Chapter 2 — Forced to return 80 tables, I overturned the divorce table and left them empty-handed

I gave the second photo.

“Sorry, this card won't work either.”

Third plate. Fourth plate. Fifth plate. Each time, the results were identical. The cashier started to feel confused, the manager also approached, frowning slightly.

“Sister, these cards of yours… is there a problem?”

At that moment, Chu Le, after seeing off the guests, turned around and saw that I was still standing at the counter and immediately felt uncomfortable.

“Sister-in-law, why are you still standing here so slowly? Pay quickly, people are still waiting for their shift to end.”

She stood next to me, her tone filled with annoyance. I don't look at her. Just turned to the manager, his voice was calm and cold.

“Sorry, maybe I remembered wrong, these cards… I think I called yesterday afternoon to say they were all locked.”

Every word I say is as heavy as a nail to the ground, there's no way I can take it back. Chu Le's face immediately changed, the smile on her face stiffened in the blink of an eye.

"Card lock? To Van, what do you mean?"

Her voice suddenly rose high, sharp and shrill. I finally turned my head and looked straight at her for the first time this evening, looking at her delicately made-up face that was now distorted with anger. I smiled, a cold smile without any temperature.

“That means I didn't pay for this party.”

Chu Le's eyes immediately widened, as if she had just heard the wildest thing in the world. She trembled with anger, grabbed my wrist hard, her nails almost digging into my skin.

"To Van! Are you crazy? This is my son's first birthday party, if you don't pay, who will?"

02 I'm not your child's mother. Her voice was high-pitched, piercing straight into my eardrums, causing me pain. In the hotel lobby, the guests who had not yet left and the wait staff all turned their heads to look at us, their eyes filled with curiosity and excitement as if they were waiting to see a good show. I felt all those looks, but I didn't move, even though she was still squeezing my wrist. I just looked back at her with a look that she had probably never seen before, cold, strange, without any patience left.

“Chu Le, are you misunderstanding something?”

My voice is not loud, but every word is clear.

“Today's full month is your son, not mine.”

“Throwing a party for your child, why do you make me pay?”

“Is there such a thing in this world?”

Chu Le was stunned when I asked her. She clearly never thought that I, who had always been patient, could say such things. Her face was as red as pig liver, so angry that she almost lost control.

"You are my sister-in-law! We are family! Isn't it natural for you to pay!"

“One person?”

I burst out laughing, as if I had just heard the funniest thing of the year.

“Chu Le, ask yourself, in the past three years, has anyone in the Chu family ever considered me a member of the family?”

“When I paid to buy you a car, you guys said we were family.”

“When I hired a nanny to take care of you, you guys also said we were family.”

“When I gave Chu Hao money to start a company, you guys still said we were family.”

"Why, when it's time for you to take responsibility for yourself, do you forget what is called family?"

Every word I said was like a slap to her face. Chu Le was speechless and angry when I talked to her His face was sometimes blue, sometimes white. At that moment, Chu Hao and his mother-in-law Trieu Xuan Mai also realized something was wrong and hurriedly walked over.

"What's going on? Le Le, why are you dragging your sister-in-law like that?"

As soon as Trieu Xuan Mai arrived, she immediately took her daughter's side. Chu Hao frowned and looked at me.

"To Van, what are you doing? Quickly pay and go home!"

I violently pushed Chu Le's hand away, my wrist was marked with clear red marks. I took the five credit cards that had just been declined out of my pocket and threw them on the cashier counter.

“What do I do?”

I looked straight at Chu Hao, every word was clear.

“Chu Hao, I will make it clear today.”

“I didn't spend any money on this 288,000 yuan.”

“Whoever organizes the party, pays.”

Chu Hao's face immediately became extremely ugly.

"To Van! Don't be here to embarrass me!"

Trieu Xuan Mai also reacted, pointing straight at me and cursing.

"That comet thing! My son must be blind to marry you!"

"What if I ask you to spend some money? Is the Chu family mistreating you or owing you anything?"

“Eat from us, wear from us, what is yours that doesn't come from the Chu family!”

I almost burst out laughing at these black and white words. I looked around, there were more and more people watching, on their faces were gloating expressions waiting for a good show. I know very well. Today, face will definitely be lost. But losing is absolutely not my face. I took a deep breath, then did something that made everyone unable to react. I turned around and walked quickly towards the main stage of the hall. The host had just finished and was packing up, the microphone still placed on the table. I walked up, grabbed the microphone, and turned on the switch. A slight hissing sound rang out, my voice echoed through the speakers, clearly echoing throughout the hall.

“Sorry everyone, just a bit of a bother.”

All eyes in the hall immediately turned to me. Chu Hao, Chu Le, and Trieu Xuan Mai stood frozen in place, looking at me with panicked faces. They must have guessed what I was planning to do. Chu Hao looked at me signaling, his voice was low but urgent.

"To Van! Come down now!"

I didn't pay attention to him. I tightened my grip on the microphone, looked down at the eyes eagerly watching the play in the audience, and then calmly spoke up.

"Please introduce yourself, I am Chu Hao's wife, Chu Le's sister-in-law, my name is To Van."

"Today is my brother-in-law's first month party."

“First of all, I would like to thank the hotel for providing such a luxurious space and attentive service.”

“For these eighty banquet tables, the total cost is 288,000 yuan.”

“Every penny is worth the quality.”

I paused for a beat, then changed my tone.

“But, it's very unfortunate.”

“My husband's family, from beginning to end, no one had any intention of paying for this party.”

"They automatically think that this money should be borne by me, this daughter-in-law, this sister-in-law."

The whole hall immediately stirred. All eyes simultaneously turned towards Chu Hao's family. Their faces were no longer simply unsightly. I continued speaking, my voice was monotonous but each word seemed to stab straight at me.