Chapter 2 — Jilted at the Altar

And as for Yuan Yuan, she is my best friend. I cannot simply stand by and watch the child in her womb be born without a name or a status, can I?

Once the baby is born, we will transfer the registration directly to your name and have you officially recognized as the birth mother. You will not have to endure ten months of pregnancy or the agony of labor, and yet you will naturally gain a healthy, bouncing baby boy. You are not losing anything in this arrangement, are you?

I could not restrain myself a moment longer. I raised my hand and struck Ze across the face with all my strength.

Get out. Take your mother and your mistress with you, and get out of my sight this instant.

Ze clutched his face, staring at me with utter disbelief. Fine, very well, Niem! This is the choice you have made! Do not come crying to me later when you regret it! Mother, Yuan Yuan, let us go! We shall enjoy these dozens of tables of fine wine and exquisite food all by ourselves!

No sooner had they stepped out than the hotel banquet manager knocked and entered, his expression strained and awkward. Ms. Niem, may I ask what is happening out there? Mr. Ze just shouted that he has changed the bride, and he demanded that the host reintroduce the ceremony. Your relatives are leaving in droves. The kitchen is asking if they should continue serving the thirty tables of premium seafood that were pre-ordered.

I had initially intended to cancel everything, but a thought suddenly struck me. Serve it. Why shouldn't you? It is a joyous occasion for them; the fine wine and food must be served in full, not a single dish missing.

Ze and his mother had assumed that I had already paid for all thirty tables. After all, I had handled every single detail of the wedding preparations, from the venue to the tiniest candy. However, they were unaware that the owner of this hotel was a senior of mine from university. When I booked the venue, he refused to take a deposit from me. We had agreed that I would settle the full bill the day after the wedding. In other words, those thirty tables outside had not cost a single cent yet. I smiled at the manager.

Please convey a message to your boss for me. From this moment on, the wedding feast outside has absolutely nothing to do with me, Niem. Whoever wears the wedding dress, whoever stands on that stage to toast, and whoever consumes that meal—in the end, you must collect the payment from them. If they dare to skip out on the bill, do not hold back; lock the main doors and call the police to handle the matter.

The manager was startled at first, but he immediately understood. Having worked in this industry for years, what kind of eccentric people had he not encountered? Ms. Niem, rest assured, I know exactly what to do.

Having settled everything, I took my parents by the arms and left the hotel. While sitting in the car on the way home, I casually opened my social media feed. As expected, Yuan could not wait to post about it. In the photos, she was wearing the toast dress that was meant for me, snuggling tightly against Ze. Gui Mai stood beside them, holding her hand, grinning from ear to ear. The caption read: Right time, right person. Double the joy. Thank you to my mother-in-law for her love, and thank you to my husband for being so responsible.

Below, several relatives of the Ze family had liked and commented: Our Yuan and Ze are truly a perfect match. The banquet today was delicious. Those large lobsters looked so fresh. That fool from the Niem family is truly without any blessing.

Reading those comments, not only was I not angry, I nearly burst into laughter. Eat. Eat plenty. I only fear that whatever you consume now, you will eventually have to vomit back up. The wedding feast slowly drew to a close. The guests were full, carrying away their gift bags, and preparing to leave. Ze, his face flushed red from drink, was excitedly hugging Yuan, surrounded by relatives as they headed toward the exit. At that exact moment, two lines of uniformed security guards appeared, blocking their path. The manager, holding the invoice, wore a professional smile as he stepped in front of Ze.

Mr. Ze, congratulations on your wedding. You have consumed thirty tables of premium seafood today; the total cost is five hundred thousand. Would you like to scan the code or pay by card?

Ze froze. Pay what card? Didn't Niem already pay for everything?

The manager's smile did not waver as he held the long receipt out in front of Ze. You are mistaken. Ms. Niem has not paid a single cent for any of these expenses.

The color drained from Ze’s face instantly. He stared wide-eyed at the long string of zeros at the bottom of the invoice, his breathing coming to a sudden halt. Five hundred thousand? Why don't you just go rob someone!

Gui Mai, who had initially been boasting to the nearby relatives about how high-end the banquet was, shrieked the moment she heard the amount. What? Five hundred thousand! Our family’s feast—didn't that spendthrift Niem woman pay for it long ago? Are you bunch of black-hearted crooks trying to bully us because we are simple folk? I am going to the market administration bureau to report you! I will accuse you of fraud!

Gui Mai grew more frantic the more she cursed, even reaching out to shove the manager. The manager stepped back half a pace, nimbly dodging her.