Chapter 2

With Fiona gloating, Miguel looking nervous, Eileen and Gerald on guard, and even Nicole standing there worried, I took a deep breath, swallowing the anger boiling inside, and forced a soft, almost relieved smile.

I stepped forward. To Eileen's shock, I grabbed her hand, the one she had linked with Gerald's.

"Eileen, you're right. I was too narrow-minded before. True love is priceless, and I support you in following your heart," I said, my voice extremely gentle.

I paused, turning to Gerald, who looked completely lost. My smile widened. "You must be Gerald, right? There's something really special about you."

I felt Eileen's hand tense up for a moment, and Gerald snapped his head up, staring at me in disbelief. His eyes were full of doubt, but I caught a flash of barely hidden excitement.

I held onto Eileen's hand, my voice full of "sincere" blessings. "You two really overcame so much to be together. It's not easy. Leave the wedding to me. I'll make it the event of the year, so everyone can see how rare and priceless the love you've found really is."

As soon as I finished, the whole living room went dead silent.

Fiona opened her mouth wide with a piece of pistachio skin stuck to her lip, totally forgetting to spit it out.

Miguel's eyes were wide, like he was seeing me for the first time.

As for Eileen and Gerald, their faces went from shock to blank confusion and finally to huge, barely-contained excitement.

My words about "supporting true love" dropped like a bomb in the room, leaving everyone stunned.

Eileen was the first to recover. Her defiant, guarded look melted into pure joy. She grabbed my hand back, squeezing it so hard that it almost hurt. "Mom, you really get me now. I knew it. You were just pretending before. Deep down, you do care about me."

I sneered inside but kept up the act, putting on my best "guilty" and "emotional" face. "It's my fault, sweetheart. I was too focused on money, and I almost ruined your happiness."

I glanced at Gerald. His face was still full of disbelief, mixed with a dazed, almost stunned expression, like he couldn't believe his luck.

"S-Sharon..." he stammered, rubbing his hands together, trying to look humble. But the way he puffed out his chest and raised his chin just a little told me he was anything but humble. "Don't worry. I'll always treat Eileen right. I might be down on my luck now, but I'm healthy and talented. I'll make sure Eileen has a good life."

"Good. That's the spirit," I said, patting his arm with a big, encouraging smile. But inside, I was just watching his little performance, like he was a clown at a circus.

Talent? Right. Maybe the kind Gerald used to tell tall tales while begging for change, or his slick moves at the card table.

Fiona finally snapped her mouth shut, spat out the seed skin, and gave me a suspicious once-over. "Sharon, are you okay? Did hell freeze over or something? You weren't exactly..." She didn't finish, but it was clear that she thought I had lost my mind or was up to something.

I let out a long sigh, putting on a tired but peaceful expression. "Fiona, I've come around. You can't force a square peg into a round hole. Eileen's stubborn. If I keep fighting her, I'll just push her further away. Might as well let her have what she wants, as long as she's happy."

I said this mostly to Fiona, but even more to Miguel, who had been silent the whole time.

Sure enough, Miguel's frown softened, and he gave me a look full of relief and approval. "Sharon, that's the right attitude. When it comes to kids, all we can do is support them."

He came over and, for once, gave my shoulder a gentle pat. Then he turned to Eileen. "Eileen, see how much your mom cares about you? You need to be more thoughtful from now on."

Eileen was on cloud nine. She'd won the fight and had her "true love" blessed. She nodded eagerly. "Dad, I know. Mom's the best."

Watching this happy family scene made my stomach churn.

Miguel was always like this, just wanting to keep the peace, clueless about all the mess simmering beneath the surface.

Honestly, that just made my plan more feasible.

"Now that it's settled, let's get things moving," I said with a bright smile, taking charge. "Gerald's just landed here, so let's make sure he gets comfortable. I'll take him out this afternoon to pick out some clothes that actually fit in around here. No way I'm letting my son-in-law look like the odd one out."

Gerald's eyes lit up, but he tried to act humble. "Sharon, are you sure? That's too generous. I don't want to trouble you."

"It's fine. We're family now," I said, making it final.