Chapter 2

Four years ago, I married Lucas.

I was blinded by love, captivated by his good looks since college.

Even though my parents objected, thinking Lucas wasn't reliable enough.

Even though Lucas's family didn't offer a bride price, I thought love was priceless.

Even though I had to bring a house as a dowry, I was willing.

But after the wedding, he proposed splitting all our expenses equally.

Living expenses, supporting parents, social obligations, raising children - everything was to be split 50/50.

I was shocked and didn't understand.

Although we both worked and had our own incomes, I had never asked him for living expenses. We just lived casually. Occasionally, I would pay for utilities, he would pay for gas. I would buy groceries, he would buy daily necessities.

I didn't like to fuss over details and never calculated who paid more.

But Lucas kept a little notebook, recording every expense.

After two months, I guess he felt he was losing out.

But aren't couples supposed to weather storms together? Did we need to be so calculative?

Lucas, however, had his arguments to convince me.

"Many people in Western countries do this. It's progressive and can reduce conflicts."

"But it feels like we're business partners, not a married couple," I protested.

"Marriage is about choosing the most suitable partner. Besides love, we need to think long-term."

I started to reflect on our dating process, realizing I might have spent more.

But I had never calculated it.

Since that was the case, I decided to give it a try.

From then on, Lucas recorded every bill, and we split them equally, accurate to two decimal places.