XANDERMy plan had been to show her around before we got to the lounge where we would have our dinner. I had also intended to make a fake proposal to her in line with the plan, and I had gotten the engagement rings. Of course, it was going to be made public; Thayer would see it online, and the idea had been to get him angry.Maeve is pregnant with his child, for Christ’s sake! I didn’t raise an irresponsible son who would abandon his pregnant wife! I wanted him to come to his senses, and I was going to take a huge step toward that tonight!I was not expecting Thayer to actually be here and make things difficult for us! Not only was he here, but he was also twisting the truth! Buying Maeve over? And now, he was challenging me to kiss Maeve.Of course, I would love to give Maeve a long kiss on the lips, but I wasn’t under my son’s orders. And I wasn’t going to kiss Maeve under some sort of stupid challenge. Also, I didn’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable. Each time
MAEVEI actually thought Xander had a thing for me, and I was looking forward to the day he would finally say it out loud; confess his feelings to me. Little did I know that I disgusted him too? What was I even thinking—that my father-in-law would turn against his own son and fall in love with me?Not only did he fail to prove to everyone back there that I didn’t disgust him like Thayer challenged, but he also openly told everyone I was pregnant with his grandson. The reason he kept me was because of his unborn grandson! Why does he think it’s a boy? Was he actually looking for a son to replace his irresponsible son? He was using me! He just wanted to secure his grandson and then get rid of me!I sobbed painfully into a pillow, ignoring the way my stomach growled at me in hunger. My throat tightened and my heart felt heavy as hot tears continued to rush down my cheeks. I was lying on one side on my bed in my room, still in my dinner dress. When we got home earlier, I had rushed inside
MAEVEA knock jolted me awake from my sleep. I had fallen asleep in my dinner dress from last night while thinking of the possibility of another deeper, longer kiss from Xander. Slowly, I got out of bed, the sheets making ruffling sounds below me. I went to get the door.“Kath,” I said in a weak exhale. She was standing outside the door with a large smile on her face. “What are you doing here so early?” I asked.“Good morning, ma’am. Trust you had a wonderful night,” she beamed, and I wondered what was with the sudden excitement and the squeal that followed.“You look so excited this morning,” I pried.“Yes! It’s my day off.” She quickly grabbed some neatly wrapped clothes from the carrier she came with and handed them to me. “This is yours from that first night. Sorry, I didn’t tell you earlier. I changed your dress while you were asleep,” she explained, holding the packaged dress before me.I actually thought it was Xander who changed my dress—creepy of me to think he did. I almost
MAEVEKath stood there with a smile plastered on her face as if she saw nothing. She brought the lunch box in front of me, and I took it, wondering what was wrong with her this morning. “Thank you,” I managed to say as I turned to Xander, who looked like nothing had happened, too. Was I the only one affected?“It’s your day off, right, Kath?” he asked.“Yes, boss,” Kath bowed.“Then why are you here so early in the morning?” I could detect the irritation in his voice.“I wanted to help the new madam with her meals, that’s all. I’ll get going right away, sir,” she responded and quickly turned to leave.“Wait!” Xander called, and Kath turned. He sighed and turned to me. “Don’t worry about it. It’s your day off; I shouldn't make you work today.” He turned his gaze back to Kath. “Just be here early tomorrow morning and maybe get two more workers to help out around the house.”“But I can do it alone, sir. I’ve been happily working here alone,” Kath protested.“I know, and I appreciate your
MAEVE“Have you no shame?” the curator continued pouring the cold water over my head until the glass was empty, then she dropped it with a crash at my feet. I opened my eyes slowly; seeing her face through my wet lashes was difficult, but I blinked rapidly until I was able to see her properly.Although she was an older woman, she was extremely beautiful. Her dark eyes bore into me like sharp daggers as she continued. “You seduce and steal your father-in-law…”“Ex’s father-in-law,” I corrected. Thayer is my ex, for Christ’s sake!“The man you ruined! Are you really this selfish and greedy?!” the curator shouted, and the little crowd gathered around us fell into stunned silence. I could feel their eyes on me as more people moved closer. How I hate spectacles! I stood there with a sinking heart, watching my self-image being crushed.“You are the most shameless creature I’ve ever seen in this world! Running from son to father, and as if that wasn’t enough, you had the right to publicly pi
MAEVEI hurried back home from work after grabbing my test results from the hospital. I was excited to break the news about my pregnancy to my husband. I’d heard countless times from Thayer, my husband, about how he wanted to have kids, and I was so proud and excited to be finally fulfilling that desire of his.I’ve never had it easy with love. I was born chubby and was forced to endure relentless mockery from peers and even my family while growing up. I was called all sorts of names: overweight, fat, chubby, shark, and other painful names that forced me into hiding. No one wanted to associate with me, let alone fall in love with me.I tried various methods to lose weight; I went on diets, practiced yoga, and even engaged in morning exercise routines, but instead, it felt like I was gaining more weight.For the twenty-two years I’ve lived, I desperately wanted to experience romantic love, as I was also a human with feelings. Then Thayer came. He confessed his love for me despite my si
