Chapter 3

I pinched myself hard, and tears started streaming down my face. "Everyone, I'm innocent.

"Wendy just said her daughter-in-law is lazy and never lifts a finger. She can't wait to swap her out for a new one.

"On top of that, she said she wants me to be her grandson's stepmom."

I kept crying as I spoke, and in the end, I grabbed Wendy, smearing my snot and tears all over her shirt.

I continued, "Wendy, it's not like I want to say no to you. Seriously, I can't go breaking the law.

"And sure, your son might have a temper, no job, and zero savings, but hey, he totally inherited your amazing character. He's way out of my league, really."

As soon as everyone heard that, their faces changed. Some came over to comfort me, while others started calling out Wendy to cause trouble for a girl my age.

Wendy, who had been bawling her eyes out just moments ago, saw the crowd turn on her and her face darkened with embarrassment. She shot me a furious glare.

"Just wait." Wendy stormed off in a huff.

Her drama was a real wake-up call for me. With the way things were now, I was basically prime real estate for all these gossiping old ladies. Everyone wanted a piece of the action.

If this was the old me, I would've just shrunk away and kept my head down.

But now, they're getting bolder and more outrageous. If I keep dodging them, who knows what kind of ridiculous stunts these busybodies will pull next.

Instead of letting them walk all over me and feeling sorry for myself, I might as well put an end to it once and for all!

'Let's see what other trainwrecks these nosy old ladies can try to set me up with.'

So when I got home, I came clean to my mom and begged her to get Freda to hook me up with a blind date.

My mom was really comforted to see my sudden change of heart, and she even made two extra dishes for dinner that night.

Early the next morning, I grabbed some gifts and headed out with my mom to Freda's place.

When she saw the gifts I brought, her face brightened up a lot. I quickly stepped forward and apologized to Freda.

"Auntie, I was out of line yesterday. I thought it over at home, and as your niece, I really shouldn't have spoken to you that way," I said.

I took her hand, speaking from the heart, my eyes shining with sincerity.

Freda let out a proud little snort, finally seeming pleased. "See, that's more like it. You gotta admit you're getting older. If you're hoping to land a younger guy, you gotta ask yourself if he'd even be interested.

"You think you're some kind of TV celebrity? We're just regular people—we marry regular folks. Keep being so choosy and you'll be single forever."

Mom kept nodding in agreement with everything Freda said.

After Dad passed away, Mom had a tough time raising me all on her own.

When I moved out of town for work, Mom got bored at home. Since she lived close to Freda, she started hanging out with Freda more often.

But even though they spent a lot of time together, I never thought Mom would just blindly follow whatever Freda told her.

Honestly, if Freda was actually trying to set me up with decent guys, I wouldn't complain.

But the dudes she kept picking are all bottom of the barrel, and Mom still thought I was just being too picky.

Since that's the case, don't blame me for turning the tables.

I grabbed Aunt Freda's hand and gave her my warmest smile, laying on the affection thick. "Auntie, you're totally right.

"I wasn't really against the guy you set me up with last time, but the kid's so young, and honestly, being a stepmom isn't really my thing. If I could just cut to the chase and not have to deal with all that, that'd be ideal."

I opened up the snacks I brought and practically shoved them into Freda's hands, trying my best to butter her up.

Freda was clearly pleased with all the flattery, and her face softened a lot. She said, "Good, as long as you've thought it through. But about what you just said, 'cut to the chase'."

Looks like Freda didn't catch my drift.

I explained, "Auntie, here's what I'm thinking. If we're gonna do this, let's go all out. I want the full package: car, house, and both parents already six feet under."

"Finding someone with a car and a house these days is tough, but I do know one guy whose parents are both dead," Freda replied.