Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 488

The Holt family had paid the matchmaker double her usual rate for this blind date.

Furthermore, of the several families she had met, none had given her child a gift right off the bat like the Holts had.

To Fern, this meant the Holts were simple, straightforward people.

After a moment of thought, she spoke.

“My requirements are simple. A house and a car are a must. The house has to be in Clayborne City proper, and the car can’t be worth less than fifty thousand dollars. When my cousins got married, their cars were all worth more than sixty thousand. I’m already asking for less.”

She peeked at Sutton and saw his expression remained calm, with no hint of displeasure, so she continued.

“As for the bride price, I’m not asking for much. Just thirty thousand dollars as a gesture. And even though this is my second marriage, we can’t skip any of the traditional steps. Where I’m from, the groom’s family is expected to cover all wedding expenses for the bride’s side, plus all the various cash gifts.”

Sutton listened quietly, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips.

When Fern had finished, he finally looked at her directly.

“The requirements you’ve laid out don’t sound unreasonable,” Sutton said slowly. “However, I need to be upfront with you as well.”

Sutton shook his head, his tone still calm. “Do you think marriage is a transaction? I’m looking for someone who can understand and support me, not someone who only sees material possessions. I can’t meet any of your demands. So, we’re not a match. Let’s not waste each other’s time.”

Fern became agitated, a hint of anger showing on her face.

“No wonder you’re an old bachelor. The conditions I listed are the bare minimum. If you can’t even meet those, why did you ask me on a date in the first place? People like you deserve to be single forever. Your whole family is just playing games. It's no surprise none of you can find anyone.”

Sutton let out a soft chuckle, his reply unhurried. “I came because I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. But I have my own principles. As for whether I’ll be single forever, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Sutton glanced at the time, a humorless smile on his face. “Even though it didn’t work out between us, the Holt family can still afford to offer you a meal. Why don’t you sit for a bit? I’ll go prepare lunch. It wasn't easy for you and the matchmaker to make the trip out here. You should try our homemade sausage. It’s quite good.”