by Ivy Blake
I had to hand it to Chloe—she didn’t show a hint of nervousness when we reached my parents house, staying composed about meeting my parents.
“So, let’s go over this once again. We’ve met several months ago when you came to my hospital for a treatment. A few visits later, I invited you on our first date, and we’ve been together ever since,” I recapped our fake story. “We’re exclusive, but we still don’t have any plans for the future.”
“I work as an assistant in a real estate company, and I hope to become a real estate agent.”
“You’re allergic to peanuts.”
“I’m allergic to peanuts.”
“And I hate sports.”
“And you hate sports. Is all of this really necessary? I mean, with the way you’re describing your mother, it sounds like she is an FBI agent. I can’t help but imagine her firing all these questions about me and our relationship.”
“Nah, she’s not that curious, but one can never know.”
I rang the bell and snaked my arm around Chloe’s waist, putting a huge smile on my face. Not even ten seconds later, the door burst open and my mother appeared, throwing her million-watt smile at us.
“Bryce!” she squealed and pulled me into a suffocating hug, cutting my air supply instantly.
“Mom! You’re going to kill me if you keep squeezing me like this.”
She smelled like cookies and home, reminding me of all the things I’d been missing while I was away from home—reminding me of my empty penthouse that lacked any warmth. Pushing these gloomy thoughts aside, I stepped back to introduce Chloe to her.
“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Chloe Lewis. Chloe, this is Ruth Evander—the woman who will call me a thousand times a day until she gets what she wants.”
“Oh, shut up, you,” she said, keeping her smile on her face, and hugged Chloe. “It’s nice to meet you, Chloe, dear. Welcome to our home.”
“It’s good to be here, Mrs. Evander.”
“Oh, please call me Ruth.” She winked at her before she threw me an inquisitive glance. “I’m curious as to why Bryce didn’t mention anything about bringing you here tonight!”
I rolled my eyes, not surprised by her reproof in the least. I was sure that if I’d told her about Chloe she would go above and beyond to make Chloe feel at home.
“It’s okay, Ruth,” Chloe replied politely, and a feeling of awe settled in my chest. She was amazing at handling this—acting politely and with class. She glanced at me, her lips curling up in a mischievous smile. “It was an eleventh-hour decision, after all, so I apologize if this is inconvenient for you.”
“Oh, nonsense! Look at you, all formal! Relax, we’re family! But why are we still standing here? Come in!”
She moved aside to let us in, and I took Chloe’s hand, relieved that mom didn’t make a fuss about me bringing Chloe.
“Roger! Your son and his girlfriend are here!”
“His girlfriend?” we heard him say from the living room, and a few moments later, he appeared in the hallway. His gray eyebrows furrowed slightly as he assessed Chloe, right before an approving grin formed on his face.
“Hello, son,” he said and hugged me with one arm, patting my back with the other.
“Hey, Dad.” I motioned at Chloe. “Meet Chloe. My girlfriend.”
For a brief moment, Chloe’s and my eyes met, creating an unusual feeling in my chest. Even to my own ears, those two words of endearment sounded too intimate.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Chloe said and shook hands with my dad. “Bryce has told me a lot about you.”
He guffawed. “I hope he mentioned only good things.”
“Absolutely.”
We continued to the dining room, which held massive amounts of food, as if my mother had prepared dinner for ten people, a huge turkey occupying the center of the table. Light music played in the background, adding to this rather cute wintery scene, and I could see Chloe reveling in it.
“So, how did you two meet?” my mother asked us a half-way through our dinner.
I was a bit tipsy after a few glasses of wine, finding this time with my parents to be more enjoyable than I’d thought. My dad engaged himself in conversation more than usual, trying to impress Chloe with the stories from his college days when he played football and aspired to be making a career out of it. Chloe gave him full attention, eagerly listening to his stories, and I wondered if she was going out of her way to please my father only because she was trying to do her job as best she could, or she was genuinely interested in what he had to say.
I caught myself wanting this to be real. There was a part of me that enjoyed this illusion too much, and I had to remind myself that she was just my assistant and nothing else.
“Chloe was my patient,” I answered her. “She was having a terrible cold, and it lasted for a few weeks.” I caught Chloe’s hand on the table. “Isn’t that right, sweetie?”
“Yes. I was so sick that I had to come to Bryce’s office several times. Little by little, we got to know more about each other and found out that we share similar interests.”
“So one thing led to another, and a few weeks later, we got together,” I said and took a sip of my wine.
“I’m a bit surprised that you didn’t mention her to me at all,” Mom told me, a hint of reproach coloring her voice.
“You know how he is, Ruth,” Dad interjected. “He never tells us anything these days.”
“Dad, don’t start. You know I’ve been really busy.”
He raised his hands in the air. “Alright. I won’t. But you know how your mother and I feel about it. If you hadn’t appeared tonight, she would’ve started a war here.”
Mom smacked his hand. “Oh, stop it! Anyway, how long have you two been together?”
“Seven months,” Chloe replied.
