Chapter 293

Chapter 293 Betrothal Gift

“Thank you, Anna.”

Upon seeing that I had agreed, Steven regarded me in surprise and thanked me for the very first time.

“Anna, you and Michael are going to be married soon, and a betrothal gift is customary in our village. Have you discussed this with him?”

The atmosphere had eased. However, the attention landed on Michael and me when my mother brought up the matter of money.

According to the wedding traditions in our village, the groom had to give a betrothal gift. I didn’t want things to be so traditional between Michael and me. After all, we were together because we loved each other, and it had nothing to do with a dowry.

My brows furrowed slightly, but I didn’t respond to my mother’s question. In truth, I said nothing to Michael since I had no desire to receive one.

Naturally, he could fork out tens of thousands, considering his status. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I’m selling myself off if I were to ask him for a betrothal gift. And I didn’t like that feeling.

My mother knew from my silence that I hadn’t said a single word to Michael about the matter. All at once, she grew chagrined.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never brought that up with him? A betrothal gift from the groom is customary in our village, so you can’t disregard the tradition.”

While saying that, her voice sounded a tad urgent, and the look in her eyes was anxious as she stared at me.

“Mom, is it important? Michael and I love each other. The wedding will proceed with or without the betrothal gift.”

Despite my mom’s determination to have her way, I just couldn’t bring myself to agree to her demand. Michael had already spent hundreds of thousands on my family, which was several times the amount of a betrothal gift.

“So, you don’t plan on making him pay, huh? You haven’t even married him, yet you’re scrimping on his behalf. Have you forgotten the hardships your father and I faced to raise you? It’s only right for Michael to show his appreciation.”

My mother was obviously irked and she wasn’t mincing her words.

Every time she spoke in such a manner, I found her unreasonable. Even now, I felt rather irritated, for I loathed how money-minded she was.

“Mom-”

“I don’t care! If you want to marry Michael, a betrothal gift is indispensable. Besides, parents from both parties should at least meet before the ceremony, no? You failed to observe the basic courtesy.”

I initially wanted to argue, but my mother gave me no opportunity to say a single word. She would cut me off unceremoniously whenever I was about to speak.

Only then did I realize her motive for calling me home that night was to talk about the wedding.

The lack of genuine concern from my own mother hit me even though I had long since grown accustomed to it.

Mom is right about one thing. Michael and I are getting married. He should meet my parents regardless of the gap in our statuses.

“How about this, Mom? I’ll arrange for Michael to meet you both in a few days when he’s not so busy with work.”

I finally relented at my mother’s perpetual wrath and concurred to have Michael meet them. Nonetheless, I would never agree to a dowry.

“I don’t trust you. Give me Michael’s number, and I’ll phone him myself.”

I had already acceded, but she was persistent about the matter, worried that I was merely brushing her off.

“Mom, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

She left a bad impression on him back then. I’m truly worried that he’ll immediately rebuff her when she expresses her wish to meet him. After all, there’s nothing he won’t do.

“Are you still my daughter, Anna Garcia? I want to meet my future son-in-law, yet I’ve got to adhere to your arrangement and wait until you’ve set a date? I’m your mother and his future mother-in-law, you know?”

My mother shot to her feet and glared at me furiously.

I couldn’t bring myself to aggravate her further. In the end, I capitulated and scrolled through my contacts for Michael’s number.

Satisfied, she took my phone and entered Michael’s number into her contacts.

A wave of regret washed over me. Maybe I shouldn’t have given in just now. If Mom calls him every other day, he’ll certainly be annoyed. Then, a conflict might break out between the two of us.

There was nothing much to say once I knew my mom’s motive. Soon, I left.

It wasn’t that late, and I wasn’t in a hurry to go home. I wandered on the streets because Michael was definitely still out at this hour.

After all, he would ring me up right away if he didn’t see me when he returned home.

As I walked aimlessly, I caught sight of a familiar car parked at the entrance of a high-end restaurant. The two people who subsequently alighted had my eyes almost instantly popping out of my head.

When Michael and Emma appeared in my line of sight in concert, my heart ached badly.

Michael walked ahead toward the restaurant while Emma followed behind him. She quickly caught up to him and took his arm.

Agony welled in me as though someone had stabbed me in the heart. My legs felt as though they were shackled to the ground, and I couldn’t move a single step.

I wanted to rush forward to confront Michael about being with Emma at such an hour and having dinner together when they had already broken up.

Countless questions and stark panic assailed me in a flurry. Clutching my throbbing head with both hands, I couldn’t make sense of what was going on.

I was a relatively sensitive person. Seeing Michael and Emma together brought me tremendous distress.

I stood by the curb for eons and merely stared at the entrance of the restaurant. I didn’t leave, nor did I enter the premises to see what they were doing.

Like a fool, I waited for them to come out.

As I stood there, every single second was torture for me. My imagination went wild with speculations about their relationship then. He detests her, but he’s having dinner with her late at night. They even came in the same car!