MAEVEI woke up feeling a bit groggy and weak. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, enough for me to see where I was.I was in a neatly furnished room with a luxurious setting. Confused, I wondered how I ended up here.Memories of almost getting hit by a car while running far away from Thayer flooded into my mind. Instantly, the tears came flooding back again, clenching my heart as I remembered his harsh words. I thought he married me for love, but it turned out he did it out of pity.What pain and hurt are worse than that?My mind went back to finding out where I was and what I was doing here. I hoped Thayer was not involved in this. At this point, I never wanted to have anything to do with him ever again. He hurt me beyond words. He killed the rest of my self-esteem, and I wondered if I would ever be accepted again. Not only did he call me chubby, but he also called me the worst thing that has ever happened to him—a mistake!I got up from the bed and glanced out fr
MAEVEI woke up again with a dull ache in my head. I noticed that I was lying perfectly on the bed and that the dress I was wearing was not the same one from the other night. I didn’t remember laying on the bed last night, nor did I change my clothes from the night before.I was a bit concerned, as I was sure whoever had changed my dress while I was sleeping must have seen my naked form.Could it be my father-in-law? My heart skipped a beat at the thought. He wouldn’t do that.But that was the least of my worries, because as I tried to sit up, I noticed someone standing far away from me, very close to the door, with arms crossed.I took a deep breath and slowly looked up to find the unsmiling face of Thayer staring down at me, with so much disgust evident in his facial features that I became self-conscious again.He was dressed in a light blue polo over dark jeans—the pair I bought for him just a few weeks ago. It hurt seeing him in that outfit, and I instantly regretted getting those
MAEVE“Have you no shame?” the curator continued pouring the cold water over my head until the glass was empty, then she dropped it with a crash at my feet. I opened my eyes slowly; seeing her face through my wet lashes was difficult, but I blinked rapidly until I was able to see her properly.Although she was an older woman, she was extremely beautiful. Her dark eyes bore into me like sharp daggers as she continued. “You seduce and steal your father-in-law…”“Ex’s father-in-law,” I corrected. Thayer is my ex, for Christ’s sake!“The man you ruined! Are you really this selfish and greedy?!” the curator shouted, and the little crowd gathered around us fell into stunned silence. I could feel their eyes on me as more people moved closer. How I hate spectacles! I stood there with a sinking heart, watching my self-image being crushed.“You are the most shameless creature I’ve ever seen in this world! Running from son to father, and as if that wasn’t enough, you had the right to publicly pi
MAEVEKath stood there with a smile plastered on her face as if she saw nothing. She brought the lunch box in front of me, and I took it, wondering what was wrong with her this morning. “Thank you,” I managed to say as I turned to Xander, who looked like nothing had happened, too. Was I the only one affected?“It’s your day off, right, Kath?” he asked.“Yes, boss,” Kath bowed.“Then why are you here so early in the morning?” I could detect the irritation in his voice.“I wanted to help the new madam with her meals, that’s all. I’ll get going right away, sir,” she responded and quickly turned to leave.“Wait!” Xander called, and Kath turned. He sighed and turned to me. “Don’t worry about it. It’s your day off; I shouldn't make you work today.” He turned his gaze back to Kath. “Just be here early tomorrow morning and maybe get two more workers to help out around the house.”“But I can do it alone, sir. I’ve been happily working here alone,” Kath protested.“I know, and I appreciate your
MAEVEA knock jolted me awake from my sleep. I had fallen asleep in my dinner dress from last night while thinking of the possibility of another deeper, longer kiss from Xander. Slowly, I got out of bed, the sheets making ruffling sounds below me. I went to get the door.“Kath,” I said in a weak exhale. She was standing outside the door with a large smile on her face. “What are you doing here so early?” I asked.“Good morning, ma’am. Trust you had a wonderful night,” she beamed, and I wondered what was with the sudden excitement and the squeal that followed.“You look so excited this morning,” I pried.“Yes! It’s my day off.” She quickly grabbed some neatly wrapped clothes from the carrier she came with and handed them to me. “This is yours from that first night. Sorry, I didn’t tell you earlier. I changed your dress while you were asleep,” she explained, holding the packaged dress before me.I actually thought it was Xander who changed my dress—creepy of me to think he did. I almost
