Chapter 2 My Mother's Future Husband

Eleanor Roy's POV

A sharp, pungent smell pulled me back to consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.

When I tried to sit up, a gentle hand stopped me. I turned my head to find my grandmother beside me, worry etched across her face.

"Eli, sweetheart, are you alright?"

How could I be alright with your damn dog around?

"Yes, don't worry," I mumbled with a barely visible smile.

"I'm sorry-I forgot you're afraid of dogs," she said, pouring me a glass of water.

"It's fine. Maybe you thought I'd gotten over it." I sipped slowly.

My grandmother lowered her gaze in guilt, then spoke:

"Maria... she was very sick. She suffered a lot these past few years... She almost died."

I gasped silently as she continued,

"Her chances of survival were nearly nonexistent-but she made it."

"Why didn't you tell me?! Not me, not even Dad?!" I exploded in anger, tears streaming down my face.

"Eli..." My grandmother tried to calm me, but I pushed her away.

I stormed off to the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water and stared into the mirror.

"Pull yourself together, Eleanor... for your father's sake."

I returned to the living room, only to find a man speaking with my grandmother. I raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Before I could say a word, two arms wrapped around me. I turned slowly... golden hair, a familiar scent-my mother.

"Oh, my baby..." she sobbed against my shoulder.

I hugged her back-reluctantly. I refused to show my anger in front of this strange man.

"You've grown so much, Eleanor..." she whispered.

"And you... haven't changed a bit."

She still looked young... as if time had forgotten her.

A soft cough interrupted the moment. We turned to the man, who smiled and said,

"Your daughter is beautiful... she looks just like you."

Was that a compliment or an insult?

I responded with a faint smile and shook his hand reluctantly.

"Harold Richard. Call me Harry."

"Eleanor Roy."

My mother clapped her hands with excitement.

"Now my family is complete!"

I'm not part of your family, Mom. Dad is the only family I have.

"Dominic and Rio will be thrilled to have a sister!" my grandmother added.

Sons?

How do they feel about this marriage?

We sat together. I tried to look interested, but all I really wanted was to sleep.

Suddenly, Grandma said,

"Maria, you didn't see how Eleanor fainted today because of Peter!"

My mother gasped.

"You're still afraid of dogs?!"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"That's alright-everyone has their fears," my mother said gently, while my grandmother added with obvious disapproval:

"Fainting over Peter?"

"You see a small pup; I see a beast ready to trample me!" I replied, clearly annoyed.

Grandma let out an awkward laugh.

"Harry, why don't you help her?"

He smiled and said,

"Of course."

I quickly interjected,

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary."

"Eleanor," he said seriously, "if you don't overcome this fear, it'll destroy you someday."

What an exaggeration, man!

I ignored him and turned to my grandmother.

"Can you keep him away?"

"He'll be staying at my friend's house for as long as you're here."

Sorry... and not sorry!

My mother suddenly said,

"We're meeting Harry's sons tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, at the new compound," he replied, wrapping his arm around her.

I averted my gaze... the image of my father filled my heart with sorrow.

"Elinor, are you coming with us?"

"To where?"

"To Harold's house."

Better than staying behind to hear Grandma's endless complaints.

"Sure, I'll come."

---

| The Next Day |

Harry drove us out of the city. My mother sat beside him while I sat in the back, listening to a song by my favorite band, Little Mix.

I tuned out their conversation. Why should I care?

In the end, I'm just the unwanted daughter...

We took a road surrounded by trees. I decided to enjoy the day as much as I could.

I sent my father a message letting him know I'd arrived. He called right after and asked about the city, my mother, and my grandmother...

I responded guardedly, especially when he asked about my mother's new husband. The sadness in his voice was unmistakable.

Love? It strips people of their dignity. I don't want it in my life.

The car turned onto a dirt road cutting through the forest. After a while, I asked Harry impatiently, "When will we get there?"

He smiled. "Soon. Be patient, little one."

His paternal tone irritated me. He was a stranger... who had stolen my mother.

Soon, the compound buildings came into view.

We entered a small neighborhood nestled in the heart of the forest. I looked out the window at the modern houses, curious how people lived so far from the city. I saw children playing and women chatting outside their homes.

"What do you think of the neighborhood, Maria?" Harry asked with a smile.

She answered shyly, "It's beautiful and peaceful."

I stared at them in boredom.

What a pair of old lovebirds!

