Piper’s POV
Vanessa looked at Jay but answered nothing. Her face turned to the corner of the room and she let out a long sigh.
“Mom, please,” Jay pleaded. Both of his hands clasped Vanessa’s as he occasionally kissed her hands.
“I have one question. What was Piper at the hotel for? How did she end up in your room and spend the night with you?” Vanessa asked. Her eyebrows frowned.
“M-Ms. Adams, allow me to answer all your questions. That night I,” I replied. It felt so heavy and uncomfortable. I had to relive and explain the painful events that ruined my life and Vanessa’s defiant attitude towards me made me feel so miserable.
I realized that my family isn’t as rich as Jay’s, but Jay and I have children. Can’t she consider that? At least allow me to prove to her the real me.
I looked at my fingers squeezing each other. Jay noticed my fear and nervousness. He reached over and touched my hand.
“Piper, you don’t have to explain things that don’t make you comfortable. Let me explain everything to her,” he said.
I looked at him and nodded a few times with teary eyes. It felt like something was suppressing my feelings and everything I had imagined and hoped for was not happening.
One more thing, that other woman Vanessa mentioned, who is she? Is she in Valdirra?
“Mom, let me explain everything. That night, if you hadn’t asked Nick to hire a prostitute for me, Piper and I wouldn’t have spent the night together. The reason Piper was there was because someone set her up. And that someone was Megan. She wanted to feed Piper to an old man. But, our room keys were switched when the guy and I bumped into each other in front of the elevator. When I walked into the room, I thought Piper was the prostitute Nick had hired for me. The next morning I rushed away, leaving her still asleep. Megan had invited her to the bar on the first floor of the hotel under the pretext of having fun after work. Piper came over without suspecting a thing. That was the order in which we spent the night together that night. Are there questions you’d like to ask?” Jay replied.
Vanessa looked down and stared at the blue gem-encrusted ring. She twirled the ring around her ring finger. After explaining the sequence of events, Jay turned his head and winked at me.
Faintly, he whispered, “You’re strong.” Then he smiled.
I understood he wanted to encourage me and ask me not to give up. But, the nagging feeling inside me was hard to explain in words. If only problems in life were easy to solve, there wouldn’t be people in despair and depression.
“It’s also your fault that I hired a prostitute for you. You preferred to work and have never been in a relationship with any woman. I was so worried thinking about your situation. Our family needed a successor, plus there were rumors out there that the CEO of Adams Company was gay. Have you ever thought about my feelings?” Vanessa asked.
“I’m not gay, Mom. I was actually in a relationship with a woman secretly because I didn’t like people talking about me or her. But she betrayed me. Since then, I prefer to be alone. So, you are completely misunderstood. I’m sorry that I made you worry. But now I’ve found the right woman, and she’s Piper. We love each other. So, please don’t separate us,” Jay pleaded.
Vanessa remained silent. Maybe I wasn’t her ideal daughter-in-law. Jay had begged her repeatedly, but she remained silent.
“Mom, say something,” Jay pleaded.
Vanessa sighed, then stood up and walked towards the window. “One day, you’ll understand how I feel. I won’t say yes or no. You can do whatever you want. I won’t interfere and won’t be involved in your lives. You guys continue eating. I’ll go rest.”
Vanessa left us. However, before she opened the VIP dining-room door, Jay stood up and pleaded once again. “Mom, please.”
“When you’re done eating, you can leave,” she replied, and she walked out of the VIP dining room without turning around.
I went over to Jay and hugged him. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. Why was happiness so hard to achieve? Did I not deserve Jay? Was it true that the other woman is much more appropriate?
“Jay, do we still have to maintain our relationship? Your mom,” I said. Jay immediately put his finger on my lips.
“Please stop. Don’t think too much. We’re still going to be together and continue our relationship no matter what happens. Give my mom time to think. I’ll see her some other time and talk to her,” Jay pleaded.
I nodded and believed everything Jay said. After all, I couldn’t bear to be separated from him, besides the kids needed their father.
Oh God, what could I do to make Vanessa accept me?
“Let’s go home. I’ll pick up the kids,” he said.
“I’ll tidy up things,” I said.
Jay went out to pick up Jansen and Jessie. Meanwhile, I checked our belongings and made sure nothing was left behind. Then I opened the dining-room door and saw Vanessa holding Jessie on her lap. They were sitting in the living room. Jansen sits beside her and Jay stands behind them. The kids looked happy. And once again, I saw Vanessa smiling. At least she was being friendly to the kids.
Jay noticed my presence, and he asked me not to make a sound. I skulked over to him, then stood beside him. Although sadness still inhabited my feelings, seeing the children happy made me happy. I didn’t expect Vanessa to be so gentle with them. She read a book to Jessie.
But it wasn’t long before Jessie noticed us and immediately called out, “Mommy.”
Vanessa turned around to find us standing behind her. She immediately closed the book she was holding and invited Jessie to stand up.
“I’ll ask the server to wrap up all the food. Jansen and Jessie haven’t had dinner yet. Just wait a minute,” Vanessa said.
“No need to bother, Mom. We can eat at the restaurant or home,” Jay replied.
“Just wait a minute,” Vanessa replied.
I touched Jay’s hand and asked him to obey Vanessa. Not long after, a server handed over a large packet of food. After saying thank you and goodbye, we left.
Along the way, Jay joked around with the kids. I understood he was trying to break the ice and put us back in a good mood. For a moment, I could forget the sad feelings lodged inside me and laugh along with them.
Then Jay stopped his car in front of a noodle shop.
“Noodle shop? What are you stopping here for?” I asked in surprise.
“Let’s get off,” he invited, smiling.