Chapter 8 Meeting His Mother
I was on strict bed rest, but I noticed something right away–my brother Douglas had changed.
He was more manly and not the little boy I left. He seemed to have grown up. He could also afford whatever I wanted.
For once in our lives we didn’t complain of money.
“Do you need anything else?” he asked one morning, placing a tray of food on my lap.
“No,” I smiled weakly. “Thank you.”
The maids treated me kindly. So did the nurse who helped with my injuries.
Every time she cleaned the bruises or changed the bandages on my arms, I winced. But she was gentle.
“You’ll be up and running soon,” she said kindly.
And she was right. After two weeks, I was finally able to get out of bed and walk around.
Still, the nightmares wouldn’t stop. I kept seeing the cliff. Kept hearing the roar of the water below. Kept feeling my fingers slip…
I would’ve died that morning.
If Douglas hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t be here.
Silas never came by after that day. And it made me wonder.
“Where’s Silas?” I asked Douglas as we sat in the sunroom.
“He’s been busy,” Douglas said casually.
“Too busy to check on me?” I mumbled.
Douglas sipped his coffee, ignoring my sarcasm.
Later tha
same day, Douglas came home with a man in a suit.
“Who’s this?” I asked, standing in the living room.
“This is Mr. Bowen,” Douglas said. “He’s a lawyer. He brought your divorce papers.”
My heart jumped. “Already?”
“You don’t want to stay married to him, do you?” Douglas raised a brow.
“No,” I said quickly, grabbing a pen. “Not for one more second.”
I signed every page.
Mr. Bowen nodded. “I’ll have these sent to Henry immediately.”
I felt… free.
Good riddance.
“Guess it’s over now,” I whispered.
Douglas placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s just the beginning.”
Chapter 8–Meeting His Mother
I turned to him. “What do you mean?” “You’re meeting Silas’s mother today.” My eyes widened. “What?! Why?”
“She wants to meet you.”
“But–Douglas, I’m not ready for that.”
“She’s kind. She’s also sick. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
I didn’t have time to protest.
That evening, Silas came to pick me up.
He stood at the door, staring at me.
“What are you wearing?” he asked.
I blinked. “Just jeans and a blouse…”
“Too casual,” he muttered.
He turned around. “Come on. We’re going shopping.”
“What? Why?”
“You’ll understand.”
We arrived at the mall. I tried on a dozen outfits.
Nothing seemed right–until one dress made him stop.
He stood slowly and walked toward me. His gaze swept from my head to my toes.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
My breath caught.
We were standing too close.
I tried to step back, but I tripped.
“Ah-!”
His arms caught me before I fell.
My face landed on his chest.
His cologne… I inhaled it. It was spicy, woody with a hint of mystery. It made me dizzy as I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
Careful,” he said quietly, his arms still around my waist.
I felt my heart pound.
Then-
‘Have you made your choice?” the shop attendant asked suddenly.
We jumped apart.
Silas cleared his throat. “We’ll take them all.”
‘All of them?” I asked, shocked.
He pulled out a sleek black card. “Yes.”
One swipe. Done.
Chapter 8 – Meeting His Mother
5:15 pm
I bit my lip. Henry didn’t have a black card.
Maybe… marrying Silas wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The car ride was quiet.
We arrived at the hospital. It wasn’t just any hospital–it looked more like a five–star hotel. And apparently, Silas’s family owned it.
We used a private elevator. No buttons. Just a keycard. It took us directly to his mother’s floor.
“Ready?” he asked, adjusting his tie.
“No,” I whispered.
He smirked.
We walked into her room.
I expected a frail old woman.
But the woman by the window was stunning.
Her hair was long and dark, her posture graceful.
Her face lit up when she saw me.
“You must be Jasmine!” she said, opening her arms.
She hugged me warmly. “Are you going to be my daughter–in–law?”
Silas nodded. “Yes, Mother.”
She smiled. “Finally.”
Silas walked to the window while she held my hands.
“I’m Rose Larkin. But please, call me Mother.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay… Mother.”
She touched my cheek. “You’re even prettier than I imagined.”
I didn’t know what to say.
She made me sit beside her. Asked if I was comfortable. If I liked Silas. If I wanted tea. She was so warm, so kind. Like the mother I lost years ago.
It felt strange. But good.
Then came the question. “How did you two meet?”
I glanced at Silas.
He gave a small nod.
We had discussed this.
I smiled. “He’s my brother’s business partner. We met six months ago. He came to the house for
a meeting.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Oh?”
“It was love at first sight… for me,” I admitted shyly. “He was… a bit stiff.”
She laughed.
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5:16 pm &
“But eventually he opened up. We started seeing each other, and now… we’re getting married.” She looked like she was going to cry. “That’s such a sweet love story.”
I laughed, she didn’t need to know the truth, which was that even though my brother was Silas business partner, we hadn’t met at my house, we had met with me dangling off a cliff two weeks
ago.
But she didn’t need to hear this part, stick to the script, Jasmine.
Silas’s phone rang.
He stood. “Excuse me.”
He stepped outside.
Rose turned to me.
“Has Silas told you about his ex?” she asked suddenly.
I blinked. “No.”
She looked serious. “He should’ve.”
“What happened?” I asked, suddenly curious.
She looked down at her hands.
“If you’re going to marry him… you deserve to know.”
