I looked at Selene in surprise, unable to believe she was teaching her child. No wonder Georgie had started to dislike me. It seemed that this whole family was planning to drain Charles dry, like a bunch of vampires.
Before I could say anything, Charles‘ mother called me over. “Celia, Selene, come eat!”
At the dinner table, Charles‘ mother kept serving me food and apologizing profusely.
Finally, she said, “You two have been together for so many years, and everyone supports your relationship. Don’t let something so small affect your feelings for each other.”
That was the final blow. I had no choice but to smile and say, “Don’t worry, Charles and I have always had a good relationship.”
Beside us, Georgie nudged Charles and mumbled, “Uncle, I want the toy from the TV.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll buy it for you,” Charles said gently.
“Uncle, once you get married to Aunt Celia, will you not want me and my mom anymore?”
The entire table went silent. I said nothing and just stared at Charles.
Charles was stunned for a moment before he smiled and said, “How could that be? I’ll always treat you well, Georgie. And your Aunt Celia will be good to you too, right?”
I said nothing, and the atmosphere grew cold again.
Georgie stared at me with dissatisfaction, as if saying, “Look at this bad woman,” which only made my already bad mood worse.
Charles‘ mother tried to smooth things over, saying, “Alright, alright, let’s talk about something serious. Celia, we’ve already paid the down payment for the house. We’re just waiting for you two to go see it and sign your names.”
The underlying message was clear–you two should start planning your wedding.
In fact, after so many years of dating, marriage was already a foregone conclusion. Everyone thought we should get married by now, and even my parents kept urging me. At 26, I was not exactly young anymore, so it was time to settle down.
My thoughts were interrupted by Selene’s displeased voice. “Wait, why didn’t you tell me about buying the house?” She fumed and slammed her cutlery down angrily.
This scene seemed to be a regular occurrence as I watched Charles‘ father comfort her, saying, “It’s their house, what does it have to do with you? Stop causing trouble and eat.”
