No More Bloodsuckers

At the dinner table, I informed my husband's family about the personnel changes at my company.

"I got promoted, but there's a change to my workplace. The new location is an hour's drive from home. Philip, I need to take back the car you're using."

I brought with me two cars as part of my dowry. Since my workplace was close by, I rarely needed them. Hence, my husband and father-in-law, Steven Green and Philip Green, had been using them.

Philip was momentarily stunned before shaking his head. "That won't do. How am I supposed to get to work without a car?"

"Philip, your office is only slightly over a mile from home, and there's a bus that reaches there directly. It's really convenient."

"Nonsense! I'm a department head. You expect me to take the bus to work? That'd be humiliating!"

I couldn't help but scoff. "Didn't you take the bus to work before I married into the family?"

It was easy going from a frugal lifestyle to luxury, but the other way around was a different story. Philip used to take the bus every day. But after I married into this family, he started driving a luxury car, enjoying the envious gaze of his colleagues.

Now, he was too proud to give up that sense of superiority.

"That was then. Now I'm older and can't handle bad weather. I need to drive to work."

Fine. I decided to turn to my husband instead.

"What do you think?"

Steven lowered his head, avoiding my gaze. "I'll buy you an electric scooter."

I was flabbergasted. "You want me to ride an electric scooter for 25 miles every day? In the wind and rain?"

Seeing that Steven wasn't standing up for me, Philip became even more emboldened. "What's wrong with an electric scooter? I think it's great. It's easy to find parking, and you won't be stuck in traffic."

"Then why don't you ride one?" I retorted.

Steven suddenly yelled at me. "Laura White! What's with your attitude? How can you talk to my dad like that?"

I shot back, "It's my car. Don't I have the right to take it back?"

Philip's face turned red as he shouted even louder, "What's with this 'yours' or 'mine' talk? You married into this family, so everything you brought along belongs to the Greens!"

I stared at him, completely stunned by his audacity.

My husband's family wasn't well-off, so my parents had given me two cars, an apartment, and five million in cash as dowry to ensure I had a comfortable life.

But not even a year into the marriage, they were already scheming to take it all from me!

Furious, I snapped, "You want the car? Fine. It was purchased for 1.6 million. I'll cover the depreciation, so give me 1.2 million, and I'll transfer the ownership to you right away!"

Philip slammed the table. "Who do you think you are? Why should I pay to use my family's car?"

"The car is registered under my name."

"So what? No matter whose name is on it, it belongs to my family! I'm the head of this household. Why shouldn't I be allowed to use the car?"

Steven chimed in, backing him up. "Dad's right. He's the head of the family. Why shouldn't he use the car? Laura, honestly, you're being too arrogant."

"I'm arrogant?"

"Not just that. You're vain too! Why didn't I realize how vain you were in the past? What's wrong with riding an electric scooter to work?"

"If that's the case, give me your car."

Philip immediately stopped him. "Steven! You can't give it to her. If you give in this time, she'll keep trying to walk all over you!"

I stared directly into Steven's eyes. "Are you giving it to me or not?"

"Dad's right. You married into this family, so your dowry belongs to us. Good things should go to the men first. Don't you understand tradition?"