The Bride Test

Khai Diep is certain he is defective. His autism means he processes emotions differently, and he has concluded that he is incapable of feeling big, important things like grief or love. Unwilling to accept this, his mother takes matters into her own hands. She flies to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride, returning with an unconventional proposition for Esme Tran, a young woman from the slums of Ho Chi Minh City who sees a chance for a better life for her and her daughter.

Esme's arrangement is simple: spend the summer in California and seduce Khai. But as she gets to know the quiet, methodical man, she finds herself genuinely falling for him. Her lessons in love seem to be working, but only on herself. Esme is hopelessly smitten with a man convinced he can never return her affection. This story explores not just a relationship, but the challenges of cultural differences, the weight of family expectations, and the journey to self-acceptance. It forces a reconsideration of what love looks like and asks if it can be found where it is least expected.