Harry drove up to a sleek, single-story white house with large windows you could practically see right through.

Wow... what happened to privacy, people?!

He parked in front of the garage without pulling in and invited us to step out.

I got out of the car and looked around. Quiet. Picturesque.

But seriously-why in the middle of a forest?

Before we could walk further, residents began emerging to greet Harry-men, women, children. The crowd pressed in so tightly I instinctively stuck close to my mother.

Harry introduced us. They stared at us with suspicion... Had they never seen a woman and her daughter before?

From the crowd, a young man approached-probably a year or two older than me. He shook Harry's hand with clear indifference.

"This is Maria, my future wife, and her daughter, Elinor," Harry said. "And this is my youngest son, Rio."

Rio shook my mother's hand, then mine.

"Nice to meet you both."

"Likewise," my mother replied.

After the crowd dispersed, we entered the house. It was beautiful inside-spacious and bright-though it offered no trace of privacy.

We sat on the sofas in the back living room. Everything was white.

Even the furniture!

Haven't they heard of color?!

A woman came in and served us cold lemonade.

I sat between my mother and Harry, feeling like some invisible barrier.

The devil on my shoulder whispered temptations, but I ignored him.

"When's the wedding?" Rio asked casually.

"In three weeks. Preparations begin tomorrow," Harry said, smiling at my mother.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the lemonade...

Delicious.

They discussed many things. I chimed in here and there, but mostly I spent the time inspecting the furniture despite its dull palette.

"Rio, where's your brother? I told him we were coming," Harry asked seriously.

Rio hesitated, then replied, "He's busy with some things. He'll be here later... Paola!"

"Is lunch ready?"

"Yes, sir."

I began to wonder... What exactly did Harry do for a living? Businessman? Or something more... intriguing?

We had lunch, and the tension eased somewhat. Paola and her daughter offered to help us, and the girl introduced herself. She said we were the same age and suggested we become friends.

I didn't mind.

Just before we finished lunch, a young man in his mid-twenties walked in. We saw him clearly through the window before he arrived.

Awkward!

"Dominic!" Harry called out.

The young man stopped and looked at us coldly.

"Come meet your new mother and her daughter," Harry said kindly.

But Dominic said nothing. He simply stared.

My mother offered a tense smile and said,

"Hello..."

He ignored her and turned away.

Hell no!

"Hey!" I snapped. "Show some respect to your elders, you arrogant jerk!"

He kept walking.

I ignored my mother's protests and stepped in front of him.

He looked at me coolly, and I said,

"You don't get to treat my mom or dad like that! Didn't anyone teach you respect?!"

He replied with icy calm,

"Ants should step aside when larger creatures pass... so they don't get crushed."

Then he shoved me aside like I was nothing and walked off.

That jerk! Did he just call me tiny?!

---

The days passed, and I got to know Paola's daughter, as well as a pair of twins who lived near my grandmother's house-Sasha and Suzy Green. Sasha was obsessed with the supernatural, and Suzy sometimes joined her. Then there was Scarla-quiet and sensible-who was the reason we all met.

Despite my reservations, I found myself enjoying their company.

As for the wedding preparations, everything went smoothly. Rio and I helped out, and a light friendship formed between us-unlike Dominic, who outright refused to lend a hand.

My father kept calling regularly, but he never asked about the wedding, and I didn't tell him... I didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was.

With Dominic, things stayed tense. Every interaction between us crackled with hostility.

I still can't believe he called me short! I'm 165 cm! That's average!

But with his towering height, he probably thinks I'm a dwarf. Idiot.

After the wedding, I'll be staying with Grandma for a month, and I'll celebrate my birthday here-far from my dad.

I don't like it, but he promised me an amazing gift!

---

Harry's family... is strange.

They have an unspoken hierarchy. Dominic runs everything, and everyone obeys him despite his age.

Some work in cooking and cleaning, while others act like royalty.

I noticed the system bit by bit, especially while walking around with Scarla.

The residents' gazes were cold, and some of the kids even harassed us. Once, they tried to hit Scarla-until a guy named Ralph, Dominic's friend, stepped in. He was the opposite of Dominic: kind, funny, and easy to be around.

As for my mom, she seems oblivious to the tension. She treats everyone kindly, even though most don't seem to like her much.

They act like anxious immigrants... I'm not sure why.

Do the authorities even know they built an entire neighborhood in the middle of the forest? Are they afraid of being evicted?

Maybe... who knows?!