Love on the Dotted Line

Chapter 29: Lie Detector

"Grace, we don't even get a chance to talk properly," a voice calls out just as Grace is about to head to her room.

She turns, startled, to see who it is. Standing there, like a strict parent who has just caught their kid red-handed, is Rita.

"Oh, hello, Rita," Grace says with an awkward smile. She realizes she doesn't know Lakis's last name, so she can't even call Rita Mrs. Something-Or-Other to sound polite.

"Come to my room," Rita says, her tone sharp enough to cut through steel.

Grace gulps. She feels as uneasy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Rita definitely doesn't look like someone who'd win "Most Friendly" in a popularity contest. But what choice does she have? She nods and follows Rita like a sheep being herded into the unknown.
Rita's room is massive—just as big as Dion's. Grace can't help but feel a pang of envy.

"Take a seat," Rita says, gesturing to a chair like she's the queen and this is her throne room.
Grace sits down, clutching her hands tightly in her lap.

"So," Rita starts, leaning back with her arms crossed. "How did you two meet?"

"At the library," Grace says, her voice dripping with suspicion. She wonders why Rita keeps circling back to the same questions. Little does she know, this whole marriage is just smoke and mirrors.

"It's hard to swallow that. Are you two pulling my leg?" Rita asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, I'm not," Grace says, feeling like she's caught between a rock and a hard place. Lying doesn't sit well with her.

"You're not Dion's type. You're not even loaded. Are you blackmailing him or something?" Rita presses, her tone sharp enough to cut through butter.

"No, I'm not. We're head over heels in love," Grace says, keeping it short and sweet, like she's got a secret to protect.

"Do you have any idea how tough it is to buy what you're selling right now?" Rita asks, her eyes narrowing.

"I get it. It's because of Dion's past screw-ups," Grace says, trying to keep it real.

Rita still isn't buying it. She's not getting any juicy details—yet.

"Are you after his dough?" Rita asks, her voice sharp and probing.

"Actually, we signed a prenup. If I'm after his money, why would I sign a prenup?" Grace says, her words sharp like a tack. That answer seems to hit Rita like a ton of bricks. There's nothing left to use against Grace now.

"So, what exactly are you up to?" Rita changes the subject, clearly trying to move the conversation forward.

"I'm still in uni. I'll start hitting the books again from tomorrow," Grace says, giving a smile that's as casual as if she's talking about the weather.

"You better keep your nose clean while you're out there. Our family is a respectable family," Rita says, her tone dripping with judgment like honey on toast.

'Behave like Dion?' Grace thinks, biting back a chuckle. She wonders if Rita is just as worried about the behavior of the men in the family too.

"I will," Grace says, throwing in some humility for good measure. She doesn't want to make waves here. She's already made one big mistake marrying Dion; no point in making things harder on herself.

"Why didn't any of your family show up to your wedding?" Rita asks, her tone sharp.
At this point, Grace can barely remember what kind of lies they made up to explain why her parents—or anyone else—didn't attend the wedding. This is what happens when you weave a web of lies. It's hard to keep track of the story.

"It... it's because they're living in another state, and my mom was sick, and all this happened so quickly," Grace says, hoping she didn't just dig herself into a hole.

"So, are we going to meet them one day?" Rita asks, her voice smooth but with a hint of curiosity.

"If... if you want," Grace says, trying to sound cool, though inside, she's all over the place. She doesn't have a clue how to handle this.

"Okay. Let's invite them here sometime," Rita says, as though it's no big deal.

"Oh, I like that," Grace says, forcing a smile, though it's about as convincing as a cat pretending to be a dog. That doesn't escape Rita, who's clearly disappointed.

After Grace leaves the room, Rita sinks into her thoughts, her mind spinning like a hamster in a wheel. Rita still doesn't believe that Dion is actually in love with Grace. She's determined to prove it, no matter what. But deep down, she knows it's a risky move. Still, she needs to know the truth for her own peace of mind—whether this is real or just a big, fat lie.