Chapter 4
Back in my previous life, I was terrified my children would get taken for a ride in their relationships, so I had people thoroughly investigate their partners' backgrounds.
Eric's family was tucked away in a poor mountain village. He had four older sisters and was the only one in the whole village who ever made it to college.
He went to the same college as Isabelle, and after graduation, he landed a dead-end clerk job at a struggling state-owned company, earning just 3,000 dollars a month.
I came from humble beginnings myself and built my success from scratch, so I never cared much about someone's family background. But Eric's family was seriously old-fashioned. His family was hardcore about favoring sons over daughters.
On top of that, I kept a close eye on Isabelle's expenses ever since she started dating him. She paid for everything, while Eric, who lived off scholarships every year, suddenly started dressing head to toe in designer brands.
He shamelessly enjoyed all the material things Isabelle gave him, never once treating her better in return. Instead, he kept emotionally manipulating her, even making her wash his underwear and dirty socks.
I honestly wondered if he'd put some kind of hex on Isabelle. I ordered her to break up with him again and again, and she'd always promise she would, but behind my back, she just kept sneaking around with him.
And then my clueless son, Charles. He met Jessica at a nightclub, where she worked as a hostess to pay for her dad's kidney transplant. Charles was instantly bewitched by her so-called "kindness" and "resilience".
Maybe it was just hardwired into men that they all seemed to have this urge to play hero and save a woman with a troubled past.
After Jessica managed to get him into bed and he found out she was a "virgin", Charles was completely under her spell.
Even when I threw the evidence right in his face, showing Jessica had a string of sketchy relationships and was basically an escort with a regular sugar daddy, he flat-out refused to believe it.
He just kept telling me she was super popular with guys, but insisted she was a saintly little angel.
He even lashed out at me, saying I was just looking down on people because I had a bit of cash.
In my last life, I was a good mom. I'd never stand by and watch the children I raised get their lives ruined by marriage, so I cut them off financially, hoping they'd come to their senses. But they actually toughed it out for a while, refusing to cave.
In the end, I brought in the lawyers and told them if they didn't break up for good, I'd cut them off completely, and every last cent would go to charity in the mountains.
When they saw I really meant business, they reluctantly and heartbreakingly cut off their relationships.
Little did I know, that would turn out to be the curse that doomed me.
The next day at noon, I arrived right on schedule to meet Jessica's family, all sitting there with their frosty faces on, ready to discuss the wedding arrangements.
As soon as I stepped into the private room, I pulled out a bag and handed it to Jessica. "Jessie, here's the gift I promised yesterday. With all the stores closed for the holiday, I picked out a classic rare-leather bag I've only carried once. Hope you don't mind."
Jessie was absolutely thrilled, clutching the bag like it was treasure, but she was dying to grin and still kept up her act of modesty.
Honestly, all the trouble I put my secretary through to arrange that secondhand, high-quality Hermès knockoff yesterday couldn't have been more satisfying.
Jessica's mom gave a stiff nod, then jumped right in with her family's demands.
"Mrs. Chapman, Jessie has never dated anyone before. Your son is her first man. The wedding house and car both need to be in her name. For the house, we want a fully paid villa in the city center. As for the car, nothing too flashy, just something over 500,000 dollars will do.
"Oh, and the wedding gift? Not much. Just two luxury apartments in the same downtown complex. One in her brother's name, one in ours. Plus 3 million dollars in cash."
I almost flipped the table. Seriously? She was asking for nearly a million, and calls that "not much"?
She was treating me like an ATM, ready to milk me for every last cent.
Seeing me keep quiet, Charles nudged me, "Mom, just say yes. It's not a big deal. If we get moving, we can have the wedding next month."
I set down my cup and smiled, "Of course, we will make their wedding decent. That's all fine by me. What are your wedding gifts for them?"
Jessie's mom puffed up with pride. "Jessie's been a beauty since she was little. She's never had a shortage of guys chasing her. We don't need to give her anything to land a good marriage. But we do love our daughter, so of course, we'll give her ten sets of bedding."
Charles got flustered. "Mom, we don't lack money. We don't need anything from them. Don't make things hard for them. Jessie's dad just had a kidney transplant, and her brother's getting married soon. They've got a lot of expenses. Their family's really struggling right now."
I shot a look at Jessica's parents, dripping in gold and silver. Struggling my ass. I bet my gullible son had been funding them for ages.
"Exactly. Once they're married, all that Chapman family fortune will be theirs anyway. Jessie's the one who's going to carry on the Chapman bloodline. What's a little money compared to that?" Jessie's brother chimed in.
"Alright, let's do it your way. Money's no problem, but the house needs to be just right. Why don't you guys take some time to check out different neighborhoods and see which one you like best?" I said.
The Lowes' eyes lit up. They never expected me to be so easygoing. They started buzzing about house hunting, and before I knew it, they'd decided to start looking that very day.
I made up an excuse about not feeling well, and Jessica told me to go home and rest. They could handle the house hunting themselves.
But just as I walked through the door, I got another shock.