Eliza's POV-
After my exams I was meeting Jenna in the cafe near my college. She was finally ready to talk to me after ignoring me for weeks.
I ordered us drinks and some chocolate croissants. My best friend entered the cafe like the fashionista she was, wearing a suit and sunglasses. She was the kind of person who wasn't afraid to say what's on her mind.
"Hey," I said in a small voice.
"What did you want to talk about, traitor?" She sat down opposite to me.
"Come on, Jenna. Cut me some slack. I even bought us chocolate croissants." I gestured towards the croissants.
"Hey, you owe me that much after getting married without telling me." She gave me a pointed look.
"Will give me a chance to explain what has happened?" I said.
"Go ahead. I have an hour before I have to go back to the hospital." She said.
I told her the truth about what had happened. There was no use of hiding it from her.
"So, you married him because you were broke and he wanted a faux wife?" She said.
"Well it sounds bad when you say it like that." I said.
"It is bad." She said.
"How?" I asked.
"Do you really think you'll be able to live with someone for that long without catching feelings for him?" She asked.
"I won't catch any feelings. Also our relationship is simply an arrangement." I argued.
"Didn't sound that way when you were talking about him right now." She sipped her frappucino.
"Now you are just making something out of nothing." I said.
"Maybe, but it's better to be careful." She said.
"I will be careful. So, are we back to normal again?" I asked hopefully.
"Yeah. But you owe me." She said.
"How?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't get to be you maid of honour. We never had a bachelorette party. We didn't go wedding shopping or do a photoshoot. We missed so much. Do you even know many things we couldn't do which best friends are supposed to do!" She quite literally banged the table with each of her word.
"We can do it for your wedding." I suggested.
"If it happens." She muttered before sipping her drink.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Nothing." She said.
"Jenna Young, what were you talking about?" I used my strict voice.
"Me and Carter aren't exactly on the same page about the wedding. He wants to wait and I want to have it in a time period of 6 months." She said.
"So, what have you decided to do?" I asked.
"For now we are waiting." She didn't sound too happy about it.
"Anyways forget about me. Are you going to Chincoteague next week?" She asked.
"Yeah. How can I not go? My parents will murder me." I said.
This weekend was Halloween and my parents' 25th Anniversary. Yes, my parents got married on Halloween. Their choices always have been weird. Every year I got back for 3 days. This year my brother was coming with me.
"Holy freaking hotness! Who is that?" Jenna's eyes were wide as tennis balls staring at something outside the cafe.
I turned to look at who she was talking about and it was none other than Vincent Chae in his dark brooding aura entering the cafe looking like he just came from a funeral. He looked straight at me and the look in his eyes almost made me spit my drink out. He walked towards me and rested his hand to the back of my chair.
"Why did you tell Simon not to pick you up?" He asked.
"I am in the middle of something, can we do this later?" I whispered.
"Who the hell are you ask her that?" Jenna said. I knew that voice, it was her 'You better hope your stars are lucky' voice. Because that voice like the warning before a tornado.
"Jenna, calm down. Let me introduce you both. This is my husband Vincent Chae and Vincent this is my best friend Jenna Young." I said.
"This rude person is your husband, I seriously expected better from you." Jenna said.
"Excuse me?" Vincent looked offended.
"Hey, rude person, come here." Jenna motioned Vincent to come near her. Vincent looked hesitant so Jenna got up and put her hand over his shoulder. He looked so confused it was hilarious.
"Listen to me carefully, Vincent Chae. I don't care who you are or how rich you are, if you hurt my best friend I will kidnap you, torture you then kill you and chop your body down to pieces and hide in places no one will be able find. Trust me, I am a general surgeon so I make it hurt like hell." She said in the most menacing tone I have ever heard. Vincent still looked confused.
"Anyways, I gotta get back to the hospital. I'll see you around, rude person." Jenna took her things and walked away.
"Are all your friends psychopaths?" Vincent asked.
"No. Just this one." I got up.
"We have to go to Yu Eun's kindergarten first." He said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Today is their monthly parent meet. What usually happens is their teacher shows all their work, drawings, etc. and discusses about any concerns if there are." We got into his car. After awhile I spoke,
"By the way I won't be home this weekend."
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"It's my parents' anniversary. I am going home." I said.
"Oh. For how many days?" He asked.
"About 3 days." I said.
"Fine." He said.
We reached at Lily's kindergarten in about 20 minutes. This wasn't the kindergarten I remembered because this looked like a private school. There were parents everywhere with their expensive cars and designer clothes. Some of them I knew because of Lily's playdates but the rest were complete strangers.
If I am being honest I felt out of place right now. I knew this was bound to happen after marrying Vincent but I didn't expect it to be this overwhelming. For the first time a strange fear was growing inside me.
What if Lily will be embarrassed about me being her mother? What if I embarrass Vincent?
No matter how much any body tells me otherwise I knew I wasn't at their level. He had grown up in a wealthy family and he was the CEO of a multi national company while I was raised in middle class family and was struggling student.
Then the worst doubt of all formed,
What if I am not good enough of a mother for Lily and Jamie? What if they needed someone like Celestine to be their mother?
