Ethan walked over to Mara, wrapping an arm around her waist. He leaned in and whispered, "I'm sorry. My mom..."
Mara froze. She had never been great with mothers, and now, here she was—eting her mother-in-law for the first ti, looking like a complete ss.
Ethan straightened and spoke proudly. "Mum, this is my wife, Mara."
Maria subtly stepped away from Mrs. Anderson as the older woman's gaze shifted between the two won.
"And she is?" Mrs. Anderson asked, her sharp eyes settling back on Maria.
Mara quickly stepped in. "Nice to et you." She stretched out her flour-covered hand. "That's my friend, Maria. She's visiting for a few days."
Mrs. Anderson took Mara's hand with a warm smile. "Nice to et you too, daughter-in-law. You're so beautiful, and I love your sense of fashion." Her eyes twinkled with amusent. "But, girl, the kitchen is absolutely not for you."
Mara sighed dramatically. "Yeah... everything decided to go wrong today."
Maria chuckled. "Don't worry, Mara. I'll handle it."
Mrs. Anderson turned to her son. "Son, don't you have a cook?" She raised an eyebrow before glancing back at Mara. "Let her be the one to cook," she said softly, a thoughtful expression on her face.
She liked Mara the mont she saw her, she liked her. But she had lived long enough to know when sothing wasn't right. Sothing was going on between Maria and Ethan. She could feel it.
Mara, oblivious to the shift in Mrs. Anderson's mood, sighed. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Anderson. Let go change out of this ss. I'll be right back!" She quickly rushed upstairs.
As soon as she was out of sight, Mrs. Anderson turned to Ethan, her gaze sharp but amused.
"Son," she said with a knowing smirk, "I'm happy you found yourself an incredible woman—even if she isn't exactly skilled in the kitchen." She let out a small laugh, but her eyes flicked toward Maria once more.
The feeling in her gut wouldn't go away.
"But do you know what a scorned woman is, Ethan?" Mrs. Anderson's voice was calm, but the weight of her words filled the room.
"My husband was sleeping with my maid right under my nose. Do you know what that did to ?" She let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. "It made question everything I ever knew. My worth, my marriage myself."
She exhaled sharply, her gaze unwavering. "She was younger, sure. But I was better than her in every way that mattered. Yet, it didn't stop him."
She wasn't saying this to make Ethan feel sorry for her. She was warning him.
"Son," Ethan barely heard his na as she spoke softly now, her eyes moving toward Maria. "You still have ti."
Maria's breath hitched.
It felt like Mrs. Anderson's words had wrapped around her throat like a noose. She knew.
The guilt—God, the guilt. Maria wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
Just then, Mara walked back into the room, oblivious to the storm she had just stepped into. But the air was heavy, and everyone's face looked like a shadow had passed over them. She frowned. "What did I miss?" Mara whispered, glancing around at the heavy silence in the room.
"Oh, nothing, dear. Just the tragic end of my sixth marriage," Mrs. Anderson said with a sharp smirk.
Mara raised an eyebrow. "Is he rich?" she asked carefully.
Mrs. Anderson tilted her head, intrigued. "You could say he is."
Mara grinned. "Then you show him your son is the best lawyer in all of Salvador. I'm not a divorce attorney, but we can definitely get you a good one. It's not just about the money you should make him feel your absence in his heart and his bank account."
Ethan let out a chuckle. "That's my girl."
Mrs. Anderson laughed, clearly impressed. "Wait! you're a lawyer?"
"Yes, Mum," Ethan said, his voice brimming with pride. "The youngest in the firm."
Mrs. Anderson's eyes softened. She reached for Mara's hand and pulled her close. "Co sit with . And drop the formalities call Bella or Mum like he does, okay?"
Mara smiled. "Yes, Bella."
Ethan blinked. Wait! what just happened?
His mother had completely stolen his wife but mostly he was glad they were getting long.
Maria, sensing the energy shift, excused herself to the kitchen, leaving the three of them to continue their conversation. It flowed effortlessly, much better than Mara had anticipated.
Well, Bella was definitely not your typical mother-in-law.
"Well, I've got to go," Mrs. Anderson said, dusting off imaginary lint from her dress. "I'm not going to wallow in sorrow over so man who doesn't even know what he wants."
They had lunch together, but she made sure to give Ethan so parting wisdom before leaving.
"Rember what I told you, son. Appreciate your wife. Don't hurt her." Her voice was light, but the weight of her words lingered.
