Chapter 6: What Is Marriage?
1045 Words
What Is Marriage?
A gateway to happiness? A grave for love? Or the best way to accumulate wealth?
If you ask Catherine Shang, her answer would undoubtedly be the latter!
Yes! Her mother used this method to rise from a simple, impoverished village woman to a lady of high society.
Her mother had been married four times, having a daughter in each marriage. Catherine’s father was her mother’s first husband, and also the poorest one.
Since she could remember, Catherine Shang had changed her surname three times, which made her indifferent to her last name, as if it were a sticky note that could be peeled off and discarded at any time.
If you asked her if she ever longed for love and marriage, she would shake her head without hesitation.
It’s impossible for her to say she wasn’t influenced by her mother. She neither believed in love nor marriage. She didn’t want to be like her mother, selling her love and marriage in exchange for material comforts.
Wealth doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. Besides, she has two hands and a decent brain. She believes her happiness can be earned through her own efforts, not handed to her by a man.
What is marriage?
A legitimate way to satisfy needs? A necessary process to carry on the family line? A transaction of shared interests? Or... a rash decision made under the influence of adrenaline and a lapse in judgment?
If you ask Ryan Long, his answer would undoubtedly be the latter.
For a successful and exceptional heir to an empire, he never lacked female companionship. He could create wealth with his own hands, and if he wanted a child of his own, it certainly didn’t have to be through the institution of marriage.
So, if one day he ever decided to get married, it would likely be a sign that he had lost his mind and should seek medical attention.
If you asked him if he ever longed for love, he would scoff.
Do men really need love? Love is merely a beautiful dream crafted to woo women not yet in their grasp.
And Ryan? He had never bothered with such things.
Money and power are the ultimate aphrodisiacs in the world of men and women.
A few days ago...
Catherine Shang had just walked through the door, dragging her large suitcase behind her, when she noticed that the rest of the family had gathered in the living room, as if preparing for a family meeting.
“Catherine, come here! We’ve been waiting for you,” her mother called, turning her head.
Her three younger sisters echoed in unison.
“Big Sis, hurry up, we’ve been waiting for you,” called Emily Shang, the second eldest.
“By the way, Big Sis, did you bring any gifts from the UK?” asked Lily Shang, the third sister, who ran over and eagerly took hold of Catherine’s suitcase.
“Hey, don’t be so greedy, Lily! Anything I want, you’re not allowed to take,” the youngest, Sophia Shang, dashed over and flung herself onto the suitcase with a loud thud, sprawling across it.
“Mom, look at her!” Lily stomped her foot in frustration, unable to win against Sophia.
“Lily, why are you fighting with your little sister? Can’t you let her have something for once?” Diana Wang scolded, siding with the youngest without hesitation.
This was her family. A family that always valued money over emotions, and didn’t care about the means to an end.
Catherine Shang was the odd one out in this household because she had never learned those traits.
So, growing up, whenever she was at home, she could only be the obedient child—listening, not resisting, and, as her mother would say, setting a good example for her younger sisters.
Though Uncle Shang wasn’t her biological father, he had supported her for several years, covering her living and education expenses. As for her three younger sisters, even though they had different fathers, they shared the same mother, making them family that she couldn’t easily abandon. So she allowed them to take whatever they wanted.
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Catherine glanced at the scene before her and sighed inwardly.
“Actually, aside from some books, there’s nothing in my suitcase.”
How could she have had the extra money to buy gifts? The only reason she was able to study abroad was because of a scholarship. For the past few years, she had paid for her tuition and living expenses in the UK through part-time jobs.
Out of sheer pride, she hadn’t spent a penny from home—not a single cent of Sophia’s father’s money.
“What? You didn’t bring anything?” Sophia immediately pouted in displeasure.
“No worries, Sophia. I’ll take you to the department store later, and you can buy whatever you like,” Diana Wang quickly reassured her.
“Mom, I want to go too,” Lily protested, moving closer.
“You spoiled brat, what do you mean ‘you want to go too’?” Diana Wang scolded loudly.
Feeling wronged, Lily plopped onto the sofa with a huff.
Catherine Shang watched them silently, unsure whether she felt more disgusted or sorrowful.
During her three years abroad, though life had been hard, she had at least escaped these recurring, shallow family scenes.
“Alright, have you all had enough? Mom, don’t forget the real reason you wanted Big Sis to come home,” Emily finally spoke up after standing quietly by the side.
As soon as Emily spoke, Diana Wang seemed to wake from a dream. Smiling warmly, she turned to Catherine Shang.
“Catherine, darling, here’s the thing...” For the first time in ages, she took the initiative to hold Catherine’s hand, her eyes signaling something to her other three daughters.
Immediately, the three sisters bustled about—one poured tea, another fetched slippers, and the third adjusted the cushions.
Watching her three younger sisters rush to serve her, combined with her mother’s sudden warmth as she held her hand, Catherine Shang felt deeply unsettled.
Her instincts told her something big was about to happen!
Sure enough, before Catherine could even sit down properly, Diana Wang began to speak...
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