Eve’s POV.
I sighed heavily as I looked round the suite room. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be doing this but I just had to. I know it broke one of the clauses that said I shouldn’t tell anyone about what’s going on between me and Jason but Jason already had someone who knew and I couldn’t bear to keep a secret from Max anymore especially as my face is plastered on every part of the world as the wife of Jason Coleman, a rich business tycoon.
And my parents didn’t even make it any better instead they called to ask me silly questions that are starting to get on my nerves.
This contract marriage has only been a week long. I haven’t even set my eyes on the so-called husband and whenever I had the chance to see him, he always came home smelling like women’s perfume. Not that I cared if he was having an affair but even if this was a pretend marriage, it wasn’t fair if he was seeing someone else because I couldn’t do that. Not just because it was in the contract but because it was wrong. If I was going to act like his wife, it was best I did it right.
I looked around the suite again to be sure nothing felt out of place. On the last facetime I had with Max, I slipped that I was currently staying at a hotel suite and he went bonkers. Tell me about “your husband is fucking rich and you can’t stay in a real house?” And all sorts of shits Max had said while lashing out. It wasn’t directed at me anyways, it was directed at Jason, my husband. I couldn’t tell Max over the phone that it was a fake marriage that I was using to get out of poverty but Max told me everything, even the dirty ones so it was only right that I told him regardless of the stupid clause on the contract. It wasn’t like he was going to go ahead and tell anyone.
No! Max wasn’t like that. If you told him your secret and asked a few days later, he wouldn’t even remember what you spoke about. Yeah, he was that forgetful.
And so when I heard a knock on the door, I thought it would be Max but it wasn’t. It was Jason’s mom, Mrs Coleman.
Gladly, I recognized her from a few pictures I saw when I browsed their family tree one time when I was bored. It would have been really weird if I didn’t recognize her because who doesn’t recognize their mother in law?
“Good afternoon ma’am.” I said opening the door wide enough for her to enter.
She entered inside with a scowl on her face. She looked pissed as she looked around the suite room as if she was trying to figure out what was wrong.
She sat on the couch and raised her brows at me. I quickly walked to the couch and sat opposite her.
“Would you like some tea?” I asked, hoping to clear the air.
“What do you have?” She asked, still frowning at me.
“Whatever you want, I can call room service if we don’t have what you want.” I said quickly and she sighed heavily.
“Water would do.” She said and I nodded, getting up and going to the kitchen to get some water from the fridge. I opened it and brought out a jug as I poured cold water into the glass cup that I had flipped over. Then I put it on a little tray and went to serve it.
She drank a little bit of water before she turned to face me.
“Do you love my son?” She asked with a smirk.
I had expected her to ask me something but not this. She held the cup of water and a scene from a Korean drama popped into my head.
You know, those mother-in-laws that splash water on their son’s supposed girlfriend and then give them a sum of money asking them to leave their son because they weren’t up to the standard of women that they wanted their son to marry.
With the way she moved the cup stirring the water inside like it was wine, I was ready to dodge it if she decided to pour the water on me even if it meant that it would soak the couch.
I was doing this for money but I wouldn’t let any rich folk walk over me simply because they had more than I have. No matter your status in life, everyone deserves to be treated equally and that’s why I wouldn’t let her treat me wrong if she turned out to be like those mother in-laws from kdramas.
She took the cup to her mouth and drank the water until there was nothing in the cup again.
“You haven’t answered my question.” She said dropping the cup on the tray.
“I love Jason.” I thought about lying but I didn’t love Jason so I said another thing instead.
“I have strong feelings for your son ma’am.” I felt content with what I said.
I had strong feelings for her son. Strong feelings of hatred and anger. Okay maybe not hatred because it was hard to hate someone with such a beautiful face and wonderful body but I did feel anger towards him.
And it brought me back to what had happened in the past few days. After that night when he fell on his butt inside my room, he became grumpier and rude.
One time, he came out of the bathroom with only shorts and a towel around his neck. He must have forgotten that he lived together with me because as soon as I came out of the kitchen area, I choked on the milk I was drinking.
“Such a messy eater.” He scoffed going into the kitchen to get some water and while I stood there gawking at him. He turned and said “what are you looking at?” With a condescending look that made me feel so small and despite that I sprinted to my room to hide the blush on my face.
Yesterday, he came back home in a bad mood smelling like women’s perfume and I was eating dinner and he called me fat. Well, technically, he didn’t call me fat.
“Scientists have proven that late night food gets you bloated.” He said with a huge smug smile and I immediately lost my appetite.
