Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
My whole immediate family sits around the table as we open the gifts the newlyweds received earlier today.
"Amir and Sadia gave 200 dollars. Thank you." Layla says, opening the envelopes.
I stare at my nails nervousness running through my body at what the Russos might gift them.
"Inaya gave-. A used Visa gift card. Thanks, Aya." I grin sheepishly at my present. It is not mandatory to gift them anything because I am unmarried. They should be grateful.
"I wanted to buy a pretty dress," I say and my siblings laugh.
Hamza goes through the presents but I tune out his voice. My trance breaks when I hear Leo's name.
"Angelo's brother Leonardo gave...a check for 20 million dollars. Oh my God. Inaya?!" Layla says and my eyes widen.
"Holy shit, we're rich," Hamza says staring at the check. No way.
"No Hamza. We're obviously going to return it. This has to be a typo. There's no way he's gifting 20 million dollars just for a wedding." Layla tells her husband.
"Okay, okay. Let me open the rest of the family's." Hamza grabs another envelope and I seem to have forgotten how to breathe.
"Franco Russo. 16 million dollars?!" Hamza gasps and I groan. The Russos are going to be the death of me.
"Marcello Russo. 15 million dollars?!"
"Rocco Russo. 13 million dollars?!"
"Donatello Russo. 12 million dollars?!"
"Antonio Russo. 10 million dollars?!"
"Chasity Russo. 50 million dollars?! What the hell?" My brother says, confusion on his face. Chasity, my chasity. What the absolute Jahanam?!
The last one is Angelo's and I let out a breath knowing that I explicitly told my future husband to not gift Hamza an unreasonable sum of money.
"Okay, lastly, Inaya's man. Angelo Russo..." I play with my fingers fear of what the number will be.
Hamza stares at the check before wiping his glasses. "Oh, my God." He says which does not help my nerves at all. "Angelo gave 100 million dollars." My eyes pop out of its socket as I hear the number. Why didn't Angelo didn't listen to me? He said 10 million and I said no, so he gave 100 million instead?!
"That's 236 million dollars just from the Russo siblings," Amir says and my heart stops. Of course, I want Hamza to be rich but this is not how I want him to go about it. I do not want it to feel like my family and I are using the Russo for their money handouts and I don't want my family to rely on them for money because that is not how life works. I want my family to like my future in-laws for who they are, not for their money.
"We can't accept these checks. Inaya, you take it." My sister-in-law throws the checks at me and I scoot my chair back.
"No, I don't want it!"
"You should return it to the Russos. We're not accepting this much money. It's unethical." Layla says but I know Hamza disagrees with her. He is money hungry.
"Let me call them while you open the rest." I excuse myself from the table as I dial Angelo's number.
He is in trouble.
Angelo answers on the first ring but I do not let the fact that he always accepts my calls quickly get to me. I am mad at him.
"Hi, my love." I hear his voice and I groan. He is so nice.
"I am upset with you," I say, shortly.
"I am very sorry, darling. What did I do wrong? Let me fix it, please." Angelo says. He is so perfect. My future husband is unreal.
"You gifted my brother 100 million dollars for his wedding?" I ask, trying to remain calm. My family has never seen that much money in their life. It is a nice gesture but it won't be good in the long run. Especially for his relationship with my family.
"I did?" He asks and I can hear the surprised tone in his voice.
"What do you mean "I did?" You didn't know?" I ask, confusion waving over me.
"I remember writing him a check for 100 thousand dollars. There should be five zeros on the check." I look down and count.
"Angelo, there are eight zeros on the check," I tell him and I can hear him hum in realization.
"Oh okay. I must have been multi-tasking while writing it out. It is all well. I hope they enjoy their present. I am glad we got this all figured out." My mouth drops.
"We did not get this all figured out, Angelo. Your whole family combined gifted 236 million dollars."
"Oh, that is alright. I doubt they mind either." He says and I groan at his sudden naïveté.
"Angelo, we can not accept the checks. I will return it tomorrow. Okay?"
"But why not, my love? It is not like we need the money. Even without the 236 million dollars, we are still multi-billionaires." He tries to understand where I am coming from but fails terribly.
"Angelo, you don't understand. Your family gifting this much money will make my family see you all as an ATM. They will start to become entitled. I would never want them to like my husband and his family only for their money. I want them to like you all for your amazing personalities, just as how I did." I explain and my future husband finally understands.
"I am assuming if we do not take the money back, you will be angry at me?" He asks.
"A little," I reply honestly and I hear him sigh.
"Understandable. I am sorry for causing you stress, my darling. We will take back the checks if that will make you happy. But my only request is that you must go through my wallet and take as much money as a family of eight would give at a wedding. We still attended, therefore, it is only fair to give a gift." Angelo says which sounds reasonable.
"Deal. I will see you soon. Bye, Angelo." I say.
"Bye, Naya." I hang up the phone and go back to my family who is staring at the check as if it is haunted.
"After much convincing, Angelo said he will take the checks back. But he is still going to give you a reasonable amount of money." I say and Layla sighs in relief.
"Thank Allah. I would never want him to think we are using him for his money." She says and my family nods in agreement.
"Goodbye, my 10 minutes of being a multi-millionaire." My brother says dramatically. Hamza is not a total douchebag. Deep down he knows the right thing to do is to not accept the money.
But my future family is definitely something special.
(A small chapter just to show the reactions of the Russos gifts to the Ibrahim family. OMG i feel like Angelo could never get mad at Inaya but I want some after marriage fight between them so give me an idea. Nothing too terrible, Just like a small argument that can get resolved in one chapter.)