As she grabbed her bag, she turned back with a smirk. "And don't forget you and Mara are handling my divorce."
Ethan sighed. Six tis. He'd been through this six tis.
He already knew how this would play out his mother would head straight to a bar, drown her sorrows in expensive whiskey, and by morning, she'd have found another man to fill the void. Ever since his father passed, she had never been the sa.
Not that it mattered. Mr. Anderson Sr. wanted nothing to do with her. His sha over his only daughter ran too deep.
"Alright, Mum," Ethan called after her. "Just go easy on your poor liver and kidneys, will you?"
Mrs. Anderson waved a dismissive hand over her shoulder, not even bothering to look back as she walked away. Ethan sighed again. Here we go.
"Your mom is nice," Mara said with a small smile.
Ethan chuckled. "She has her monts. Believe , this is the first ti she's ever liked any woman around much less accepted one as her daughter-in-law."
Mara nestled deeper into his arms. "So, you're saying I'm quite the character?"
Ethan pulled her closer, holding her as if he never wanted to let go. "Yes you are," But as they sat there in silence, his mother's words echoed in his mind.
He did nothing wrong. It was just a stolen kiss.
Maria was going through a tough ti, and she would never do anything to hurt Mara. She was like a sister to her.
Ethan grasped onto every excuse he could find, convincing himself that he hadn't betrayed his wife. The kiss wasn't worth ntioning—it was a mistake. Nothing more.
"Ethan?" Mara's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Huh?" The sound of Maria's na on her lips jolted him back to reality, making guilt tighten in his chest.
"What do we do about Maria?" Mara asked, concern still etched on her face. She hadn't stopped thinking about the morning's events about Daniel, about Maria's insistence on going back to him.
Ethan swallowed hard. "Where are you lost?" Mara lifted her head, studying Ethan's face. Sothing felt off, everyone had been acting strangely today.
Ethan forced a smile. "Sorry, baby, just so work stuff." He exhaled, keeping his voice casual. "Look, let Maria decide. We can't impose anything on her unless she wants it."
Mara frowned. "I know, but I feel like—"
Before she could finish, Ethan moved swiftly, turning her so she landed on his lap. His fingers trailed gently through her hair, sending a shiver down her spine. Slowly, he guided her face closer, his arms wrapping securely around her.
Mara's breath becos uneven. She didn't know what he was doing but she didn't want him to stop.
Ethan leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. The mont they touched, her thoughts vanished. The world faded.
All she could think about was him.
And she never wanted him to let go.
"You were saying?" Ethan teased, his voice laced with amusent.
Mara was speechless, her mind still reeling from the kiss. She opened her mouth to respond but no words ca.
"That's much better," Ethan smirked before effortlessly scooping her over his shoulder.
A gasp escaped her lips as he carried her toward the bedroom. Her heart pounded—not just from the sudden movent, but from the anticipation building inside her. It had been so long since Ethan had touched her like this, not since his surgery. She had started to worry, but now... now she could hardly wait.
As he climbed the stairs, he playfully landed a small smack on her backside, making her yelp. Just as she was about to protest, they bumped into Mrs. Morgan.
Mara's face burned with embarrassnt, but Ethan? He didn't slow down, didn't acknowledge the awkwardness.
He had one goal to silence the endless conversations about Maria. And right now, there is only one way to do that.
Unbeknownst to Mara, her steamy afternoon was about to be cut short.
Ethan slowly lowered her onto the bed, his body hovering over hers. In a swift motion, his shirt was gone, and his lips claid hers in a kiss filled with hunger and longing. His hands traced every curve of her body, igniting a fire within her. Mara responded just as eagerly, pulling him closer, needing more until suddenly, he stopped.
Ethan pulled away.
Mara's breath hitched, her body still aching for his touch. Confused, she searched his face, expecting an explanation, so reassurance anything. But instead, he muttered, "I'm sorry."
Then, without another word, he grabbed his shirt, slipped it back on, and stord out of the room.
Mara lay there, stunned. Her mind raced with a million thoughts. Was she no longer attractive to him? Was there soone else? Had his love for her faded? Or was it sothing else entirely?
She tried to stay calm, to be understanding maybe he still wasn't fully healed, maybe they just needed more ti but the doubt clouded her.
Tears burned at the back of her eyes as she pulled her knees to her chest, trying to keep it together.
"Mara? Mara, are you okay? I just saw Ethan rush out."
Maria's voice echoed in the room, but Mara could barely process it. Because nothing felt okay.
Reviews
All reviews (0)