Chapter 2 · Freeing Myself From Blood-Sucking Mom

Alex gently squeezed my hand, signaling me to calm down.

He looked at Margot, speaking with quiet confidence. "Mrs. Fuller, I know you might have some misunderstandings about me. But I truly love Maddie, and I promise I'll take care of her for the rest of my life.

"I understand if you want to yell at me or even hit me today. That doesn't mean I'm going to break up with Maddie."

"Fine!" Margot was shaking with rage. "Alex, is it? Break up with my daughter right now, or I'll make sure you never make it in this city.

"You're just some broke guy from out of town. Don't even dream about landing a girl like her. If you dare to mess with my daughter again, I'll go to your company and raise hell."

"Will you stop making a scene already?" I yelled at her.

It was the first time I'd ever shouted at my mom like that. She was stunned by my outburst.

Just then, the hospital room door swung open again.

Jacob Harmon, my slacker cousin, Aunt Eliza's son, sauntered in with a cheeky smile. "Hey Maddie, heard you were here. Mind lending me 600 bucks?"

Jacob showing up just made me even angrier.

He'd been a headache for our family for as long as I could remember.

He never cared about school, always messing around. Whenever he ran out of cash, he'd go to my mom, and then she'd come begging me.

She'd always say, "He's still just a kid."

Now, that "kid" was twenty-five years old.

"I don't have any cash," I said coldly.

"Come on, Maddie, don't be so cheap," Jacob said, sidling up to me. "With what you make every month, 600 bucks is nothing to you, right?"

"I'm a bit strapped for cash lately," I replied.

I glanced at his phone. It was worth thousands.

"You're strapped for cash because you gambled, didn't you?" Alex cut in.

Jacob's face darkened. "Who do you think you are, butting into our family business?"

"I'm Maddie's boyfriend," Alex said, stepping protectively in front of me. "I don't care about your family drama, but if you're trying to hit up my girlfriend for money, that's my business."

Jacob looked Alex up and down with a sneer. "So you're that poor loser? What, trying to act tough in front of my sister now?

"You better keep your nose out of our family business or I'll make you wish you'd never stuck your nose in."

Margot snapped back to herself, jabbing a finger at Alex. "You hear him. Get lost. You've got some nerve lecturing my nephew."

Staring at this whole mess, I just felt totally worn out.

I grabbed Alex's hand. "Let's go."

"Hey, Maddie, you forgot to give me money," Jacob yelled after us.

I walked out of the hospital room without looking back.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled to Alex, my head down. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Alex reached out and gave my head a gentle pat. "Hey, silly, you don't need to apologize to me. This isn't your fault."

The red mark on Alex's forehead hadn't faded yet. He looked a little battered, but there was a steely resolve in his eyes.

Alex said softly, "Your mom just doesn't know me yet. It's fine, we've got time. I'll prove to her that I can give you the happiness you deserve."

My eyes grew red, and I nearly burst into tears.

This was the man I chose for myself.

When my family tried to put me through hell, he stood by me without hesitation.

He never blamed me, never backed away.

"Alex, let's go get married. Right now," I said, my voice steady.

Alex was stunned. "Right now?"

"Right now," I said, looking at him dead serious.

I didn't want to wait any longer. I wasn't about to give my mom another chance to ruin things between us.

But I still underestimated just how far she'd go.

The next day, I got a call from an unknown number.

"Hi, is this Maddie Fuller?" the caller asked. "This is Golden Harmony Dating Service. Your mother, Margot Fuller, registered you as a VIP and set up a blind date for you.

"It's tonight at 7 PM, at a restaurant in the Lambert Hotel. The guy is Charles Lowe, the heir to the Lowe Group."

I was shaking with rage as I held my phone. I couldn't believe she went behind my back and set me up on a blind date.

I called my mom right away. "Mom, what's up with the dating service?"

"Oh, you got the call?" she replied, sounding unconcerned. "I've met Charles Lowe. He's handsome, comes from money, and he thinks highly of you.

"Make sure you dress up and go meet him tonight."

"I'm not going," I shot back, my voice firm. "I already have a boyfriend."

"That broke loser? He doesn't even count as a boyfriend. I won't allow it," Margot snapped. "Maddie, do you have any idea how important this match is for our family?

