CHAPTER 5

The next morning, Raymond left for work as usual, immersing himself in meetings, collaborations, and company affairs. Michelle, on the other hand, had a far less structured day ahead—one that quickly turned into a battlefield of words when Millie asked her to meet at a nearby coffee shop not far from their estate.

Michelle arrived there, already bracing herself for whatever storm Millie had cooked up again. And, as expected, the moment she sat down, Millie wasted no time in launching her attack verbally and not caring about her image.

“How the hell did this happen?” Millie demanded while gritting her teeth in anger, her perfectly manicured nails tapping furiously against the ceramic cup in front of her. “How are you engaged to Raymond Hawthorne? You, of all people?” How could you do this without discussing it with us, your family?

Oh, now I'm their family? These people are so shameless …she thought to herself.

Michelle sighed, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. “Good morning to you too, Millie.”

Millie scoffed. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I'm talking about! You’re not even his type. Raymond is powerful, sophisticated, and wealthy. And you… Well, you’re just you, useless, you don't have anything to your name , and you're totally out of his league.” I am the perfect person to be his wife, not you Michelle, “Because I match him in every aspect, talk about money, class, power…I have everything you lack!” Millie said, obviously agitated.

Michelle clenched her fists under the table, but she kept her voice even. “And yet, here we are.”

Millie’s eyes narrowed. “Mom and Dad had plans for me and Raymond. I was supposed to be the one standing beside him, not you. But, of course, you just had to snatch him away, just like you always do.”

Michelle’s lips pressed into a thin line. What do you mean ? That's a lie and you know it! “You always took everything from me, Millie. Since we were kids, you had everything handed to you on a silver platter, while I was always the afterthought. Can’t you just leave this one thing for me please?” Michelle pleaded, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill. But Millie wasn't one to back down easily—not until she got what she wanted.

Millie let out a laugh, low and sharp. Well, “Enjoy it while it lasts,” she sneered, grabbing her bag. “Raymond will eventually be mine. You’ll see.” And with that, she stormed out of the coffee shop in anger, leaving Michelle staring at her sister's back as she left, she was sad, frustrated and exhausted. She wouldn't let Millie take anything away from her ever again, she vowed silently to herself.

That evening, the engagement dinner was an extravagant affair, held at an exclusive venue that screamed wealth and status. Michelle felt completely out of place, despite the elegant dress she wore. She was deep in thought, still thinking about what happened at the coffee shop. She barely had time to breathe before she was under Eleanor Hawthorne’s scrutiny and questioning.

“So, Michelle,” Eleanor started, her sharp eyes scanning Michelle from head to toe as if accessing her worth. “Tell me, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m an architect,” Michelle answered politely.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow, "Her sharp eyes mirrored those of an eagle, piercing and unyielding.” She was unimpressed. “An architect? That’s… surprising.”

Michelle resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Why is that surprising?”

Eleanor’s smile was tight. “Well, I assumed you were… something else. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Michelle almost choked on her drink. “Excuse me?” Her eyes widened

Eleanor’s expression remained unreadable. “I mean, a woman your age must have dated before. Are you sure there isn't a man lingering in the background?”

Raymond, who had been watching silently, finally intervened. “Mother, enough.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Jonathan Hawthorne, Raymond’s father, had remained mostly silent throughout dinner, observing and only spoke up when necessary. While he wasn’t entirely pleased with Raymond’s sudden decision, he trusted his son enough to not interfere in his business—at least, not yet. “Raymond, are you certain about this? Is this what you want?” he asked after a long pause.

Raymond nodded. “I am.”

Jonathan sighed but relented. “Then I’ll respect your choice.” Michelle seems like a good girl, everything should be fine.. Johnathan thought .

Eleanor, however, was far from satisfied. She exchanged a glance with Millie, who had shown up uninvited. She walked in gracefully, as if the place belonged to her, and took a seat beside her parents. Eleanor’s lips curled into an approving smile as she accessed Millie with her scrutinizing eyes.

Then, Eleanor finally spoke up, her voice dripping with subtle disdain. "Mrs. Davenport, your other daughter, Millie... she looks better and would match Raymond perfectly. They look like the perfect match compared to Michelle, what do you think?"

For the second time that evening, Michelle choked on her drink. The humiliation burned through her as she glanced at Raymond, whose jaw tightened in annoyance but still patted her back gently to calm her down. Henry and Vivian, on the other hand, were visibly pleased with what they heard,they were over the moon , while Millie sat with a smug expression clearly happy with what she heard, staring straight at Michelle as if to say, "I told you so."

Raymond finally reacted, he slammed his glass onto the table in anger, his voice cold and thick. "Mother, I’m getting married to Michelle, and that’s final." There's nothing you can do to change my mind, he added.

Eleanor pursed her lips, she was surprised because she had never seen Raymond behave that way especially to her, but after seeing the anger in her son’s eyes. She sighed and relented, dropping the subject—for now.

Jonathan, who had been silently enjoying his meal, finally spoke up again. "Eleanor, let Raymond do whatever makes him happy. He’s an adult and he knows what he’s doing."

With that, the topic was buried, though the tension lingered. Millie was unhappy with how Raymond was protecting Michelle, she was jealous, her eyes glinting with malice but she decided that she would let her parents handle Michelle and try to get Raymond for her before she executed her own plans.

After the dinner, Raymond and Michelle returned to his penthouse. Michelle had already packed her things the night before and moved in, but she was staying in the guest room.

Raymond loosened his tie, glancing at her. “Are you okay?”

Michelle sighed as she flopped onto the couch. “I survived. Barely.”

He chuckled. “My mother can be… thorough.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Michelle muttered. “I felt like I was in an interrogation room. Your mom was practically looking for reasons to call off the engagement.”

Raymond shrugged. “Let her dig. She won’t find anything.”

Michelle let out a small laugh. “Unless she starts investigating my high school grades. If she finds my math scores, I’m doomed.”

Raymond chuckled, the sound deep and unexpected. Don't worry, “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”

For a brief moment, the tension lifted. But Michelle knew this was just the calm before the storm. And judging by the way Eleanor had looked at her, a storm was definitely brewing, one that would be challenging to handle.