Filed to story: I Got Married Without You
They were quite warm and welcoming, asking Eva to order whatever she wanted while Jayden attended to the waiter.
Their friendly attitude made Eva feel nervous at first, but she gradually relaxed.
Jayden’s father didn’t speak much, leaving most of the questioning to Jayden’s mother, Natalie. “Miss Miller, how long have you and Jayden been together?”
Eva glanced at Jayden, who was carefully cutting the steak. “It’s been a little over two months since we started dating. It hasn’t been that long…”
Natalie’s gentle face carried a hint of a smile. “It hasn’t been long. Jayden told me he’s had a crush on you since high school. Puppy love is quite romantic, isn’t it?”
After Jayden finished cutting the steak, he placed it on Eva’s plate. Only then did she smile and respond to Natalie’s comment. “I actually found out about this two months ago at a blind date. I had no idea about his feelings when we were in school together.”
Natalie’s expression slightly changed, and Jayden quickly chimed in, “That was all one-sided on my part. Eva probably had no clue I existed back then.”
Natalie laughed. “So, Miss Miller, were you the school’s beauty queen or something?”
Eva’s hand holding the knife and fork stiffened slightly. She was about to deny it, but Jayden interrupted, “Mom, let’s not talk about the past anymore. It was all my wishful thinking. If you bring it up too much, it’l just be embarrassing.”
Natalie looked at Jayden and smiled affectionately, “Alright, I won’t bring it up anymore. I’ll give you some face.”
Jayden’s furrowed brows relaxed and he cut some foie gras for Eva, placing it on her plate with caring gestures.
Eva had intended to just focus on eating, but after only a few bites, she heard Natalie ask, “Miss Miller, you and my son were planning to get married, right? There are some things I wanted to clarify in advance I hope you don’t mind…”
Eva put down her utensils and looked up at Natalie, “Auntie, you can ask whatever you want, I won’t mind.”
She was quite polite to her elders, which pleased Natalie. She nodded and said, “I heard that you grew up in an orphanage without parents. How have you been these years?”
Eva didn’t hesitate, “When I was young, I relied on the orphanage, and as I grew up, I worked in convenience stores or small restaurants wherever they needed help.”
Natalie’s ‘s gaze flickered, “That must have been tough. But just Working in a small restaurant, you can barely make ends meet. How did you become the owner of an entertainment venue at such a young age?”
From these two questions in a row, Eva understood that Natalie was questioning where her money came from.
With her background, she would indeed face doubts. Eva didn’t blame Natalie and replied honestly, “After graduating from high school, I worked in a bar selling alcohol and saved some money. Later, my two relatives had some trouble and before they left, they left me some property. I took some of the money and bought a bar. After making enough money to pay back my friends, that’s how I got my start.”
After listening, Natalie seemed thoughtful and nodded, “I see. But as a young girl, you could find a stable job and live a comfortable life. Why did you have to get into this line of work? Is there some special hidden reason?”
Her words were quite cryptic, something other girls wouldn’t have picked up on, but Eva was different. “There’s no special hidden reason. I just wanted to establish myself in Arcadia. To survive in this expensive place, you need money. I don’t engage in illicit activities, so I can only save money by drinking with customers. At first, I thought buying an apartment would be satisfying enough, but then I was bullied by rich and influential people. I realized that a stable job couldn’t give me much.”
Eva’s words dispelled Natalie’s suspicion that she relied on trading sex. “I understand now. Your experience is a bit similar to mine, except I had better grades and got into a prestigious university, which helped me establish myself. Being a woman is not easy, I can understand you.”
Natalie didn’t show overt rejection, but her words carried a sense of superiority that made Eva uncomfortable. Eva looked up at Jayden, who seemed oblivious to his mother’s implications and didn’t speak up for her. Instead, he focused on serving her various foods.
Eva used her fork and knife to move the food on her plate but didn’t eat. Jayden noticed and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?”
Eva shook her head. Natalie glanced at the two of them and quickly called a waiter. After ordering from the menu, she handed it to Eva. “Miss Miller, if you don’t like the food, don’t force yourself. Order something more to your taste. My family has some money, we can afford it, so don’t hesitate.”
Upon hearing this, Eva looked at the wealthy woman, then at the middle-aged man silently sipping his red wine, before finally turning her gaze to Jayden. Seeing his approval, she smiled and said, “Then let’s order a few more dishes.”
Natalie thought the two moderately priced dishes were too cheap, so she also ordered a few signature dishes and a bottle of Lafite. As the waiter left with a smile, Natalie adjusted her silk beige dress. Eva recognized that every stitch of the dress was handcrafted, but she didn’t pay much attention to Natalie’s constant displays of wealth in front of her.