She was just like these mothers. Rich, fashionable and of their level. My hands grew clammy from just thinking about it.
"Hey, are you okay?" Vincent's voice brought me out of my overthinking.
"Huh? Yeah. I am fine. Totally fine." My voice was shaky.
"Eliza, what happened?" Vincent stopped walking and turned to me.
"Nothing." I said.
"Something is bothering you. Your face is paler than a ghost. Remember the promise we made yesterday to tell each other everything." He placed both of his hands on my shoulder.
"Not everything." I tried to sound funny.
"Eliza," He used his dad voice.
"Hey, don't go all strict dad on me." I said.
"Then tell me what happened," He said.
"I just feel like I don't fit in as a mom here." I said.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"What if Lily's embarrassed of me?" I felt dejected.
"What are you talking about? Lily loves you as her mother. Remember how she wanted you to be there with her while she was cutting her birthday cake. And do you think I'll just make anyone my kids's mother. I knew how much both of the kids loved you that's why I asked you to marry me. You are the best mother they could ever have," He said.
"Really?" I asked. His words were comforting. The fact that he felt this way was really important for me.
"Definitely. And if you don't believe me look behind you." He turned me and I saw Lily running from across to me.
"Appa! Mommy!" She screamed. Her voice calmed me down and the smile on her face made a smile on mine. She reached me and hugged me.
"Hello, sweetheart." I picked her up.
"Hi, mommy." She said.
"Don't I get greeted?" Vincent asked.
"Hello, Appa." Lily said giddily.
"How was you day?" I asked.
"Awesome. We made pictures and drawings of our family today." She said.
"Really?" I said.
"Yeah, come on. I'll show you." She got down and held my hand.
"You both go ahead, I'll go and meet the teacher." Vincent said. I nodded.
Lily took me to her classroom. There was a pin board covered with drawings of 5 year olds.
"That one is mine." Lily pointed at the topmost picture. There were four stick people labeled Appa, Me, My brother and Mommy.
"It is beautiful." I said.
"You like it?" She asked.
"I love it." I removed my phone to click a picture of it.
"I'll show you the playground!" Lily dragged me by my hand to their playground.
Some kids were playing football there and Lily joined them. I stood by the sidelines. I took out painkillers from my bag, it had been around 4 hours since I took one and I could feel the pain kicking in again. While was drinking water Lily shouted,
"Mommy, watch out!" I turned and saw a football flying straight at me, before I could duck a hand stopped it from hitting me in the face. It was Killian Carson, he was Vincent's clients.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, thank you." I said.
"No problem." He turned towards the kids and threw the ball at them. "Be careful, kids."
"You here for the parents meet?" He asked me.
"Yep." I said.
"Me too." He said.
"I didn't know you had kids." I said.
"I don't." He said. I raised my eyebrow in a questioning way.
"I am here for my nephew. My sister and her brother-in-law are out of town so, he staying with me." He clarified.
"Oh," I said.
"Are you here alone?" He asked.
"No, Vincent's meeting the teacher right now." I gestured towards the school building.
"Out of curiosity, how did you two meet? I don't see anything common between you two." He said.
"I was working for him, that's how we met." I said.
"So, you had a workplace stockholm syndrome because no one would willingly marry the devil." He said. I laughed at that.
"Excuse me, mister." Lily's came out of nowhere. She standing near Killian.
"Yes, princess." Killian said in a soft tone.
"She married, so stay away from her. Or my appa will punch you." Lily said.
Killian burst out laughing while I looked a Lily in horror. "Lily!" I exclaimed.
"She is absolutely right." Vincent's voice came from behind us.
Vincent's POV-
I came out of Yu Eun's class after talking to her teacher. Yu Eun's progress and all aspects were excellent according to her teacher. I felt so proud of my daughter. I searched for her and Eliza. I saw Yu Eun on the football field with her friends so Eliza also must be there. I went there.
Eliza was standing by the side lines but she wasn't alone. That idiot Killian was also there. They were standing too close for my liking. There should've been atleast a distance of 3 feet between them. What was he even doing here? He wasn't a parent. I walked towards them and when I saw Eliza laughing at something that dumbass said my blood boiled.
When I reached to them I saw Yu Eun talking to Killian and what she said made me even proud of her.
"She absolutely right." I walked to Eliza and stood beside her lightly placing and arm around her waist. She looked at me with a strange face
"It's nice to see you here Vincent." Killian said.
"I am a parent so I will ofcourse be here but I don't get why you are here." I said.
"I am here for my nephew." He said.
"Well it was nice seeing you but, we have to leave now. See you at the next meeting." I said extending my hand. He took it and I stepped closer to him. I leaned in so only me and him could hear what I was saying.
"I am letting you go right now but if I see you anywhere near my wife again I'll make sure you won't be able to see the light of day again." I whispered to him and let go of the handshake. I saw the color of his face drain away. He immediately turned around and walked away.
"Let's go, shall we?" I buttoned my suit.
"Can we get ice cream in the way home?" Yu Eun asked.
"Sure." I said. I took her school bag in one hand and held her hand with the other. We started walking to our car.
"What did say to him that he looked like that?" Eliza asked.
"Nothing for you to worry about. Which ice cream do you want?" I changed the subject.