Chapter 1

My girlfriend's mother had agreed to our engagement. She wanted me to bring my mom on the day of her birthday to talk through the wedding details.

I drove back to my hometown that same day to tell her, and she cried from happiness.

So the future in-laws wouldn't look down on me, my mother spent every cent of her savings on the traditional gold jewelry, then dug out the old trunk from the bottom of the closet and took out a qipao that would never go out of style.

It was a gift from her own mother, something she'd always kept hidden away like a treasure.

But when we reached my girlfriend's house, her childhood friend stopped us and suggested my mother touch up her makeup before going in. After all, the Hardings cared a great deal about appearances.

I wanted to go with her, but he told me to head inside and wait.

I never imagined that after her makeup was done, she'd be led straight in front of my girlfriend's mother.

The room erupted into laughter. "Who is this woman? She dares walk into Marina Harding's birthday party in corpse makeup? Isn't that cursing the host?"

"She's clearly here to put a hex on someone. What a bad omen."

My girlfriend's mother was furious. She snatched up a teacup and hurled it into my mother's face.

"How dare you! Where did this piece of trash come from, showing up in corpse makeup to curse me?"

"Security, drag her out of here!"

……

1

"No!"

"I'm not here to cause trouble. I came to the Hardings to talk about a wedding."

The moment my mother said it, Marina Harding's already furious eyes darkened further.

She looked my mother over like a hunting cat sizing up prey.

Just then, Sarah Harding walked over in a red gown.

"What's going on?"

At the familiar voice, my mother turned like she'd caught hold of a lifeline, and looked at Sarah with desperate relief.

"Sarah!"

"You shut your mouth!"

Marina snapped at my mother, beside herself.

"Who do you think you are, calling my daughter by her first name?"

My mother glanced at Marina, then at Sarah, at a loss.

Only then did she understand that the elegant, high-and-mighty woman was Sarah's mother.

She looked down at her own plain clothes and forced an awkward, apologetic smile.

Sarah, meanwhile, was stunned by my mother's makeup.

Today wasn't only about the two families discussing the wedding. It was her mother's birthday party too.

So what was she doing here in makeup that carried such bad luck?

Was it disrespect, or was she trying to bring a curse down on them? Even the guests couldn't stomach it, ducking their heads to mock her and murmuring about who on earth she was.

Afraid my mother would shame the Harding name, Marina denied any in-law relationship between them.

"Get out of here, now. Don't dirty my floor."

"I'll have to bring in a master afterward to cleanse the place. You jinx, you've cursed me into a headache."

Marina frowned and pressed a hand to her forehead, and Sarah rushed over in a panic to steady her.

"Mommy, are you all right?"

"All right? How could I possibly be all right?"

"She knows perfectly well tonight is my birthday party, and she comes in corpse makeup to curse me."

Sarah's brow furrowed at once, and she fixed my mother with a displeased stare.

My mother lifted a hand and touched her own face.

"I didn't put on unlucky makeup to curse you! I would never do that."

"I didn't. I really didn't."

"A man kindly helped me fix my makeup—"

"What? Did you all just hear her call Marina her in-law?"

"We heard it. She said in-law, all right."

"Could it be that—"

"No!" Marina straightened and looked down at my mother with pure contempt.

"The Hardings are people of standing. Why would we ever marry into a family of penniless nobodies?"

Because of the makeup, Sarah just stood there, her displeasure plain on her face, and did nothing to step in for her.

My mother stood there, lost, taking in the laughter thrown at her from every side.