The Stop-Loss Trigger of My Marriage

The moment my phone lit up, I was staring at the project settlement sheet on my computer. The bonus notification sound was more energizing than the sunshine outside. That money came from pulling three all-nighters on the project—every cent soaked in coffee. I didn't hesitate at all when I opened the shopping app. Those off-white high heels had been sitting in my wishlist for almost half a year. Thirty thousand—not a small sum, but totally worth the grind over the past six months. The second I hit order, I gave myself a thumbs-up in the mirror. When the shoes arrived, I put on a little makeup and spun around in the foyer wearing them. The soft lambskin hugged the top of my foot, making even walking feel like a treat. I snapped a photo of the toe soaking up sunlight, captioned it "treating myself," and posted it on my feed. Just as a few coworkers started dropping compliments in the comments, my phone buzzed with a message from Violet Quentin. She's my sister-in-law, Gabriel Quentin's younger sister. The messages came fast and furious, like a rapid-fire barrage. "Wendy, are you nuts? Thirty thousand on a pair of shoes?" "My brother hands you his whole paycheck every month, and you just spend it like that?" "Our family's still trying to save up for my dowry, and you're just out here living it up for yourself!" I frowned as I typed back, "This is my own project bonus, didn't spend a dime of Gabriel's money." She shot back immediately, her tone even sharper: "You married my brother—your money is our family's money!" Right in the middle of the argument, Gabriel Quentin pushed the door open and came in. He had just taken off his coat when Violet Quentin's call came through. I heard him responding with "uh-huh" and "ah," his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. After hanging up, he turned to look at me, his tone clearly annoyed. "Wendy, Violet's got a point—thirty thousand on shoes is just wasteful." The cup in my hand wobbled, water splashing onto the web between my thumb and index finger, stinging a bit. "This is my bonus, Gabriel." I looked him in the eyes, saying each word slowly and clearly. "I know it's your money, but we've got to be frugal day to day." He came over, trying to take my hand. "The family's been hustling to get Violet's dowry ready—it's money everywhere." "Dowry?" I stepped back, dodging his touch. "Her dowry—why should I scrimp and save to cover it?" Just then, my mother-in-law came out of the kitchen with a plate of fruit. Hearing us argue, she jumped right in. "Wendy, you're part of this family now. You have to put the family first." She set the fruit down on the coffee table, her tone sharp with the weight of being an elder. "Violet's Gabriel's only sister. As his wife, it's only right you show some patience." "What am I supposed to put up with?" I couldn't help but raise my voice, "I bought these shoes with money I earned myself—how does that mean I don't care about the family?" Gabriel Quentin's face darkened. "Can you stop being so petty? Violet's getting married, and as her brother, I'm giving her a five million dowry. What's the problem?" "Five million?" It felt like a bucket of cold water dumped all over me—my whole body went cold. "Gabriel, when did you agree to give her five million?" We've been married three years, and our finances have always been separate. He never once brought up that amount to me. "I promised a long time ago. This is our family business; no need to explain everything to you." His tone was casual, like he was talking about something trivial.