Pedro is using Chantal, flat out. What spineless boy would choose to spend more on his mom than on his wife? He mocks her for wanting a $4k engagement ring but he bought the huge flat screen TV, pays the rent for the apt and asked Chantal to buy the mom a laptop.
My culture is similar to Pedro's where if you have poor relatives back home you're expected to send money. And when you visit the relatives, they often sit around with their palms out waiting for your handout.
I thank the heavens that my parents never had any family left back in the "old country" because it's such an awkward situation. I've seen families break up because they could not agree on how much money to send home, and the husband or wife would often send money behind their spouse's back.
Wow! Do those relatives work? This reminds me of Devar giving his younger sister money and Melanie being pissed because his sister was perfectly capable of working but didn't want to.