Chapter 2 — The Engagement Ordeal

He gritted his teeth and growled, "Rui, you’ve got some nerve, daring to strike your own husband!" Only then did a true, chilling fear take hold of me—I was trapped inside their home. Yet, beneath the terror, a surge of righteous indignation roared. He could strike me without consequence, but if I dared to fight back, I was the one who had offended his honor? Chau Dinh stood nearby, watching the spectacle with a cruel smirk, eager to throw oil onto the flames. "And here I thought we were marrying a highly educated woman; turns out she's nothing more than a shrew." She laughed gloatingly as she looked at Phuong Van. "Little brother, if she dares to hit you before the wedding, I suppose you’ll be forced to kneel and wash her clothes every day after you’re married. I certainly don’t recall the Phuong family having any tradition of cowering to their wives."

"She would dare?" Phuong Van snapped, his words sounding like cold iron.

He lunged forward, grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip, and shoved me violently against the wall. "Today, I’m going to teach you exactly how a wife should behave!"

"No, stop!" I screamed, my body reacting on instinct.

The moment my head struck the wall, a blinding flash of agony engulfed me, and the world spiraled into darkness. The entire Phuong family stood there, watching with chilling indifference as the assault unfolded.

"That’s it, teach her some manners."

"Does she think having a Ph.D. makes her so special? So what? A man has a master’s degree, too!"

"Phuong Van, if you don’t discipline your wife properly, she’ll ruin our family for the next three generations!"

"If it weren't for the fact that she's well-educated and could tutor my future grandson, do you think anyone would bother bringing someone of her age into this house?"

Hearing their words, Phuong Van’s rage intensified, and his blows became heavier.

"Please... don't..." My voice faded to a whisper as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

They were all demons, every last one of them! Phuong Van, still unsatisfied, continued to kick and pummel me. My phone tumbled to the floor. Through the haze of pain, I tried to crawl toward it—I had to call the police, I had to call my parents! As my fingers brushed against the screen, a heavy boot slammed down onto my hand. I looked up to see Chau Dinh’s face twisted in triumph. "Sister-in-law, you want to use the phone to call home?"

"Not a chance. A woman as ungrateful as you making a scene for outsiders to see? Do you want to bring shame upon the Chau name? Just stay quiet, endure the lesson, and only then will you be allowed to leave this house."

Her smile became increasingly grotesque as she pressed her foot harder.

"Ahhh!" I let out a piercing cry of agony.

Phuong Van said coldly, "Sister-in-law, why waste time talking to her? When a woman doesn't listen, you just hit her until she obeys!" He resumed his merciless assault. Just then, the phone on the floor began to ring. The Phuong family exchanged glances, and they signaled for Phuong Van to stop. "It's a call from the parents of Rui."

I felt like a traveler lost in a desert who had suddenly spotted a well, my eyes locking onto the device. But at a single glance from Phuong Van, the family swarmed me, pinning me down and sealing my mouth with duct tape so that not a single sound could escape. Phuong Van immediately shifted his tone, his voice turning sickeningly sweet as he answered.

"Yes, hello, Auntie and Uncle. We just finished dinner. Rui is settling in well; she’s actually taking a shower right now."

"We were discussing the betrothal gift earlier, and Rui mentioned that you were expecting eighty-eight thousand."

At the mention of the money, Phuong Van’s face darkened instantly.

"No, no... why would that be too much? Rui is worth every penny! It’s just that my family is in a bit of a tight spot, so we need to scrape the funds together, but rest assured, we will definitely have it ready for you!"

On the other end, my parents spoke at length, and Phuong Van nodded repeatedly like a puppet. I could only stare at the phone in utter despair, unable to utter a single plea.

"Don't worry, Auntie and Uncle. Rui says she wants to stay here for a few more days. It’s almost the Lunar New Year, and she insists on spending it with us. We’ll come to visit you right after the holiday."

I shook my head frantically, but it was useless. Phuong Van donned his mask of deceit once more, chatting with my parents with nauseating warmth before hanging up. As soon as the connection was severed, he kicked me hard in the ribs. "Your parents said they would provide a dowry of two hundred thousand! Why did you never mention that?" I could only groan in agony, staring at the devil in front of me.

