Chapter 10
Just before we entered the house, Ricky Grayton reached out to hold my hand, intertwining his fingers tightly with mine.
I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. I couldn’t shake him off.
Mom.”
Following his voice, I saw his mother standing at the door, wearing an apron and looking at
us with a gentle smile.
The truth was, Ricky only agreed to get engaged to me because of his mother.
I was always respectful and considerate, often bringing joy to his parents with my efforts to please them.
When Ricky and his sister were away on a business trip, his mother suffered a stroke and
was hospitalized. I stayed by her side every day, helping her bathe, feeding her, and supporting her through her recovery.
As an orphan, I had no family of my own. His parents said that if I married Ricky, they would treat me like a daughter and give me a complete family.
At the time, Ricky was still hung up on his first love, who was already married. He had no intention of marrying anyone, let alone getting engaged.
But his mother kept persuading him, telling him how wonderful I was and warning him
that if he let me go, he’d never find another girl like me.
To be honest, his parents treated me incredibly well–better, even, than they treated Ricky
and his sister.
But his mother wasn’t in good health. She had high blood pressure, and I worried that if she learned about the growing distance between Ricky and me, it might upset her to the point of making her sick.
So I stopped resisting, letting Ricky hold my hand as I smiled brightly.
12:16
A Love Left Behind
“Aunfie.”
Seeing us hand in hand, his mother seemed relieved, as if our relationship had grown stronger.
Ricky noticed my surrender and chuckled softly as he glanced down.
Aside from Ricky, the person in this house who disliked me the most was his sister.
soon as I sat down, she started with her sarcastic remarks.
“Honestly, future sister–in–law, you’re not getting any younger. Why are you still dragging your feet and refusing to marry my brother? Could it be that you’re keeping your options open and looking for something better?”
Ricky sat beside me, and suddenly, all eyes in the room were on me.
Whenever we visited his family, our marriage was always brought up for discussion.
Usually, Ricky would let everyone believe that I was the one unwilling to get married, clinging to the freedom of single life.
But this time, he set down his bowl of soup and said calmly,
“We’ll register the marriage next month.”
His parents exchanged astonished glances, clearly not expecting this response, and their faces lit up with joy.
But I bit my lip and glared at him.
Ricky didn’t even look at me. Instead, he pushed the bowl of soup he had just filled over to
- me.
“Be careful, it’s hot.”
Was he out of his mind?
I pushed the bowl back toward him with a blank expression.
“We’ve both been busy with work lately. I’m not ready to register the marriage yet.
As soon as the words left my mouth, the room fell into a stunned silence.
منكر
A Love Left Behind