"If you get in with the Lowe family, we'll finally hit it big. Our whole future depends on this, especially your cousin's job and your uncle's business.

Chapter 2

Alex gently squeezed my hand, signaling me to calm down.

"I understand if you want to yell at me or even hit me today. That doesn't mean I'm going to break up with Maddie."

"Fine!" Margot was shaking with rage. "Alex, is it? Break up with my daughter right now, or I'll make sure you never make it in this city.

"You're just some broke guy from out of town. Don't even dream about landing a girl like her. If you dare to mess with my daughter again, I'll go to your company and raise hell."

"Will you stop making a scene already?" I yelled at her.

It was the first time I'd ever shouted at my mom like that. She was stunned by my outburst.

Just then, the hospital room door swung open again.

Jacob Harmon, my slacker cousin, Aunt Eliza's son, sauntered in with a cheeky smile. "Hey Maddie, heard you were here. Mind lending me 600 bucks?"

Jacob showing up just made me even angrier.

He'd been a headache for our family for as long as I could remember.

He never cared about school, always messing around. Whenever he ran out of cash, he'd go to my mom, and then she'd come begging me.

She'd always say, "He's still just a kid."

Now, that "kid" was twenty-five years old.

"I don't have any cash," I said coldly.

"Come on, Maddie, don't be so cheap," Jacob said, sidling up to me. "With what you make every month, 600 bucks is nothing to you, right?"

"I'm a bit strapped for cash lately," I replied.

I glanced at his phone. It was worth thousands.

"You're strapped for cash because you gambled, didn't you?" Alex cut in.

Jacob's face darkened. "Who do you think you are, butting into our family business?"

"I'm Maddie's boyfriend," Alex said, stepping protectively in front of me. "I don't care about your family drama, but if you're trying to hit up my girlfriend for money, that's my business."

Jacob looked Alex up and down with a sneer. "So you're that poor loser? What, trying to act tough in front of my sister now?

"You better keep your nose out of our family business or I'll make you wish you'd never stuck your nose in."

Margot snapped back to herself, jabbing a finger at Alex. "You hear him. Get lost. You've got some nerve lecturing my nephew."

Staring at this whole mess, I just felt totally worn out.

I grabbed Alex's hand. "Let's go."

"Hey, Maddie, you forgot to give me money," Jacob yelled after us.

I walked out of the hospital room without looking back.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled to Alex, my head down. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Alex reached out and gave my head a gentle pat. "Hey, silly, you don't need to apologize to me. This isn't your fault."

The red mark on Alex's forehead hadn't faded yet. He looked a little battered, but there was a steely resolve in his eyes.

Alex said softly, "Your mom just doesn't know me yet. It's fine, we've got time. I'll prove to her that I can give you the happiness you deserve."

My eyes grew red, and I nearly burst into tears.

This was the man I chose for myself.

When my family tried to put me through hell, he stood by me without hesitation.

He never blamed me, never backed away.

"Alex, let's go get married. Right now," I said, my voice steady.

Alex was stunned. "Right now?"

"Right now," I said, looking at him dead serious.

I didn't want to wait any longer. I wasn't about to give my mom another chance to ruin things between us.

But I still underestimated just how far she'd go.

The next day, I got a call from an unknown number.

"Hi, is this Maddie Fuller?" the caller asked. "This is Golden Harmony Dating Service. Your mother, Margot Fuller, registered you as a VIP and set up a blind date for you.

"It's tonight at 7 PM, at a restaurant in the Lambert Hotel. The guy is Charles Lowe, the heir to the Lowe Group."

I was shaking with rage as I held my phone. I couldn't believe she went behind my back and set me up on a blind date.

I called my mom right away. "Mom, what's up with the dating service?"

"Oh, you got the call?" she replied, sounding unconcerned. "I've met Charles Lowe. He's handsome, comes from money, and he thinks highly of you.

"Make sure you dress up and go meet him tonight."

"I'm not going," I shot back, my voice firm. "I already have a boyfriend."

"That broke loser? He doesn't even count as a boyfriend. I won't allow it," Margot snapped. "Maddie, do you have any idea how important this match is for our family?

"If you get in with the Lowe family, we'll finally hit it big. Our whole future depends on this, especially your cousin's job and your uncle's business.