Chapter 6
1048 Words
Emily stood in front of the Daniels’ family home, staring at the front door like it was a portal to her own personal nightmare.
She had been dreading this dinner all day.
Her mother, Stella Daniels, was relentless when it came to marriage. Not love. Not happiness. Marriage. Preferably to a rich man who could make their family’s financial troubles disappear.
Which was exactly why she had invited Ryan Blackwood.
Her fake boyfriend.
She exhaled sharply. Let’s just get this over with.
Ryan, standing beside her, glanced at her sideways. "You look like you’re about to run."
"I might," she muttered.
His lips curved slightly. "Well, that would be unfortunate. I’d have to go in alone and endure an interrogation about why my ‘girlfriend’ abandoned me."
Emily shot him a glare. "You enjoy this, don’t you?"
"A little," he admitted, knocking on the door.
Before Emily could make a final attempt at escape, the door swung open, revealing Stella Daniels in all her overbearing glory.
"Emily! Finally!" Her mother beamed, her eyes immediately shifting to Ryan. "And you must be Ryan! Oh my, you’re even more handsome in person!"
Ryan, ever the charmer, gave her a polite smile. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Daniels."
Her mother practically melted. "Oh, call me Stella! Come in, come in!"
Emily sighed, already regretting this entire thing.
As they stepped inside, her father, Williams Daniels, sat in his usual armchair, watching TV with little interest in the guests. Her younger brother, Evans, barely spared them a glance before focusing back on his phone.
Classic.
"Let’s eat!" Stella chirped, ushering them to the dining table like a wedding planner arranging a royal banquet.
Emily had never felt more uncomfortable in her own home.
The food was delicious Emily would give her mom that much. But the company?
Torture.
"So, Ryan," Stella began, eyes gleaming. "Tell me, how serious are you about my daughter?"
Emily nearly choked on her drink. For God’s sake, Mom!
Ryan, unfazed, set his glass down and met Stella’s gaze with a calm, unreadable expression. "Very serious."
Emily whipped her head around to look at him, barely holding back a stunned, "Excuse me?!"
Stella, meanwhile, looked thrilled. "Oh, how wonderful! And tell me, dear, do you believe in marriage? Because Emily is getting older, and it’s about time she settles down with a capable man."
Emily’s hands clenched into fists under the table.
Ryan’s lips twitched, but his face remained impossibly composed. "I believe in taking things at the right pace. Marriage isn’t something to rush."
Translation: Leave me alone, woman.
Unfortunately, Stella did not get the hint.
"Well, of course," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "But you don’t want to waste time either! A man like you needs a good wife to take care of him."
Emily felt her face heat with pure mortification.
Ryan, however, seemed amused. "I assure you, Stella, Emily takes excellent care of me."
Emily kicked him under the table. Hard.
His smirk deepened.
Stella sighed dramatically. "Oh, if only Emily would understand that a woman’s job is to secure her future with the right man. I tell her all the time"
"Mom," Emily cut in, voice sharp. "Drop it."
Stella huffed but finally focused on eating instead of ruining Emily’s life.
Ryan leaned toward Emily slightly, his voice low so only she could hear. "This is fun."
She turned to him with murder in her eyes. "I will stab you with my fork."
Ryan just chuckled.
Halfway through dinner, Emily couldn’t take it anymore.
She needed air.
She excused herself and rushed to the bathroom, gripping the sink as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
God.
Her mother was unbearable.
She had known this would be bad, but tonight had reached a whole new level of hell.
Just as she was starting to breathe again, the door swung open, and Stella walked in.
Emily groaned internally.
"Mom," she said tightly. "Please don’t start"
"Emily, listen to me," Stella interrupted, closing the door behind her. "You have a golden opportunity here. A man like Ryan Blackwood doesn’t come around twice."
Emily stiffened.
Here we go.
Her mother stepped closer, her eyes alight with greed, not love. "You need to lock him down before he realizes he can do better."
Emily’s stomach twisted. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, don’t look at me like that," Stella scoffed. "You know as well as I do that he’s out of your league. Powerful. Wealthy. The kind of man who can give you everything. And us."
There it was.
And us.
Because that’s all this was about, wasn’t it?
Not Emily’s happiness. Not her future. Just her mother’s constant need for financial security.
"You’re unbelievable," Emily muttered.
"I’m being practical," Stella corrected. "You always complain about working so hard well, here’s your chance to live in luxury. Marry him, Emily. Convince him you're the perfect wife. Make him want you."
Emily’s hands shook with anger.
"Mom," she said through clenched teeth, "Ryan is not some meal ticket for this family."
Stella scoffed. "You’re so naïve. Do you think men marry for love? No, dear, they marry for convenience. You just have to make yourself convenient enough."
Emily felt sick.
She had always known her mother thought like this. But hearing it out loud? Hearing her own mother tell her to manipulate a man into marrying her just for money?
It hurt.
More than she would ever admit.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "You really don’t care about me, do you?"
Stella’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t be dramatic."
Emily shook her head, done with this conversation.
"Enjoy the rest of dinner, Mom," she said coldly, pushing past her and walking out of the restroom without looking back.
But as she made her way back to the table, forcing a smile as she sat beside Ryan, her entire world felt different.
Because now, she was keeping a secret.
A secret she would never tell him.
Because if there was one thing she refused to do…
It was become the woman her mother wanted her to be.
- Writer
