Meeting your partner’s parents for the first time is a big deal.
You put in effort, bring gifts, and hope to leave a good impression. But what if all that effort feels like it went unnoticed?
That’s exactly what happened to a woman who shared her frustration on Reddit after deciding she no longer wanted to meet her boyfriend’s parents.
Despite trying to connect with them, she felt the response she got wasn’t what she expected.
She put in the effort, but was it reciprocated?
According to The Independent Singapore, the woman had always gone the extra mile to show appreciation for her boyfriend’s family.
Whenever she travelled overseas, she made sure to bring back gifts for his parents. During festive seasons, especially Chinese New Year, she sent presents to their home without fail.
She also pointed out that her boyfriend’s parents live in Johor but work in Singapore, earning what she described as a “modest income” by Singaporean standards.
While she wasn’t expecting anything extravagant, she at least hoped her efforts would be acknowledged.
Meeting his parents for the first time
After two years of dating, she finally decided to visit her boyfriend’s parents during Chinese New Year, looking forward to a warm and memorable experience.
Since it was her first time meeting them, she hoped to feel welcomed into the family.
But things took an unexpected turn when she received her angpau (red packet).
The RM5 that changed everything
“As soon as I arrived at their house, I realised the angpao they gave me was only RM5. Even his aunt gave me more than that,” she wrote.
She initially brushed it off, but curiosity got the better of her, and she checked the angpau her boyfriend received from them. To her surprise, he also got RM5.
“To be honest, this is the smallest angpao I’ve ever received in my life, but I would have been fine if they had at least given my boyfriend RM10,” she admitted.
Now, she’s not sure if she wants to go back
The experience left her questioning whether she wanted to meet them again.
“We are in a serious relationship, but honestly, I don’t know how I could go back and meet them again,” she confessed.
Her story sparked mixed reactions online. Some felt she was overreacting, saying angpaus are a symbolic gesture rather than about the amount inside.
Others, however, thought her disappointment was understandable, given how much effort she had put into her relationship with them.