"What? A two-hundred-thousand dowry?" Chau Dinh was the first to shriek in surprise.

The stifling atmosphere shifted in an instant. Phuong Van’s parents beamed with delight. "You should have told us sooner! This changes everything; we’re all happy now!" I bit my lip, unsure whether to feel fortunate or heartbroken. If it hadn't been for my being constantly silenced, I might never have seen the true face of this family. If I had only discovered their nature after the wedding, the tragedy would have been far worse. But... my ten years of devotion... ten years... and I still hadn't seen through Phuong Van. His eyes remained filled with resentment. "Only two hundred thousand? Don't your parents know we're poor? Why not add more? At the very least, they should be buying us a house or a car!"

"Rui, don't think that just because your parents are giving you a dowry, you’re something special. It’s just a transaction—the only difference is whether the merchandise is sold at a premium or a discount!"

"In reality, your parents probably see you as a bad investment!"

Phuong Van was the epitome of a hypocrite; when my family asked for the betrothal gift, he called it "selling a daughter," but the dowry was suddenly "not worth a cent," and he demanded even more. His parents nodded in agreement. "Well said, son!"

"Her parents clearly look down on us, tossing a little dowry like alms to a beggar!"

"Truly outrageous!"

"But for now, let’s keep her parents at ease. The priority is securing that dowry."

"And her..." Phuong Van’s parents studied me with calculating eyes, "If she can't conceive, she can forget about ever walking out of this house!"

They spoke as if I weren't even there.

"Hmph, it’s not even certain if she can conceive. It’s been years, and Phuong Van still hasn't gotten her pregnant."

"If that weren't the case, I would have forced him to bring her into this house long ago."

Their words left me stunned—what did they mean? Phuong Van’s gaze turned increasingly cold and malicious. "I’ve even tampered with the protection a few times, and still, nothing."

"I’m beginning to suspect she’s just a barren hen."

What?! Phuong Van, you... My ten years of feelings were truly fed to the dogs! Chau Dinh rolled her eyes and spoke slowly. "Sister-in-law, that two-hundred-thousand-dollar dowry is going to me!"

Phuong Cuong immediately bristled. "On what grounds? Are you looking for a beating?" Chau Dinh thrust her pregnant stomach forward, deliberately bumping into him. "Go ahead! Hit me! Is this the first time you've laid a hand on me?"

"You'd better be careful or you'll miscarry that brat!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Phuong Van’s mother barked, finally showing some interest in the child Chau Dinh carried.

No wonder Chau Dinh had been so hostile toward me from the start—she had already claimed everything in the Phuong household as her own. The mother shifted to a gentle, sugary tone. "Tinh, dear, it’s not easy carrying a child; you must be careful." Chau Dinh pouted. "I know full well how hard it was to conceive this."

"I’m telling you, that two-hundred-thousand dowry belongs to me."

"As for the betrothal gift, you all can find another way to handle it. If I don't get the dowry, don't expect this child to ever see the light of day."

"And when that happens, I’ll tell the baby that it was its own grandparents who didn't want it!"

Chau Dinh used her pregnancy as a weapon, completely oblivious to the fact that the rest of the Phuong family was beginning to glare at her with venomous intent. I was still sitting there, yet they were already carving up my dowry like spoils of war. Ironically, Chau Dinh treated me like an outsider, forgetting that she wasn't a member of the family either. We were never enemies. The mother nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, we agree, it's all yours." Chau Dinh pushed further. "As soon as the money arrives, it must be transferred directly into my account!" Phuong Cuong stayed silent, playing the part. But Phuong Van couldn't take it anymore. "On what grounds? That’s money my in-laws gave to me!" His father slammed his hand onto the table. "On what grounds? On the grounds that your wife is barren!"

"If your wife could produce a son, that money wouldn't be going to your sister-in-law!"

Phuong Van opened his mouth to argue, but the others silenced him. Unable to contain his rage, he kicked me one last time. "If it weren't for your inability to give us a child, that money wouldn't be falling into someone else's hands!" Two hundred thousand? In your dreams! None of you will get a single cent! I glanced at the clock, calculating the time—my parents would be arriving soon. At that very second, a rhythmic knocking echoed from the front door.