The Unwanted Promise (New Cover, Same Story)

16. Welcome Home

"Okay," Bee said. He was unwinding down for the night. "Don't stay up too late."

I put my acting skills to use and stayed calm. My in-laws didn't suspect a thing, and it was better this way. Nothing would have changed if they knew, they probably would have used it as an excuse to confront me of what they thought of me. But because of how bitter it left me, I was more quiet than usual. Even after everything that occurred, I still continued in my normal daily life. I had to, to stay as normal as possible.

Life couldn't stay that great though. We all could have continued on as if it didn't bother us, but sooner or later someone was going to burst. It had been two weeks since overhearing Bee's parents' conversation. Everybody in the house was home for dinner. We would be sharing the table as we never had the chance to all eat together. The girls and I had prepared the table, and we were calling everyone to come.

Dinner started out normal. We ate, and conversed. Nothing seemed out of place. There was actual laughter at our table. I laughed and joined in on the topic. Dinner continued and I could feel something change in the room. I had always hoped my mother-in-law would never turn into the types of mother-in-laws worthy to be put into movies. It happened though. She glared at me and finally spoke up.

"Nou Hli, I have something I want to say to you."

I looked to her and replied, "Mother, is something the matter? If you have something to tell me, please let me know."

"I want to know what you are doing all the time on the computer. You never leave it, and you don't even have a real job. If you want a real job, you need to finish school. Do you know what our family had to go through just to be here. We didn't almost die for you to be on your computer all the time."

"But mom," Sophie tried to intervene. Everybody was frozen with shock. Bee rolled his eyes and sighed. My father-in-law shook his head and tsked. Chia had her mouth open. Gabe was somehow still stuffing his face through it all.

"Don't interrupt Sophie. You are no better, running away with your friends. If Bee didn't marry Nou Hli, I'm willing to bet that she would be running around the country too. Maybe that is what she is planning to do too, since she is always on the computer. How do we know she doesn't have a secret lover she is talking to all the time?"

"You better stop talking your nonsense. I've already let you say this much, how much more do you want to go?" Bee's father stepped in.

Bee himself had been quiet through it all, and after his dad he finally spoke up. "Mother. I know how you feel, but you can not be thinking like that. If you have no proof of what Nou Hli is doing, you have no rights to accuse of her like that."

Bee stands up now, he grabs my wrist as well. "Luna," he directs towards me, "are you cheating on me?"

From my seat I look up at him. There was heat in his eyes and nothing to give away. No sense of security or no sense of side. Shaking my head I tell him, "No. I would never cheat on you."

Bee looks to his mother and tells her, "Do you hear that. Are you pleased now. Nou Hli has never asked you to buy her anything, and the meals we eat half the time comes from her. She works and she works hard at what she does. You don't have to like it, but don't look at it as if it's nothing. Come on Luna."

Without finishing my meal, I am being dragged away. In minutes we are safely hidden in our room. Still surrounded by darkness, Bee pulls me into him and engulfs me in a hug. The thought of what happen hits me and of course I am crying once again.

Once I've calmed down enough I pull away from Bee's body. He directs me towards the bed and sits me down. While I sit, he goes to turn on our little desk lamp and returns to sit by me. We are quiet and Bee grabs my hand, studying the details.