Noticing that Eva didn’t try to flatter or please her, Natalie was also tactful and withdrew her hand from touching the clothes. “Miss Miller, what I’m about to say might offend you, but you know my son. He hasn’t had much dating experience or been married, so I am quite curious about your past. Can you tell us why you divorced your ex-husband?”
Eva turned to Jayden and asked, “Did you not tell your parents about this?”
Before Jayden could respond, Natalie interrupted, “He did tell me. After you two confirmed your relationship, Jayden mentioned it to us, but he didn’t go into the details. I thought I would wait until we met in person to have a proper chat.”
Since Natalie put it this way, Eva no longer had a reason to question Jayden. After hesitating for a couple of seconds, she uncovered her own scars without any concealment. “I divorced my ex-husband because he cheated on me with his sister. When I found out, their child was already over nine months old.”
Natalie gasped as if she had just heard the juiciest gossip. “Wait, his sister?!”
Eva shook her head. “She’s not his biological sister.”
Curious, Natalie pressed on. “How did you find out?”
Eva replied, “His sister was staying at my friend’s hospital, and I happened to pass by. I accidentally saw them being intimate, and caught them red-handed.”
Natalie exclaimed, “That’s so bizarre! How could they do that in a hospital?!”
After scolding them, Natalie grabbed Eva’s hand and asked, “What happened next?”
Most people would have stopped there, but Natalie clearly wanted to dig up all of her secrets, not caring about Eva’s feelings at all.
Eva glanced at Jayden, hoping he would speak up and stop Natalie from prying further, but Jayden was focused on picking out fish bones. Eva had no choice but to explain everything about the lawsuit with Daniel.
After Natalie had thoroughly questioned Eva about her past, she smiled and said, “Miss Miller, that’s just how I am. I always care too much about Jayden’s affairs, especially because he’s a nerd who only knows how to study. He’s clueless about social skills or chasing girls. As a mother, I worry more. But all parents are like this, you should understand, right?”
Eva didn’t have parents, so she couldn’t really understand. Feeling uneasy, she forced a smile and made up an excuse to leave. “I need to use the restroom. Enjoy your meal.”
As soon as Eva left, Natalie’s elegant smile crumbled. “Jayden, although what she said was convincing, I don’t believe that someone who frolics around in entertainment venues can be clean.”
In the neighboring round booth, the man leaning against the Cartier fabric sofa tilted his head slightly, and his black hair fell, revealing sharp eyes. He stared intently at the red wine in his glass, which shimmered under the light.
Anthony, sitting next to him, noticed his interest and quickly took out his phone, placing it above the booth with the speaker facing towards the next table.
Hearing Natalie’s words, he remembered that Eva had slept with Paul, and it made him slightly uncomfortable. But it wasn’t enough to hold a grudge. “If she’s not clean, she wouldn’t have withstood your questioning. Why do you still doubt her?”
Natalie frowned and said, “Look at her appearance and figure, even the way she walks exudes a seductive charm. A woman with such good looks and allure can’t be completely innocent. I wouldn’t believe it even if you killed me.”
Jayden’s father, Martin, followed Natalie’s gaze and glanced at Eva, who was heading to the restroom. “She does look good. Most men would have some thoughts, especially those who go to entertainment venues. It’s easy for someone with power and influence to make her submit. What she says may be somewhat fake.”
Natalie nodded. “Exactly. Your father and I can tell whether a girl is good or not at a glance. If you marry her, she might end up cheating on you…”
Jayden disagreed, “Eva is not that kind of person. She would never cheat on me…”
Natalie responded, “Even if you believe in her character, I still don’t approve of her.”
Jayden became anxious, “Mom, why don’t you approve of her now?”
Natalie patted Jayden’s arm. “Son, she’s an orphan, only finished high school, and has no background or education. I doubt she even knows French. How can she live with you in France? Just taking her out to meet me and your father’s friends would be embarrassing.”
Jayden wanted to argue, but he also felt that Natalie was right. Eva really didn’t know much French. Would she fit in well living with him in France?
Seeing that Jayden had nothing to say, Natalie continued, “And she’s been married before, and she works in nightclubs all year round. You come from an academic family, and your relatives are all involved in research and academia. Even without considering her background, let’s just talk about you. You’ve become an outstanding doctor at such a young age, and it won’t be long before you win the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Once you achieve that, your status will be sky-high. How can a woman like her match up to you?”
Jayden didn’t listen. “No matter how outstanding I am, I only want Eva. I liked her since high school, and I haven’t been able to have her. How can I be content?”
Seeing his stubbornness, Natalie sighed, “I know your personality. It’s hard for you to let go if you don’t get what you want. But marrying a woman with her qualifications is really embarrassing. Why don’t you choose Jenny instead? She and the child…”
