Chapter 6: Chapter 6: "Family
"Mom, I got the certificate. The dowry money will be transferred in the afternoon!"
She said what May Lawrence cared about the most, watching her breathe a sigh of relief, her heart ached like being pricked by needles.
"As long as you’re marrying someone you love, Mom is relieved. Sit down, and I’ll go serve the rice!"
Quentin Ford put down his chopsticks with a loud voice, "Getting a marriage certificate is such a big deal, why didn’t you bring your mom along? Now that you have the certificate, what if the Quinn Family changes their mind and doesn’t give the money?"
May Lawrence got a bit anxious hearing this.
"That’s right, Nora. You handled this wrong. You should have got the money first and then the certificate. You’ve messed up the order!"
Nora Northwood took a deep breath, about to explain, but Quentin Ford already stood up.
"May, come with me to the Quinn Family. Since you have the certificate, how can they delay the dowry? If they dare to give a penny less, there won’t be a wedding. I want to see if they have any shame left!"
Nora and Christian Quinn had been dating for three years, and they’d visited each other’s homes.
Quentin Ford was well aware of Christian Quinn’s background; otherwise, he wouldn’t have demanded a dowry of 188,000.
He was sure the Quinn Family could afford it.
May Lawrence always executed Quentin Ford’s decisions directly, immediately taking off her apron to head out.
Nora held her back, having been embarrassed enough today, and these two were rubbing salt into her wounds.
"Mom, Christian’s family won’t give the dowry. They said if I asked for it, they’d break up with me; so, I broke up with him!"
"What?"
Quentin Ford almost slapped across, luckily May held him back.
"What are you doing hitting the child? Let the child finish speaking, can’t you!"
"Let her speak! Such a good family background and she just gives it up? What about Spencer’s tuition, is it all in vain?"
May Lawrence’s eyes reddened in anger, full of complaints.
"Nora, what’s going on! Didn’t you just say you got the certificate? With whom? How much dowry did you get?"
Looking at these two blinded by money, their hideous faces, Nora found it ludicrous.
She quickly regained her calm, numb as if she were talking about someone else.
"I met him at a matchmaking; he was willing to give 188,000, so I agreed to marry him."
Sunlight poured through the window, yet she felt a chill rising from her feet. "I have work in the afternoon, so I’ll pack and move. Once the money’s in, I’ll transfer it to you right away!"
Quentin Ford slammed the table.
"No way, why wait till the afternoon? Call him now and make him transfer the dowry. If he disagrees, we’ll accuse him of marriage fraud!"
May Lawrence immediately echoed.
"Yes, Nora, how can you have the certificate and not the dowry? Call him quickly. You’re really impulsive, marrying through matchmaking. What if he turns out to be a fraud, wouldn’t it be a waste of time?"
Nora thought May would worry a bit about her marriage having just heard she had a flash marriage.
But all she cared about was exchanging her for the dowry.
She smirked self-mockingly.
"I don’t have his number, we’ll wait!"
She turned to the storage room, her only sanctuary in this house.
The door closed, yet the tiny space offered no sense of security.
Outside, Quentin Ford’s furious shouting, May Lawrence’s endless persuasion, occasionally accompanied by Spencer’s gaming background music, made it an exceptionally noisy scene.
Nora didn’t have much, a suitcase packed away over ten years of traces.
"Nora, it’s Mom. Open the door!"
It calmed down for a bit outside before May’s voice rang again.
Nora stayed silent momentarily but still opened the door.
May, with swollen eyes, looked at her, suddenly reaching out to hug her tightly.
"My poor Nora, it’s Mom’s fault for being useless, making you suffer along with me!"
She cried uncontrollably, and though Nora’s nose stung, no tears fell.
This wasn’t the first time May confessed. Whenever Spencer’s mistakes were blamed on her, Quentin would beat and scold her, after which May would come to hold her and sob apologetically.
Yet the next time she was beaten or scolded, May still turned a blind eye.
"Mom, I wasn’t lying. I really don’t have his number, but I do have his grandma’s. If the money isn’t in by afternoon, I’ll call. You can stop crying now."