MAEVEI actually thought Xander had a thing for me, and I was looking forward to the day he would finally say it out loud; confess his feelings to me. Little did I know that I disgusted him too? What was I even thinking—that my father-in-law would turn against his own son and fall in love with me?Not only did he fail to prove to everyone back there that I didn’t disgust him like Thayer challenged, but he also openly told everyone I was pregnant with his grandson. The reason he kept me was because of his unborn grandson! Why does he think it’s a boy? Was he actually looking for a son to replace his irresponsible son? He was using me! He just wanted to secure his grandson and then get rid of me!I sobbed painfully into a pillow, ignoring the way my stomach growled at me in hunger. My throat tightened and my heart felt heavy as hot tears continued to rush down my cheeks. I was lying on one side on my bed in my room, still in my dinner dress. When we got home earlier, I had rushed inside
XANDERMy plan had been to show her around before we got to the lounge where we would have our dinner. I had also intended to make a fake proposal to her in line with the plan, and I had gotten the engagement rings. Of course, it was going to be made public; Thayer would see it online, and the idea had been to get him angry.Maeve is pregnant with his child, for Christ’s sake! I didn’t raise an irresponsible son who would abandon his pregnant wife! I wanted him to come to his senses, and I was going to take a huge step toward that tonight!I was not expecting Thayer to actually be here and make things difficult for us! Not only was he here, but he was also twisting the truth! Buying Maeve over? And now, he was challenging me to kiss Maeve.Of course, I would love to give Maeve a long kiss on the lips, but I wasn’t under my son’s orders. And I wasn’t going to kiss Maeve under some sort of stupid challenge. Also, I didn’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable. Each time
MAEVEXander drove us out of the house in his black SUV. It had air conditioning, and my whole body reacted to it; I started to feel cold along the way and slowly rubbed my arms. My teeth clenched as I tried to suppress the chill. I didn’t know why I was affected by the cold given that I was fully dressed in a long-sleeved dinner dress.“Are you feeling cold?” Xander suddenly asked, and I turned to find his eyes staring back at me with concern.“No, I’m fine.” I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by turning off the AC since he seemed okay with it. I should just endure; that’s what I’d been doing my whole life.Instead, he went ahead and turned off the AC, returning warmth to the car. “You didn’t have to,” I insisted. “I’ll be fine.”“I can’t make my fiancée uncomfortable around me, now can I?” He smiled—the purest and most seductive smile ever. My heart stopped beating, my fingers twitched, and my eyes were glued to his face, watching every curve as his cheeks moved back in a smile
MAEVEIt wasn’t Kath’s business to know what relationship I had with Xander, so I didn’t answer her question. “I’m going to pick a room, and you’re going to arrange it immediately,” I tried to change the topic as I headed down the hallway. Kath followed behind me, still blabbing.She seemed like one of those busybodies who always wanted to nose into people’s affairs just because it was a habit, and I didn’t want to ever meet such people. They turn around and stab you in the back.“Do you think I’m not attractive enough?” Kath asked again, her tone becoming sharper and more alarming. “I’ve been working here almost all my life and I’ve dedicated everything to my work. Yet, the boss doesn’t even seem to notice me. Then you come along, and he starts treating you like a wife.”Now I get it—jealousy. Had she actually tried to seduce Xander? At the thought of that, anger flared in my chest.“Even when it’s clear you’re not prettier than I am. I didn’t know he was into chubby women with flesh
THAYERI can’t believe I imagined having my own mother in bed! I was too shocked to even react to what I’d thought earlier. But seeing her right now, in my house after fifteen years, was the most unbelievable event.“May I?” she asked, signaling that she wanted to come in. I stepped aside and let her in. She entered and stood face to face with Loretta, who was still in her underwear, not even willing to leave!Mum turned to me, disbelief clearly etched on her face. “You know, I never would have thought that you would think of playing around now that you are about to lose everything.”Losing everything? I knew she was referring to Loretta. However, I was both angry and excited to see her now. She turned back to Loretta, and I could feel her expression must have changed, given the way Loretta shook.“Who the hell is she? She’s the one you want to replace me with?” Loretta blurted. Hadn’t she heard me call her 'Mum,' or was she intentionally poking at me now? “Thayer, I told you I wasn’t
MAEVE “Look, Maeve, I don’t want it to seem like I’m forcing you to do my bidding,” Xander explained as he steered the car down the road. “Are you sure about this?”Sure about what? I turned to him. “Yes, I’m sure. No one is forcing me to do anything. Besides, I’m not doing it for Thayer; I’m doing it for myself. Someone has to teach him a lesson and it has to be me,” I answered, starting to bite my fingernails. It was something I usually did whenever I was tense. This time, I was especially tense about being my father-in-law’s fiancée.For someone like him, a public figure in Chicago, what would people see me as? A gold digger? A thief? This might bring more humiliation and hatred from people all over the world.“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Xander suddenly asked; he must have noticed my anxiety.“No, I’m fine. It’s nothing.” I looked out the window, hoping this wouldn’t bring in more trouble.The car pulled up in front of Xander’s mansion. I would never have dreamed that I would ge