My parents looked at each other with identical smiles on their faces, and I knew what kind of thoughts circulated in their minds. Seven months wasn’t a short period of time, and since I brought Chloe here that could only mean this relationship was serious. I wasn’t surprised in the least when the next question popped up.
“So do you two have plans to, you know, get married?” my mom asked.
Mothers. They never get uncomfortable asking about this, as if it was the most normal thing to ask.
“Mom! Don’t push it. We’re taking it easy for now. Maybe in the future, but let’s not rush it, okay?”
Dad shook his head at this. “Young people these days. Taking it easy? What are you waiting for? You’re already thirty-four.”
Chloe reached for my hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I appreciated this gesture of support.
“Bryce is currently busy in the hospital, so at the moment, we can’t make any plans,” Chloe responded calmly with a polite smile on her face.
Mom frowned and glared at me, dissatisfied with this. “Bryce, what is happening with you? I understand that you love work and all, but don’t you think you’re overdoing it? Why can’t you slow down for a change?”
And just like that, my mood dropped, her preaching ruffling my feathers. “Mom, Chloe didn’t come here to listen to this same old argument. Please, can you leave it be?”
Thankfully, Dad changed the topic, asking Chloe if she liked fishing, but I saw that Mom didn’t want to drop this. She didn’t mention anything for the rest of our dinner, talking with Chloe about her favorite TV shows, but each time she looked at me, the frown lines around her mouth appeared, and it irked me.
“Bryce, love, will you come with me to the kitchen and help me with desserts?” she asked me and stood up, heading to the kitchen without even waiting for my answer.
I met Chloe’s worried gaze and shrugged my shoulders, hating that she had to witness this.
“I’ll be right back,” I told her and went after my mother, preparing myself for yet another argument.
8
Chloe
Things took a turn for the worse, I thought, worried abo
ut Bryce. I glanced at the door, wondering if he was okay. They were in the kitchen more than ten minutes already, and I was becoming anxious, tapping my foot on the floor repeatedly.
Mr. Evander noticed me looking at the door, and he let a long sigh out.
“I’m sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable. You weren’t supposed to see that.”
“It’s okay. I have similar arguments with my parents, so don’t worry about it.” I smiled at him, feeling more comfortable next to him than I had thought I would be.
I had imagined Bryce’s parents to be stricter—more formal—but they were down to earth people who welcomed me warmly to their home and showed nothing but respect. I felt nice here, and I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed this pretence a little bit too much. A pang of guilt filled my chest because they were so nice, and I was deceiving them, pretending to be Bryce’s girlfriend. How would they react if they knew I was just his assistant? Just the girl he was sleeping with?
“It’s just that he’s working so hard. Too hard. And we can’t help but be worried about him. It seems like he’s obsessed with succeeding, failing to see what he already has.” He exhaled a long sigh, staring at some spot on the table. “I’m just afraid that when he realized that the life is short, it would be too late.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bryce always wanted to be a doctor. This was his biggest dream, and Ruth and I were more than happy when he started working in the hospital. He was finally doing something he’s been dreaming about his whole life. But then he began earning money, and somehow, his interests shifted. He wasn’t just a doctor anymore—he was a businessman—and we got to see him less and less.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. It was true that Bryce was super ambitious and had his full focus on expanding his business, but I’d thought that was something he had wanted all along.
“I’m sorry for bothering you with this. We just hope that since he has you now, he’ll be able to see some things from a different perspective. Maybe he would be able to focus on what truly matters instead of just chasing more money and power.”
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I told him I needed to go to the bathroom and excused myself. On my way down the hallway, I passed the kitchen and halted when Bryce’s and Ruth’s voices reached me. It seemed like they were arguing about work.
I tiptoed to the corner and peeked around it, spotting Bryce and his mother in the middle of the kitchen. My pulse accelerated when I saw Bryce’s face twisted in anger as he glared at his mother.
“You’re working too much, Bryce. I wouldn’t be surprised if you came here with business in mind.”
This hit close to home, and I saw Bryce wince. I thought he was going to tell her about going to see the hospital while we were here, but he didn’t, dodging her remark with a complaint about tonight’s dinner.
“Every single time. I was hoping to come here and have a nice dinner for a change, but no, you had to mock me and my work right in front of Chloe. And of all nights, you had to ruin this one. It was supposed to be a calm, family dinner, not a battlefield. Tonight was supposed to be about Dad, remember?”
“We just want the best for you, Bryce. We see how much this wears you down. You’re different.”
Bryce crossed his arms. “I’m not different.”
“Yes, you are. What are you doing with your life? Before, you were so passionate about your work. Now it’s all about those business meetings and money.”
“What are you talking about?” I flinched at Bryce’s sharp voice. I’d never heard him speak like this. “I am passionate about my work. It’s just that my aspirations have changed.”
“But why? I just want you to be a good doctor. Why are your aspirations so high? You used to love medicine, but these days I don’t even know anymore what you want. I’m afraid you’ve lost your vision.”
