Chapter 304 Betrothal Gift
“Wasn’t there a traffic jam when your mom was on the way? That must be why she’s late. Michael told us about it just now.”
My mother’s attention was fixated on Josephine at this particular moment, but she still had not realized Josephine was doing it on purpose. Instead, she took her time and explained everything to the woman.
I felt anxious in my heart. Josephine’s first words had given me the impression that things were not going to go well today. I immediately looked toward Michael when I felt worried and noticed he was wearing a sullen expression on his face.
Just then, Josephine tidied her hair and replied in a sarcastic tone, “What traffic? That was just an excuse Michael made up for me. I was setting up a spa appointment with a friend and completely forgot about the meeting today.”
At that moment, even if my mother was oblivious, she could still see that Josephine had no regard for us at all, and her expression turned grim immediately.
When Michael, who was sitting next to Josephine, noticed the tension in the air, his expression darkened as well. “Mom, watch your attitude!” he reminded his mother in a hushed tone while looking at her with a gloomy gaze.
Although Josephine was not fond of me, she still had to show Michael some respect. Despite the dissatisfaction in her eyes when she looked at me, she said nothing in the end.
“You’ve been waiting for a while, Mom and Dad. Please help yourself to some water.”
Because I did not want the atmosphere to turn sour, I did my best to ease the tension between our families, hoping to keep them from causing any more commotion.
At the same time, the waitress began serving the dishes as well, which helped to reduce the awkwardness in the air.
“Mrs. Shaw, given how late it is, you must be hungry as well. Let’s eat first.”
When Michael noticed that Josephine did not respond, his gaze shifted to my parents.
“Sure, sure.”
My parents had spent their entire lives in the countryside and had never dined in such a fancy hotel. They could not help but get excited when they saw the scrumptious dishes being placed on the dining table. Moreover, they had poor table manners as well.
Seeing this, I was left speechless and felt a little embarrassed by their gawking. If Michael was the only one here, I might not be that embarrassed. After all, he was aware of my family’s predicament. However, Josephine was present at the scene as well. She was already bothered by the lifestyle and status differences between me and Michael. Her already bad impression of me was bound to be worsened by my parents’ behaviors.
Sure enough, she had a contemptuous look on her face when she noticed my parents’ poor table manners. There was a hint of disdain in her eyes, and I felt uncomfortable when I saw the way she looked at my parents.
“Have you two been living in the countryside all this while? Judging by the way you’re eating, it seems like…”
I could not tell if Josephine was trying to humiliate my parents or if she had had enough of them. Even though she did not finish her sentence, I could already tell what she was trying to say.
My expression was sour when I turned to look at Josephine. At that moment, my parents were the only ones who had yet to react to the situation.
“Mom, you should leave for your spa appointment if you have nothing nice to say.”
It was evident that Michael was enraged as he cast a stern gaze at his mother. Josephine was about to say something but stopped herself upon Michael’s warning. Clearly, she was furious too.
When my parents noticed Josephine’s hesitance after being warned by Michael, they realized he was the one who had the final say in most matters.
My mother then cleared her throat, shifted her gaze to Michael, and prepared to say something. However, for some reason, a sense of uneasiness arose in me.
Sure enough, what my mother said next had confirmed my conjecture.
“Michael, your wedding with Anna is just around the corner. Shouldn’t there be some things that are held in our tradition?”
My mother’s tone was casual, but the excitement in her eyes gave me an idea about what she was going to say next.
Nervous, I clenched my fists and quickly interrupted her, “Mom, it’s our first meeting today. Why don’t we talk about traditions some other time?”
I knew what my mother was going to say next, had I not stopped her. Knowing my mother’s temperament, she would not be satisfied with just a betrothal gift.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Garcia. Just state your request if you have one. Me and Anna’s wedding is just around the corner. It will be too late if you tell me about it next time.”
I tried my best to deter from the topic, but Michael was oblivious to the nervousness in my tone. Although he and my mother shared some unpleasant interactions in the past, I was going to be married to him. Since my parents were about to become his in-laws, he was naturally more polite toward them.
“Sure! Since you’re insisting, I might as well tell you.”
My mother gave me a disapproving look, and I could tell she was blaming me for not allowing her to speak. At that point, my nerves got the better of me, and I could not utter a word. Furthermore, Michael had allowed my mother to express her wishes, so it would be inappropriate for me to stop her again.
“I’m not sure if this is a tradition in your city. In the countryside, whenever a woman marries, the man is expected to give a betrothal gift.”
As soon as she finished her words, my mother shifted her gaze toward Michael’s face and scrutinized his expression. However, Michael’s face revealed nothing as he remained deadpanned. On the contrary, Josephine furrowed her brows, as if dissatisfied with my mom’s request.
“Mrs. Garcia, how much would you like?”
Michael’s face remained calm and expressionless. I could not tell what he was thinking at the moment.
A betrothal gift of thirty to fifty thousand was nothing to a person of Michael’s status. However, I was concerned that my parents would use this opportunity to demand an outrageous sum.
When she heard Michael’s response, my mother’s face immediately lit up. She then excitedly held up two fingers toward Michael.
“Twenty thousand?”
Josephine was unfazed when she saw my mother extend two fingers. After all, twenty thousand was just pocket money for their family.
A frown formed on my mother’s face as she shook her head in dismissal of Josephine’s guess. “Obviously not. How can it be a mere twenty thousand?”
“Two hundred thousand?” Josephine furrowed her brows as she spoke. Despite believing I was not worth that sum of money, she did not say much.
On the other hand, Michael remained expressionless the entire time, as if he did not care about how much she was going to request.
As I watched the situation unfold, I could not help but frown as I turned to look at my mother. Even in the countryside, a betrothal gift of that amount was extremely outrageous. No one in their right mind would spend that much money on a betrothal gift.
Although my parents were greedy and asked for two hundred thousand, I did not think it was utterly ridiculous.
However, her next words caused my eyes to widen in disbelief. “It’s two million. Not two hundred thousand.”
My mother wore a slight smile on her face as she uttered those shocking words.
