Chapter 292 A Lucrative Marriage
Mom’s caring demeanor was everything I had ever imagined. Now that she was finally showing affection for me, the situation somehow felt too good to be true. What’s wrong with me? I can’t help but think that something’s about to go wrong when she’s nice to me.
“Mom, you’re overthinking. So many things have been happening lately and I’ve simply been too busy to find the time to visit you.”
My words belied the resentment I felt toward my mom. I could not, however, bring myself to voice my resentment when faced with her sensitive question.
“Anna, I know how you’re feeling. It was entirely my fault last time. I’m sorry I didn’t stop to consider your feelings.” She even kept her head lowered for good measure, looking like she was deeply regretful over her actions.
I looked at Mom in shock. She never used to apologize, even if she was at fault. What the heck is going on? Have I entered some alternate universe where my mom actually isn’t a selfish person? I can’t believe she’s saying “sorry” to me right now!
I did not know what to think of my mom’s sudden change in behavior, though her apology went a long way in dispelling the grudge I felt toward her.
“Mom, it’s all in the past now. We don’t have to bring it up again.”
My statement was not a decision to forgive and forget each of my mom’s past transgressions. I merely did not want to be reminded of how badly she had hurt me in the past.
“All right, I won’t bring it up in the future,” Mom said in response.
Just then, Steven approached us with a cup of freshly-brewed tea in hand.
“Anna, have some tea.” He looked at me woodenly, a marked improvement from his usual hostility.
I noticed that he had limped into the living room. It was, however, a good sign that he was longer in a wheelchair or crutches. He should recover fully in no time.
“Your legs seem to be healing well,” I remarked as my gaze landed on Steven’s legs, relieved at the pace of his recovery.
“I went to the hospital for a checkup and the doctor said that it was recovering well. Besides, I’m still young. With proper rest and rehabilitation, my legs will be good as new.”
Steven no longer seemed enraged by my presence like before. In fact, he seemed to have matured a great deal, though I remained wary about his improved demeanor.
“That’s great! Once you’ve fully recovered, you can focus on looking for a job. Please stop gambling, or you might not be as lucky the next time around.”
He had gotten both his legs broken due to his gambling debts. I was worried that he would go back to the gambling dens again once he was better.
“I know. I’ll look for a job soon. Don’t worry, Anna,” he replied calmly.
Steven would have argued with me in the past instead of obediently accepting my advice; I would not have put it past him to blame me for his broken legs as well. His behavior today, however, struck me dumb. Has he finally come to his senses?
“Anna, are you marring Michael Shaw soon?” Mom suddenly piqued up and shifted the conversation topic to my impending wedding. An inexplicable feeling flashed through my heart.
I did not want to mention anything to do with Michael in front of my mom, precisely because she viewed him as a cash cow.
It was bad enough that Josephine saw me as a gold-digger. If my mom chimed in with unreasonable requests, it would only serve to affirm Josephine’s assumptions and place my relationship with Michael in an even more negative light.
“We’re still preparing for our wedding but we’re down to the final details,” I uttered hesitantly.
Nonetheless, no amount of concern justified keeping news of my wedding from my parents. I had to tell them eventually. I prayed fervently for their genuine blessings.
“I knew from the beginning that you had feelings for Michael. I’m so happy that you’re finally marrying each other. His family background is impeccable. We must’ve struck the lottery to have a daughter marrying into such a wealthy family.”
Mom was elated at the news of my wedding. She must be imagining how wonderful her future is going to be.
I could not explain why, but her excitement dampened my mood. Her invitation today could not possibly be for just a heart-to-heart talk.
“Mom, I’m marrying Michael because we love each other. It has nothing to do with his wealth.” I frowned, not bothering to hide my displeasure.
Even if Michael was the poorest man in the world, I would choose him out of love.
Our relationship would be less stressful if he was an average worker instead of some business bigshot in Avenport.
I was subtly hinting at Mom to drop her plans of touching Michael’s money. It was rather crude to call her out on her greediness, so I could only hope that she caught my hint.
“I understand; you’ve always been such a sensible and considerate girl. Still, it must be better to marry a rich man than a poor one.”
Alas, Mom’s excitement showed no signs of dampening.
I sighed in resignation, confident that my mom had summoned me here today to confirm that I was marrying Michael. She must be calculating all the benefits she can derive from her future association with someone as rich as Michael.
“Before I forget, you should help Steven out once he’s recovered and looks for a job. He shouldn’t be working too strenuously on account of his leg.”
My silence tipped Mom off about my wish to stop discussing Michael. She immediately changed the topic to Steven’s job search.
Frankly, I was not leaping at the opportunity to help him find a job. I was sick of solving his problems since our childhood. Besides, his work ethics were questionable at best. Even if I got him a job, there was no guarantee that he would repay my kindness with hard work.
I eyed his legs and was being indecisive. I could not deny that Steven seemed more sensible than before. Perhaps he has finally learned his lesson.
Eventually, I succumbed to my mom’s request. “All right, I’ll keep an eye out for some job opportunities and let Steven know.”
Dad and Mom would come to rely on my brother’s income for a living sooner or later. I could not care for them my whole life, after all. If Steven made an honest living, it would lessen all our burdens.
