Almost Disgraced

As soon as Rowan’s mother uttered my name, I felt the shift in the air. My heart pounded, but I kept my face composed. This was not the first time I'd dealt with their disdain. But now, here, in front of everyone, I felt their judgment more acutely than ever.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," his mother sneered, her perfectly manicured hand lifting to inspect her nails, as if my presence was beneath her. "Tell me, how does it feel to be dragged into a world you don't belong in, Remi? Still clinging to that ridiculous notion of being with my son, are you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Rowan's father cut in, his voice deep and condescending. "A woman like you," he said, shaking his head, "from a family with nothing to offer, clinging to the hope of elevating your status. It’s almost... pathetic."

I clenched my fists, trying to control my temper. Every part of me wanted to speak up, but I was a guest here, and I knew they would only use my words against me.

Before I could form a reply, Rowan's mother continued, her eyes narrowing in on me. "And where are your children, hmm? I heard you’ve got twins. Who’s looking after them while you parade yourself around in this… borrowed dress?"

Her words stung, even though I knew they were meant to provoke. I took a deep breath, reminding myself not to react.

“I’m not—”

Rowan’s father interrupted with a cruel chuckle. “Of course you’re not. You don’t belong here, and you never will. This is a place for the powerful, for people who matter. Not someone like you.”

Suddenly, Asher appeared by my side, his expression unreadable behind his sunglasses, but I could feel the tension rolling off him. He didn’t say a word, but his presence alone was commanding enough to silence the crowd of onlookers who had started to gather.

Rowan's parents glanced at him, clearly unimpressed, still not recognizing who he was. His mother’s eyes swept over him dismissively before she turned back to me. “Who’s this?” she asked, her voice dripping with disdain. “Your date? Another attempt to claw your way into high society?”

Asher raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn’t need to. The very air around him shifted, his authority undeniable.

"Ah, I see you’re still hanging around with the riffraff," Rowan's father added with a sneer, clearly unaware of who he was insulting. "Pathetic. Truly."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Asher placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. His lips curled into a faint smirk, and I could tell he was enjoying the irony of the moment. He finally took off his sunglasses, letting them dangle from his fingers casually as he looked between Rowan’s parents.

“I don’t think you know who you’re talking to,” Asher said, his voice calm but cold.

Rowan’s father frowned. “And just who the hell are you, then?”

Before Asher could respond, someone from the crowd whispered, "That's Asher Carmichael... the Asher Carmichael."

The realization hit Rowan’s parents like a ton of bricks. Their smug expressions faltered, and a flicker of fear crossed their faces. They quickly masked it, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

“Asher Carmichael,” Rowan’s mother repeated slowly, her voice suddenly unsure. “The Carmichael family…”

Asher’s smile grew wider. “That’s right. And Remi here is a close friend of mine. So, unless you want to embarrass yourselves further, I suggest you watch your words.”

The tension in the room was palpable. I could see the wheels turning in their heads as they realized just how badly they had misjudged the situation. But, before they could even begin to apologize or backtrack, a familiar voice interrupted the moment.

"What's going on here?"

Rowan stepped into view, his gaze immediately locking onto me, then flicking to his parents and Asher. He looked irritated, as if sensing the awkwardness in the air.

His mother, ever the opportunist, recovered quickly. "Rowan, darling, we were just having a… conversation with your—" She paused, glancing at me with a curled lip, "guest. I had no idea she would be here, and it’s just—well, you know how these events are, dear."

Rowan’s eyes hardened as he took in the scene. "What were you saying to her?"

His father cleared his throat. “We were just discussing how... unusual it is for someone like her to be here. A woman with no real connections or background.”

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, and my fists clenched at my sides. But before I could react, Rowan’s voice cut through the tension like a knife.

“Someone like her?” His tone was sharp, dangerous. “Do you even know who she is?”

His mother’s eyes widened slightly. "Well, we know she’s—"

“She’s a doctor,” Rowan interrupted, his voice tight with restrained anger. "A damn good one. The one who saved lives, including mine.”

The entire room seemed to fall into a stunned silence. Rowan's parents looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. His mother blinked, clearly struggling to process what she’d just heard.

"You... you're a doctor?" she stammered, disbelief coloring her words.

I stood straighter, my voice steady. "Yes, I am. And I don’t need your approval to be here."

Rowan’s father looked like he wanted to say something, but Rowan silenced him with a look. “You don’t get to talk down to her. Not now. Not ever.”

His mother’s face twisted with embarrassment. “Rowan, darling, we didn’t mean to—”

“I don’t care what you meant,” he snapped. “You crossed a line. Remi is here because she belongs here, and she’s done more for me than either of you ever have.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, and I could see his parents squirming under the scrutiny of the crowd. They had been so sure of their place, so certain of their power, but now they were on the receiving end of the humiliation they had tried to inflict on me.

Rowan’s father finally found his voice. "We were only trying to look out for you, Rowan. You’ve been through enough, and we just... we didn’t want you to make any more mistakes."

Rowan’s expression was cold, unyielding. “The only mistake was how you treated her.”

His mother opened her mouth to speak, but Rowan raised a hand, cutting her off. “This conversation is over. You don’t get to dictate who I associate with. And you certainly don’t get to insult the mother of my children.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. The mother of his children. He had never acknowledged them like that before, and hearing him say it in front of his parents—of all people—felt like a strange mix of relief and panic.

Rowan's parents were clearly taken aback by his declaration. They exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Rowan," his mother said quietly, her voice trembling slightly, "we didn't know."

"Well, now you do," he said, his tone final.

For a moment, no one said anything. The tension was unbearable, and I wanted nothing more than to get out of there. But just as I was about to excuse myself, Rowan turned to me, his gaze softening.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice meant only for me.