Alicia meets her boyfriend’s father for the first time and he left her in no doubt that he knew she was dating his char siew son for the money. The thing is, he’s not objecting, as long as she is willing to…compromise on her morals.
…
Let me tell you something about rich people in Singapore.
They don’t eat at restaurants with prices on the menu. I mean the menu exists, and there are words on it, descriptions of food in languages i pretend to understand, but the prices? Gone. Vanished.
Like CPF money after you turn 55, just poof into the void. Ok, correction, they go into your retirement account but you damm well make sure you stay healthy and fit so you can actually see it. If you die before you turn 65, and you have no dependents to give them to, kaching. It’s gone.
Not that this is a problem for a penniless babe like me to worry about.
Yes i called myself a babe.
I know i’m a babe.
I’m got the looks, the body and the fucking personality to go with it.
The only thing i don’t have however, is money. And i’m damm sick and tired of trying to work my way up the social ladder with a day job.
As a poly graduate with a shit diploma, i’m barely getting by doing admin work for a SME.
It didn’t take me long to decide that the only way for someone like me to get out of this povety trap, was to marry into money.
As superficial as it sounds, that’s the truth.
My parents have passed on when i was barely 5, i was raised by my grandmother who too, have passed on. I grew up in a rental flat and i don’t even have a HDB to inherit. I need to take a loan to settle my grandmother’s funeral rites.
When it’s all done and settled, i have to sell my worn undies and bra on some sex forum just to get by till the next payday.
It was a period i didn’t want to go through ever again.
Going into a restaurant, and looking at the menu, then looking at the price, it just pains me to even think if i could afford to splurge on a meal once in a while.
I want to be rich. I don’t want to live life looking at the right side of the menu where the prices are and then having to add a 10% service charge and a 9% GST on top of it.
I don’t want to care. That’s the whole point.
If you need to know how much the wagyu costs, you can’t afford the wagyu.
Darren : Dear…same medium rare?
Alicia : yes…just the 150gm will do.
Darren : huh…so small…won’t be full one la…
Alicia : It’s more than enough for me.
Sitting back on the chair that probably cost half my salary, i took out my phone and took a selfie in the restaurant. I made sure it captured the restaurant name, and the fact that it’s located in Tanglin through the full height glass flanking both sides.
I’ll never step into a place like this on my won.
I was here because my boyfriend brought me.
Darren Lim. 29 years old, looks like 40 to be honest.
His face, in hokkien, we call it ‘cui’
As in cannot make it. Not that he has a lot of acne or anything, but it’s just old, saggy and sad looking. He’s fat too, 85kg on a 1.6m frame, he’s a walking ball, but this ball wears a 30k watch as a daily.
Darren drives a white Porsche Cayenne that he did not buy with his own money, wears watches that cost more than my annual rent, and has the kind of confidence that only comes from never once in your life worrying about whether your bank account can handle a $500 dinner.
I’ve been dating him for five months.
Five months of nice restaurants, staycations at hotels i used to only see from the outside of a Grab, and weekends at his family’s house in Bukit Timah.
Yes, the kind of landed property that has a driveway.
Not the kind where the gate opens, you park your car and you see the main door.
Driveway is 40m, curves slightly to elevated ground. Only then, you see the garden, and a helper that brings you water on a tray.
A tray, can you believe it?
Like i’m the Queen or some shit.
Before you judge me, let me save you the trouble.
Yes. I know what this looks like. Girl from a rented HDB in Woodlands dates boy from a bungalow in Bukit Timah.
Girl wears cottonon, boy wears Hermès. Girl works in admin at a mid-size company, boy’s father owns the fucking company i work at doing business development.
He’s just going around having business lunch and forwarding emails.
I’m not stupid okay. I know why i’m here. I know the math.
Darren is sweet. He is. Let me be clear about that.
He opens doors, he pulls out chairs, he remembers that i don’t eat raw onion and he’ll quietly pick them out of my salad. He may lose out in the looks department but he’s actually a nice person. He doesn’t smoke, drinks socially and the only vice which he admitted he had, was subscribing to a erotic story site online.
Do I love him?
Define love.
If love means do i feel safe with him, yes. If love means do i enjoy his company, yes.
If love means does my heart beat faster when he texts me, sometimes, depends on what he says, if it’s another stock portfolio update then no.
If love means would i be with him if he was broke, if the Cayenne was a second hand Vios and the Bukit Timah bungalow was a rental in Yishun?
Next question.
I’m sorry man, it is what it is. I mean my looks and figure turn heads, surely i have to use them to my advantage isn’t it?
…
Tonight is the dinner. The big one. Meet the father dinner.
Darren’s mother passed when he was fifteen. Breast cancer. He doesn’t talk about her much.
So it’s just the father. John Lim. 49. Founder and chairman of Lim Guan Holdings, which does property development, construction, and a bunch of other things i don’t fully understand but which generate enough money to fill a swimming pool, which he also has behind the bungalow.
Math not correct you say? I also thought i got my math wrong.
My boyfriend 29, his father 49? Sure or not?
Well John had Darren when he was 20. So what?
Doesn’t make a difference, when he goes, everything goes to Darren isn’t it? Being young just meant i need to wait a bit longer.
Darren had been nervous about this dinner for weeks. I could tell because he kept bringing it up casually.
Darren : Eh, my dad just wants to meet you lah. Very casual. Don’t worry.
Darren : He’s chill one. Really. Just be yourself.
Darren : Actually, maybe don’t swear so much.
Darren : And don’t talk about politics.
Darren : Or religion.
Darren : Actually just let him talk and laugh at his jokes. He likes that. And don’t bother dressing up, just be casual. The more casual the better.
Alicia : ok fine…i’ll just wear a spag top and shorts…
Spag top shows off my breast and you know what they say, if you have it, flaunt it.
Darren picked me up at 7. The Cayenne smelled like leather and his cologne. He looked me over and smiled.
Darren : Wah, you look nice.
Alicia : Only nice? mmmh?
Darren : Okay, okay. Very nice. Stunning. Beautiful. Got anymore you want me to say? hehe…
Alicia : …that’ll do.
He pulled out onto the main road as i crossed my legs in his car before asking.
Darren : your…period…over already?
Alicia : mmmh…
I nodded and i could see the grin in his face.
Why? what’s wrong?
Men all want the same thing isn’t it?
Darren drove us to his place in Bukit Timah. I’ve been there before several times but John was always not around. Either travelling or somewhere advancing the company’s interests. I’ve only met the helpers and the gardeners.
Yes, with a ‘s’. Helpers and gardeners.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of Darren’s car and primed myself ready to meet my boyfriend’s father.
When the double wooden door opened and i came face to face with John Lim, i felt a skip in my heart as we made eye contact.
I swallowed a gulp of saliva as John gave me the once over. From my face, to my body, to my hips, then my legs, then back up again.
There is something about his eyes, they seem to pierce right through me. Like he can see my deepest, darkest thoughts.
His look was practically screaming ‘i can tell you are dating my ugly char siew son for the money’
And despite being 49, John actually looks good. He looks younger, you could even say he looks like Darren’s brother.
John approached and extended his hand.
Alicia : Hi Uncle…
John :Hi Alicia…i’ve heard a lot about you…
We shook hands and when John pulled back, i felt him drag his finger inside my palm for a brief moment, jolting my heart and sending goosebumps all over my skin.
Those eyes.
John’s eyes.
They told me this is not just going to be your simple, meet the father dinner.
Coming soon