family one by one, Anna blew up. "Oh my goodness! You're giving me such a headache, Ava. Are you that desperate to get married that you picked someone from the countryside and he even has a younger brother?"

"Mom, just give him a chance, please," I begged.

Thanks to my persistent pleading, Kaden managed to pass Anna's first hurdle.

I texted Kaden, "My parents want you to come over for dinner this Saturday."

He quickly replied, "Okay." He even asked, "What does your mom think of me?"

I didn't relay Anna's harsh words, fearing it might affect his confidence. I simply said, "There's hope."

Anna invited Kaden for lunch at eleven on Saturday, but to make a good impression, I asked him to come at nine and bring her favorite cosmetics.

Seeing the gift, Anna smiled, "Oh, Kaden, you shouldn't have brought such expensive things on your first visit."

Despite her words, she accepted the gift. I glanced at Kaden, knowing we had chosen well. I added, "Mom, Kaden is a great cook." I wanted to help him improve his impression score in my mother's mind.

"Really?" Anna nodded and agreed to give Kaden a chance to show himself. "Kaden, can you make spaghetti?"

Kaden looked at me with a troubled expression. Under the hint from my eyes, he gritted his teeth and agreed reluctantly.

"Our family members are really fond of Italian pasta," Anna said as she pulled me away from the kitchen without hesitation. "Come and watch TV with me."

Anna noticed that my gaze was fixed on Kaden all the time and deliberately asked him, "Kaden, are you okay handling it all by yourself?"

"No problem," Kaden replied confidently.

Absent-minded, I watched TV with Anna, wondering why she was being so hard to please all of a sudden.

Finally, the kitchen door was opened and Kaden came out with bowls of noodles that looked quite presentable. I couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up and said, "Kaden, you're really awesome. You're exactly the man I chose."

Anna looked up at me, and her eyes seemed to show that she was disapproving of my lack of composure.

I eagerly said to Anna, "Mom, hurry up and taste the noodles made by Kaden."

Anna gave me a stern look, mixed the minced meat with the noodles, took a sniff, and then reluctantly picked up a little of it by fork and put it into her mouth.

I looked at my mom eagerly and asked her, "How does it taste?"

"It's delicious," Anna said with a smile as she put down her fork. "Kaden, don't get me wrong. Your cooking skills are really good. The noodles are tasty and you've got impressive knife skills. However, it's just not exactly the way we make it at home."

It was obvious to everyone that Anna wasn't finding fault with the noodles but was picking on Kaden.