Chapter 27 – His Mother Doesn't Like Me
Li hadn't slept well. The envelope lay on her nightstand like a silent threat—offering freedom, but also pressing her to make a choice she wasn't ready to face.
When she walked downstairs the next morning, Ethan was already dressed, sipping coffee by the kitchen counter. He didn't speak, and neither did she.
The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was heavier than that—like both of them were pretending yesterday hadn't happened.
"I have a meeting downtown," he finally said, placing the cup in the sink. "I won't be back until late. You can take the day off."
Li nodded, almost relieved.
Before he reached the door, he paused. "By the way… my mother's arriving this afternoon."
Her head jerked up. "Your mother?"
He looked at her, unreadable. "She wants to meet you."
"Why now?"
"She saw the photos," he said. "She's… curious."
Li's heart dropped. She had agreed to this marriage as a contract. No one said anything about meeting the family.
"Don't worry," he added with a faint smirk. "She won't bite. Probably."
By the time Madam Jin arrived, Li had changed three times.
She finally settled on a pale cream blouse and beige skirt—elegant, modest, forgettable. Just the way a contract wife should look.
The door opened and a tall, sharp-eyed woman stepped in, her heels clicking against the marble. Madam Jin looked like she hadn't aged a day past forty-five, though Li knew she was almost sixty.
"So you're the girl Ethan married in secret."
Li stood straight and bowed slightly. "Good afternoon, Madam Jin."
The woman's gaze swept her from head to toe. "No need for formalities. You're already part of the family… even if we weren't invited to the wedding."
There was a sharp edge to her voice, masked with a cold smile.
"I'm sorry," Li said, keeping her voice calm. "It was… a sudden decision."
"Sudden?" Madam Jin's eyes narrowed. "Ethan has never made sudden decisions. Especially not about something as important as marriage."
Li said nothing.
"I did some digging," the older woman continued. "You have no background in business. No notable family connections. No education overseas. You were… a model?"
Li nodded. "Yes, before I shifted to design."
"A bold career move," Madam Jin said dryly. "And yet, here you are. Married to my son."
Silence stretched between them.
Li felt the urge to explain herself, to defend why she was here, but she bit her tongue.
"I won't interfere with your marriage," Madam Jin finally said, standing. "But I'll warn you—if you're here for his money, or for status, you won't last long. My son may be too soft-hearted to see it, but I'm not."
"I'm not here for either," Li replied, looking her straight in the eye.
The older woman paused, then nodded once. "We'll see."
Later that night, Ethan returned. Li sat on the couch, the encounter with his mother still burning in her chest.
"She doesn't like me," she said flatly.
Ethan loosened his tie, glanced at her. "She doesn't like anyone I date. Don't take it personally."
"She did background checks on me."
"I'm not surprised."
"And you didn't warn me?"
"I thought you'd handle it."
She looked at him. "Do you always throw people into the fire just to see if they burn?"
He paused, then walked over and sat beside her. "Only the ones I don't want to lose."
Li froze.
And in that moment, the envelope on her nightstand felt a thousand miles away.