A Lot of other things that I can’t seem to remember but he was just a very disrespectful brat, that’s for sure.
I looked up to the woman who sat opposite me, I realised that most of Jason’s look was from his mother. She was a beautiful brunette with green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. The only difference between Jason and his mother was that he has dark brown orbs for his eye colour and he was really rude. I wonder who he got that attitude from.
“Are you done checking me out?” She asked, smirking and I chuckled quietly.
“Sorry.” I apologised.
“It’s fine, it’s rare to ignore such beauty.” She sassed. Well, I guess this is where Jason got his narcissistic attitude from.
She giggled and I could swear that her laugh sounded like a note on the keyboard.
“Sorry for acting like that earlier.” She apologised and my eyes almost dropped from the socket.
She was apologising? Who exactly was this woman? Is she an imposter because rich people never apologise or should I say rich people I’ve met.
“It’s okay.” I mumbled quietly.
“See, bub didn’t even tell me he was getting married, I saw it in the news and I flew straight to New York, I didn’t even know he was in a relationship.” She rambled on but my mind had stopped when I heard her call Jason – bub.
“I apologise on his behalf.” I said with a small smile.
“No, it’s fine, it can happen if you’re in love and the board is nagging you to get married.” She said with a smile. I couldn’t help but relax.
“Why do you get dressed and we’ll go and catch up?” She asked and that was when I realised an hour had passed. I wondered why Max wasn’t here yet and I was about to reject her offer in case Max was running late but I received a text from Max as if on cue.
“Wanna catch up with my boyfriend, a virgin ass like yours wouldn’t understand.” That was what the text read and I couldn’t help but giggle.
At Least one of us was in a sexually active relationship.
“Yes, I’ll go get changed.” I said going to my room to change my clothes.
I didn’t know where we would be going but I didn’t want to wear those expensive gowns that Jason ordered for me so I wore blue jeans and a cream coloured t-shirt while packing my hair like a farm girl.
I wore a nude coloured chapstick and powered my face. I wasn’t really used to putting on makeup since it wasn’t something I did often.
As soon as I came out of my room, I met Jason’s mom already waiting for me.
“Let’s go?” She waved at me.
“Yeah.” I said grabbing my small black purse that could only fit my keys and cellphone.
“I like you, you’re normal.” She said giggling as we took the elevator downstairs.
“Normal?” I thought. I didn’t know if I should feel good about her compliment. I didn’t want to be normal. What exactly was normal?
Wearing a t-shirt and jeans while on a date with your mother in-law that was probably wearing a two hundred dollars la Bella gown.
I know it was wrong for me to think something like this but her calling me normal was what I wanted to hear. It simply meant I was ordinary. I didn’t want to be an ordinary girl.
“Eve, right?” She asked as soon as we got to the parking lot.
“Yeah.” I said quietly.
“Can you drive?” She asked, raising her brows.
“Yes, I can drive any car, I’ve even driven a truck before.” I said and it dawned on me. That I shouldn’t have said that.
“Amazing.” She said to my surprise.
“Amazing?” I questioned.
“Yes, I’ve only had people drive me around all my life so I can’t drive and I sent my driver away hoping that you could and I’m glad you can because it would have been humiliating to call him back.” She laughed and I laughed too. It felt good to laugh with someone for a long time.
“So here…” She said throwing her key to me while I caught it.
“Nice catch.” She said sitting down at the passenger side.
I entered the driver’s side and ignited the engine. I have driven all sorts of trucks when going for delivery but I have never driven a Mercedes C300 before. When I get back today, I’ll tick this off my bucket list, I thought as I smiled and started driving out of the hotel.
“Where should we go now?” She asked.
“I’m not sure.” I said as I didn’t know what to suggest to her.
“What do young people love doing?” She said rhetorically.
“How about we go to the movies?” She asked excitedly like she just came up with the best idea.
“Okay.” I smiled.
“I’ve always wanted a daughter that I could go to the movies with.” She giggled as I drove to the movie theatre.
I had to admit that she was better than Jason in every possible way or maybe I was just not seeing Jason in a different light.
I mean I get that it’s a contract marriage but wouldn’t it be nice to get along instead of bickering over everything?
“Eve.” She called out my name as soon as I parked the car.
“Yes ma?” I said courtly.
“Call me mom, calling me ma’am makes me distant.” She smiled.
“I mean you don’t have to start calling me mom immediately but you’re my son’s wife and I think you’re perfect for him.” She said smiling and my heart felt warm.
You’re perfect for him.
Those words kept resonating in my head for a while.