Chapter 290
“Y-You!” Josephine sputtered with anger, now offended at my indifference about the photographs.
“Mrs. Shaw, if you''re here to convince me to leave Michael, I''m sorry, but I can''t concede to your
request. Nothing you do or say can force me to change my mind!” I dered firmly and calmly,
undeterred by her rage.
Being together with Michael was the only silver lining in my life right now. I would not allow anyone to
take my happiness away from me.
“Anna Garcia, I''m Michael''s mother. What do you think he''ll say about your rude attitude?”
Josephine had regained herposure at an astonishingly fast speed, though rage still burned in her
eyes.
“It''s exactly because you''re his mother that I''ve been putting up with your antics, but you''ve never once
shown me the respect I deserve.”
Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
I''ve wasted too much time trying to convince her to ept me. How can she sacrifice Michael''s
happiness to further her interests?
“Respect? I refuse to respect a gold-digger! If you knew your ce, you should have left Michael a long
time ago!”
Gone was Josephine''s calm facade as she red at me disdainfully.
I inhaled deeply to suppress my rage. Her words and her assumptions were nothing short of offensive.
Is that what she truly thinks of me? A gold-digger?
I wondered if the members of high society viewed everyone around them through a materialistic lens. Is
one''s self-worth truly defined by his or her ss? Do the poor have no right to pursue their happiness?
“Mrs. Shaw, I''ve always been patient and civil to you for Michael''s sake. My only wish was for you to
return my respect. I maye from the vige, but my pride is as valuable to me as the next person. I
won''t allow you to trample over it.”
Her status as Michael''s mother did not give her the right to insult and humiliate me as and when she
pleased. Enough was enough.
Josephine looked like she had more to say, though I did not wish to subject myself to further
humiliation.
I stared at her and hesitated for the briefest of moments before I stood up. Bowing slightly to her, I
turned and took my leave.
Her stubbornness left no room for reasonable discussion. I''m not going to listen to anything else she
has to say. Either way, I''m not leaving Michael.
I could feel her re on my back as I left the café. To her credit, she did not stop me. Perhaps she
realized the futility of bullying me into leaving Michael.
After leaving the café, I sighed deeply before heading to the supermarket.
The encounter with Josephine had doused any excitement I felt at preparing dinner for Michael.
I splurged on ingredients in the supermarket, yet my mood only worsened with time.
Michael came home that night looking fatigued. Our wedding was less than a week away and he had
been busy handling the final details of the big day.
His dedication to nning our wedding touched me. Though his previous wedding to Emma had been
a much grander affair, he barely showed any interest in nning it and had instead allowed Josephine
to organize the wedding as she pleased. I was ted at his hands-on involvement in our big day.
Michael''s actions spoke volumes about the difference in his feelings toward Emma and me. I was
confident and thankful for his love.
When he came in, I hurried to him and retrieved his briefcase. I helped him remove his zer after that.
Michael felt ufortable wearing his zer at home. It was a habit of his that I had observed during
our rtionship.
“You look exhausted.” I could not help but express my concern.
“I''m fine. Things are just a bit hectictely because the wedding is happening so soon.” Michael lifted
his head and smiled at me reassuringly.
Soon, he turned his head toward the dining table, enticed by the aroma of a home-cooked meal.
“You''ve been nning the whole wedding yourself. I feel sorry that I haven''t been able to help with
anything.”
I felt guilty about spending my days at home, helplessly waiting for Michael to return while he bustled
about managing our affairs. I regretted being unable to offer him any help during this time.
“Don''t be. You should focus on taking care of yourself and the baby.” Michael tapped my nose fondly,
which immediately soothed my concern.
I shuddered at his affectionate gesture. I loved it when he treated me this way; it kept the romance
alive.
“I prepared your favorite dishes for dinner. You should try them and let me know how they taste. I
haven''t cooked in a long time.”
Michael had not had my cooking since our breakup. I fretted incessantly in the kitchen earlier, worried
that my cooking would ruin his appetite.
“Someone''s in a great mood. You haven''t cooked for me in ages.” I was gratified that Michael seemed
pleased at my initiative.
“Of course, I''d love to cook for you, but I''m never allowed in the kitchen because the housekeeper''s
always around.”
Michael made it sound like I had not cooked in eons when, in truth, the housekeeper had kept me out
of the kitchen to prevent me from overexerting myself. With her preparing all our daily meals, I could
barely even make a piece of toast.
“Is this your way of telling me that you would like to cook more often? I have no objections to that, by
the way. You can be my personal chef from now on,” he teased and arched a brow.
I knew he was pulling my leg but his taunting expression still raised my hackles.
“No, thank you. Just let me know if you''re in the mood for my cooking. It''s a hard pass on being your
personal chef.”
I nned to head back to work after our wedding. I need to make a living and support my baby. I''ve got
no time to worry over his meals.
My refusal was well within his expectations. Instead of feeling upset, he merely picked up his fork and
started eating.
I was suddenly reminded of my encounter with Josephine as I stared at the dishes on the table. My
mood soured immediately.