The Invoice Before the Vows

Cami jumped in, clearly eager to stay on Samantha's good side. "Samantha, I've always known you're the better daughter-in-law. I'll be counting on you going forward. Lyndis is a pampered young lady. Just taking care of her own parents someday will be more than enough of a burden for her. How could I ever rely on her?"

Samantha let out a cold snort. "Mom, you can't play favorites. If Lyndis won't put in the effort, then she should at least contribute money."

"Yes, yes, of course," Cami agreed immediately. "I'll definitely make her pay. You gave me my eldest grandson—you're the greatest contributor in my eyes. Don't worry, I'm on your side."

At that moment, I no longer felt like leaving. They wanted to take advantage of me? What a ridiculous daydream.

When I stepped inside, James was right there. Which meant he had heard every word his mother and sister-in-law said about me—and yet he stood there like a bystander, silently enjoying the spectacle.

Samantha glanced up at me without the slightest hint of guilt. "Did you call the moving company?"

"No."

Her expression darkened as she was about to lose her temper, but James quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Samantha, I'll call them. I'll handle it."

She shot me another look before continuing with her tasks.

Once the movers arrived, all the heavy lifting was handed over to them.

Cami, exhausted, pounded her back and suddenly turned her gaze on me. "Lyndis, we've all been working hard all day. We're tired—why don't you make dinner tonight?"

I was just about to snap back when James shot me a look, signaling me not to lose my temper.

He smiled and intervened. "Mom, Lyndis doesn't know how to cook."

Samantha sneered. "The rich girl really is something else. Spoiled at home by her mother, and now she's acting like a delicate flower after marrying into our family? How's someone like that supposed to take care of a husband and children?"

Afraid of upsetting Samantha, Cami whipped around to me. "Lyndis, if you can't cook, then forget it. You can take us out to a restaurant instead. You just married into this family—it's only right you treat everyone to a nice meal."

Before I could answer, James jumped in, scared I might refuse. "Of course, of course. We're family. It's only right."

I was practically dragged by him into a five-star hotel.

Well, this was clearly a coordinated effort to fleece me.

Samantha ordered only the most expensive dishes.

Cami, like someone seeing the city for the first time, beamed as she said, "I've never had Lafite from '82 before—let's get a few bottles."

Then she turned to me. "Lyndis, you don't mind, do you?"

"Mom, you're overthinking it," James cut in. "Lyndis' family is quite well-off. Why would she care about a little money?"

I smiled faintly, my meaning unclear. "That's true. We're not some ultra-wealthy family, but we're certainly not short on money."

Cami's face lit up. "Then I'll go ahead and order."

"You go ahead and order whatever you like," I said lightly. "Don't worry about me—I won't be joining. I'm not hungry, and I won't be eating. I'm just here to keep you company. Enjoy yourselves."

Hearing that, Cami and Samantha added several more expensive dishes.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the server came with the bill.

"Hello, your total comes to 88,500 dollars."

No one moved. Every pair of eyes turned to me, waiting for me to pay.

"Why are you all looking at me?" I said coolly. "I didn't touch a single dish—not one bite."

Cami's expression changed instantly. She forced an awkward smile as she scolded, "We agreed you'd treat us. You knew exactly what we were ordering—what do you mean by refusing to pay now?"

I smiled as if watching a show unfold. "I never agreed to that. Besides, I don't treat strangers to meals—especially not meals this expensive."