Rosalind felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety as the situation deviated from the script she had envisioned.
Where would Malcolm find two people to portray his parents? And if this scenario continued, wouldn’t it turn into an ongoing series with her mother constantly causing trouble?
Observing Malcolm step out of the ward to make a phone call, Rosalind furrowed her brow and expressed her concern, “Mom, you’re taking this too far! His parents have jobs too, they can’t simply come whenever you want them to.”
“He was the one who claimed his parents wanted to meet me. So why should I object to it?”
Eva had conceived numerous ways to verify whether her daughter was genuinely married or merely being deceived by a wealthy man!
Caught in a difficult position, Rosalind glanced towards the door and proposed, “Let me go and see how he’s communicating with his parents. If it’s inconvenient, can you please not make it so difficult for him? Perhaps we can reschedule and allow them some time to prepare.”
“No.” Eva adamantly refused, “If the two of you are attempting to deceive me, should I give you time to find actors?”
…
Rosalind located Malcolm at a corner outside the ward by following his voice.
Upon seeing her, he smiled reassuringly and spoke softly, “Don’t worry, my parents said they will come after getting ready.”
Rosalind was taken aback, “You actually called them?”
“Yes!” Malcolm understood her concerns and wanted to alleviate her worries. “Since I agreed to help you today, I will see it through to the end! When Tilda informed me about your mother’s situation, I anticipated how she might verify our relationship and informed my parents in advance. They happily agreed and even praised you for being filial.”
“Mr. Hines, I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
For a moment, she had even contemplated revealing the truth to her mother!
“Please don’t call me Mr. Hines, call me Malcolm!”
Rosalind nodded but forgot.
“Malcolm.”
“That’s right. For now, let’s set aside your principles for the sake of our objective.”
She lowered her gaze, her strength making her appear fragile. “Thank you, and… please apologize to my mom on my behalf.”
“Why apologize? As a mother, it’s only natural for her to want to know about her daughter’s boyfriend. She’s acting out of concern for you, and I understand that.”
As a teacher who had encountered many parents over the years, he had a deep understanding of their worries.
Rosalind moved her lips but ultimately remained silent.
It was challenging for her to explain her complicated family dynamics to others or describe her mother’s intimidating control.
When they returned to the ward, Eva maintained her silence, arms crossed, waiting for Malcolm’s parents to arrive.
Rosalind fetched a chair for him and then took her place by her mother’s bedside.
Instinctively reaching for her phone, she noticed two messages from Ulric on WhatsApp!
Ulric:
[Remember not to return to Easthaven Bay before ten tonight.]
He had sent this message shortly after she finished work.
The most recent message was from five minutes ago.
Ulric:
[Who are you with?]
Rosalind hesitated for a while before carefully typing a few words:
[At the hospital with my mom.]
Soon, Ulric replied:
[I’m on my way to the hospital now.]