Semua Bab My Martyr Complex Met an Overpowered Daughter‑in‑Law: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Calvin Hearth sat across from me in the cafe, looking troubled. "I'm sorry, Ms. Sheraton. I booked this cafe last minute. I hope you don't mind that it's a little basic," he said.I glanced around before replying, "At least you're aware that it's mediocre."My previous blind date had immediately pulled a long face when he heard me say that. He'd even insisted on splitting the bill.But to my surprise, Calvin's eyes lit up, as if he were happy. "I'll cut to the chase, Ms. Sheraton. I've heard about your situation from the matchmaker, and I think you fit exactly what I'm looking for. Would you be willing to come home with me for New Year's to meet my parents?"I felt like things were progressing too quickly, so I turned him down without hesitation.Calvin's expression faltered, then he gave a wry smile. "I'll be honest with you. Even though I run my own company and make millions a year, my mom is driving me up the wall. I really need someone like you to keep her in check."He man

It was soon dinnertime.Calvin quietly reminded me to only eat the vegetables and avoid everything else.As I sat at the dining table, I thought the holiday feast actually looked decent. But I noticed a major problem upon closer inspection.Right in the center of the table sat a massive seafood platter with a whole lobster on display. However, the shell had turned dull and grayish, and the meat looked soft and watery. It was obvious it had gone bad.Several other dishes looked just as questionable. They seemed to have been reheated so many times that they'd turned into soggy, unrecognizable paste. There was no telling how many days those leftovers had been sitting around.The holiday ham, usually the centerpiece of a festive dinner, was already carved down to the bone. There was barely any meat left on it. I had no idea why it was even on the table.Perhaps Mrs. Hearth already realized that I wasn't easy to push around. She spun the lazy Susan and moved all the meat dishes in fro

I didn't want Calvin to drive when he was all worked up, so we swapped seats earlier. I gripped the steering wheel and stayed silent.After a while, I said, "You should calm down for now. This isn't your fault. Even if you'd gone with her today and stopped her from falling, she'd eventually end up in the hospital after eating some moldy leftovers again."Unless you're planning to stay by her side 24/7, the same thing is going to keep happening. Also, I'm fine with calling off our deal, but you'll still have to pay me."Calvin chugged a big bottle of water and finally calmed down. "You're right. We shouldn't call it off. Let's just get to the hospital and see how she's doing."…We arrived at the hospital soon. A nurse explained that Mrs. Hearth had fallen halfway up the trail. Luckily, a passerby had spotted her and brought her to the hospital.After a checkup, it turned out she'd broken a bone in her lower leg and would need surgery."You need to settle the payment before we ca

A few days back, when Calvin and I were paying the hospital bills, we noticed some strange charges on Mrs. Hearth's bank card. Some were just a few dollars, while others were tens of thousands.After checking with the bank, Calvin discovered that her card had somehow been added to his uncle's mobile payment apps. His entire family had been using it to pay for almost everything.That meant Mrs. Hearth hadn't been spending any of the money Calvin had been sending her every month. Instead, it had been going toward supporting his uncle's family.When Calvin asked her about it, she was completely unaware of what was going on. Mrs. Hearth vaguely remembered her younger brother visiting one day. He'd fiddled with her phone and asked her to scan her face. He told her it was just to sign her up for some membership program.There had been no news about it after that.Mrs. Hearth was too frugal to even use the money. She'd kept the bank card wrapped in a cloth pouch and kept it on her at a

From what I'd observed, I also realized that Mrs. Hearth's extreme frugality probably had a lot to do with George.When she was growing up in the village, her family strongly favored George. Anything good automatically went to him first.She had to live like that for over a decade. Habits like that wouldn't disappear overnight.On top of that, she wasn't very educated and still struggled to use a smartphone. Calvin was often busy with work and didn't spend much time with her.As such, even though their financial situation had improved, Mrs. Hearth's way of thinking never really changed.George clearly knew that. He constantly put her down, telling her that she was from the village and was uneducated and that spending money on nice things was a waste on someone like her.Over time, Mrs. Hearth started believing it. Her low self-esteem made her think that she didn't deserve nice things.But today, she'd taken her first step in standing up to George and refused his unreasonable dem