“I haven’t lost my vision, Mom. It’s just that my perspective has changed. I still love medicine, but this is better for everyone.”
“How is this better?”
“If I manage to expand my business, I’d be able to help more people. I’d make sure those hospitals provide the best service possible to clients.”
“I believe you would help people more if you went back there and worked with your patients, especially if you dedicate your time to research again. Imagine how much more that would mean to people. You’re so smart, Bryce, so don’t waste your skills and time on something like business and investment. That is not you.”
Deciding I’d heard enough, I moved away silently and went into the bathroom, my mind reeling with thoughts of their conversation.
I didn’t like seeing Bryce so conflicted. It was obvious that medicine was his life, but he was also a businessman, and I was sure he could be successful if he expanded his business. On the other hand, his mother was right. Somehow, it seemed that all Bryce was running after was power and more money, and he was already having more than enough money to last him a lifetime.
If he could go back to medicine and research, he would be able to find himself again and stop overexerting himself with work. He would be able to realize there was something else but that endless chase for money, and his parents would stop bothering him about work.
I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling like I’d crossed some invisible line when it came to Bryce. I wasn’t supposed to care this much about his future or his relationship with his parents. I wasn’t supposed to feel this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that was telling me that maybe Ruth was right, and Bryce was completely wrong. Maybe he had lost he way.
I wasn’t supposed to feel anything, but here I was—feeling more than I wanted to admit myself—and I wondered what I was going to do about it.
9
Bryce
I was livid. I wanted to tell my mother so much, but I restrained myself since everything that came to my mind was so ugly that would turn this dinner into a downright disaster.
I’d given up a long time ago on my parents accepting my plans, determined to make the most out of my business with or without their support. Their reluctance to support me was one of the reasons why I’d stopped visiting them as often as before. Sometimes, I just wasn’t ready to listen to their lectures about my career, so I used my work as an excuse not to see them.
Tonight my mother had crossed the line. Chloe was already doing me a big favor by pretending to be my girlfriend, so she wasn’t supposed to witness our arguments. She wasn’t supposed to deal with my emotional baggage. So having Chloe hear my mother giving me the same old reproval was more than enough to make me furious.
All I’d asked for was one normal dinner with my family. What I’d gotten? And they said this was all about the family time, what a joke.
“I’m not wasting my skills or passion, Mother.” I always called her mother when I was mad at her. “I’m putting them to a very good use, but of course you wouldn’t understand that. I’m done with trying to make you understand me. All you’ve been doing these last few years is showing me again and again how disappointed you are with me, and I’m tired of it. I think it will be best if Chloe and I leave now.”
She scowled, hurt by my sudden decision. “What? No, love, don’t say that. Please, let’s calm down. We’re supposed to have a nice family dinner…”
“Like you just said—we’re supposed to have a nice family dinner, but it’s nothing like that. Chloe doesn’t have to listen to us bickering all the time. That is why it’s the best to end our dinner here.”
“No, Bryce, wait!”
I left the kitchen annoyed with my mother, set on making this project successful more than ever.
***
My mood went south the last night and it only got worse after the restless night. I’d been barely able to sleep, rolling around in my bed, the argument I’d had with my mother playing on repeat in my mind.
They didn’t understand. They didn’t understand how hard I worked for my future, considering me overly ambiti
ous and wide of the mark. If only they took a look at a bigger picture, they would be able to understand how much this meant to me, even though being a doctor and helping my patients had been something I’d dreamed about from the start.
This had been a toss-up, but the pros of developing my own business were too good to disregard. I was making more money than ever, wasn’t I? What was wrong about securing my future and the future of my family?
Still, there was a voice deep within my mind that kept telling me that maybe my parents were right. Maybe my argument was full of holes and I’d been making a grave mistake here.
We had left my parents house soon after I got out of the kitchen, and even though my father didn’t tell me anything, his expression spoke volumes—he was yet again disappointed with me. Chloe and I didn’t speak at all during our ride back to the hotel, which only made my anxiety levels rise, and I wished she didn’t have to see me like this.
The rough sex we’d had before we went to sleep was good, but it couldn’t relieve me from stress, so when I woke up this morning and took Chloe to the hospital for the tour, I was ready to spit fire. I was supposed to take it slow, but as we walked through the corridors, listening to the representatives’ spiels, I was unable to stop grumbling.
“This place doesn’t look the way I imagined it to be,” I said straightforward.
“It doesn’t?” Mr. Roberts, one of the sellers, asked, stopping mid-step to look at me.
“I looked at the documents you provided, but they show something completely different. The capacity is insufficient, and the placement of the wards isn’t right. The whole place is structured wrong.”
“But, sir, we assure you that with a minimal investment, it will be able to reach its maximum potential.”
“I would already be investing enough money into this property. I don’t want to go bankrupt just fixing this place.” Okay, that had been an exaggeration, but I needed to get my point across.
“Sir, consider the location and its long-time competitiveness,” Mr. Meyers, the other representative, said. “It occupies one of the best spots in the area, and it would provide you many clients.”
