Chapter 8

Emma's POV 

Lily poked her head in, concern etched on her face. “Are you alright?”

I forced a smile, taking the glass of cold water she offered. “Thank God she gave in, but she won’t let this go. I need to find a way out of this.”

“Why don’t you just meet the man?” Lily suggested cautiously.

“Because I don’t want complications in my life. Things are finally starting to get sorted.”

Lily didn’t push the subject further, but I could see the unspoken questions in her eyes. Why was I so against the idea of marriage? It wasn’t something I openly discussed, not with anyone. They wouldn’t understand. They couldn’t possibly grasp the reality I had grown up in.

Well, I didn't want to think all that at the moment. But I could not help it with my mom after my life. 

Yes, she was right, I even avoided the topic of marriage and avoided meeting men, for the most part. They were chauvinistic, arrogant, and selfish. My father was the prime example, but he was far from the only one

I had seen it in other men—friends of the family, business associates, even potential suitors. They all had the same gleam in their eyes, the same sense of entitlement. I had met enough of them to know that they were not worth the risk.

 They wanted a woman who would fit neatly into their lives, who would support their ambitions and stroke their egos. But I was not that woman. I would never be that woman.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of activity. My days were filled with meetings, fittings, and last-minute preparations for the exhibition. I barely had time to eat or sleep, let alone think about my mother’s latest matchmaking attempt. But as the day of the exhibition drew closer,

But as the day of the exhibition drew closer, the nagging thought of the impending dinner with this mysterious suitor crept back into my mind. I tried to push it aside, burying myself in work, but it lingered, like a shadow at the edge of my consciousness.

Next week...

 a day before the exhibition. 

The day before the exhibition was a whirlwind. Models were rehearsing, the final touches were being made to the displays, and I was in the thick of it all, ensuring everything was perfect. This was my world—fast-paced, demanding, and utterly consuming. There was no room for distractions, no space for anything that might pull me away from my focus.

As I stood in the center of the activity, overseeing the preparations, my phone buzzed. I glanced at it, half expecting another message from my mother, but it was just a reminder from Lily about an upcoming interview with a major fashion magazine. Relieved, I pocketed the phone and turned back to the task at hand.

But my reprieve was short-lived. Just as I was about to head into a meeting with the event coordinators, my phone rang. I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

No again!! I could not handle her at the moment. But I knew she would not stop calling till I assured her that I would go out with the man. 

“Mom, I will call you later, got to go," I said and was about to disconnect when she said, "Wait! Don't dare to disconnect the call." She threatened me.

“Emma,” she replied, her tone unyielding. “Tomorrow’s the exhibition, and...”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I know, Mom. We agreed I’d meet him next week.”

“Yes, we did,” she conceded, but there was something in her voice that made me uneasy. “But I just wanted to remind you that I won’t tolerate any more delays. You’ve avoided this for long enough.”

“Mom, we’ve been over this. I’m not avoiding it—I’m just busy. This is my career, my life. I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

"Mom, I am really very busy. I am in the middle of a very important meeting."

"Liar!"

"Why do you think I am lying?" I asked.

"Because I am your mom and know you very well," she replied in a cool manner.

"I am not lying, Mom."

"You are, sweetheart. I knew you were going to say that, so I just asked your secretary about your schedule so that you can't use this same old excuse. Though she tried to make excuses like you, I caught her." She replied, and I knew she must be smirking at the moment.

"This is too much, Mom," I shook my head.

"You are working so hard that you don't even have time for your family, even for me, who carried you in my womb for nine months and dedicated some years of my life to taking care of you and teaching you everything."

Oh, God!! Don't start again.

"Mom, stop being melodramatic. I am too busy to handle it."

"For your kind information, your secretary confirmed that you are free for the next one hour," she said.

Ughhh!!

"Yes, I have no meetings, but I have to study the market and prepare new designs. I am about to open new showrooms."

"Take a break... Why don't you take a short holiday and come home?"

"I don't have time even for a short break, Mom. I need to be on top of my business; I have made a name for myself. You know Dad didn't approve of my work. So I started everything on my own. And now that I have reached the top of this business, I can't sleep like the silly hare in the famous fable." I argued.

"Ok, take a break of an hour, that you have for free," she said.

"Fine, as soon as you finish the call, I will close my laptop and phone and take a break for an hour." I just wanted her to leave me alone.

"Good, I have told your secretary not to let anyone disturb you. Just chill." She said.

"Mom, bye, I want to relax," I said and switched off the call. Shook my head and started working.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I said thinking it might be Lily.

"I knew you were not going to take a break. So now I will have to force you to take a break," I heard my mom's voice.

My god!! Was I imagining it?

I looked up and was shocked to see my mom and younger sister standing there.