I Owe 800,000 Dollars

“How could that be?! Jenny, stop joking.”

Jason tried hard to maintain his gentlemanly composure in front of all his relatives. Even though his voice nearly cracked in the first half, he forced the second half back down.

My future mother-in-law also stopped her act and forgot to shed tears.

My mother noticed something was wrong. She frowned and asked me, “Jenny, what’s going on?”

I pressed my lips together, then raised my voice to make sure everyone present could hear clearly. “Jason did hand me his salary every month. But for convenience, we rented an apartment together for work. The rent was $5,000 every month…”

Even before I finished, my mother already figured it out. “Even if you two split it in half, Jason said his monthly expenses were just over $3,000. Deducting $2,500 for rent, the rest would not even be enough for him to have several proper meals with his friends, right?”

The Lane Family immediately looked embarrassed. Jason’s expression almost slipped as well, but he still tried to keep his tone calm. “Jenny, I know my monthly expenses may be more than that, but it’s impossible for nothing to be left. Just be honest with me. How much of the money I gave you is still there?”

I shrugged. “I already told you, not a cent.”

Seeing how serious I was, Jason finally snapped. He shot up from his chair. “You wasteful woman, you spent the entire $960,000?!”

His sudden outburst startled me. I froze on the spot.

The Jason standing before me was cruel and twisted. I could not believe that he was the man I had lived with for four years.

His mother exploded as well and suddenly wailed hysterically. “That’s a massive sum, and you squandered it all! What shameful thing did you do with it? This marriage is off!”

The Lane Family relatives joined in the chatter.

“Jason is the most promising of our younger generation. He makes so much money every year, how could it all be gone?”

“Tsk, tsk. It seems dating is an expensive business for young people. When my son finds a wife, she must be someone who knows how to manage a household.”

“Exactly. I thought Jenny was virtuous and good with money, but she turned out to be nothing but a spendthrift.”

My parents did not look pleased after hearing such harsh words. But they knew my character. They also knew I was not someone who recklessly spent money.

My father quietly reminded me, “Jenny, explain everything clearly now. We don’t take advantage of others, but we mustn’t let others accuse us of something we didn’t do and then just take it either.”

Jason’s mother, sharp-eared, sneered through her tears. “Not taking advantage? You burned through almost a million dollars in four years. Your daughter lived in comfort with Jason, so how could you say she suffered?”

My mother, being a woman of dignity, could not stoop to that kind of bickering. Her face flushed red with anger. “Jenny, accounts must be settled properly. You should know this principle. Do not let them smear you! Since everyone is here today, we will settle it right here in the open!”

Settle it? Of course, it had to be settled.

The Lane Family relatives craned their necks, eager for a spectacle. How could I not give them exactly what they wanted?