Simple Happiness

Chapter Twenty-One

Madeline snapped at her. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you make lunch."

"I don't need your help," she said and turned to face her. "How shameless! You're not yet the daughter-in-law of this family, and you are already walking around like you own this place."

"Mom, I..."

"Don't call me mom!" Madeline said. "Liz or whatever your name is, stop parading yourself as my son's wife. I will never accept you. Therefore, instead of playing sweet, you should be thinking of leaving Ethan. You don't deserve him."

Liz's heart sunk. "Mom, why do you think I don't deserve him?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you heard what I said to him earlier. You're not on the same level as he is. There is no way you can help him. You will only pull him down."

"So, in short, he needs a rich girlfriend?"

"For once we agree on something," Madeline said. "So, leave my boy alone. I can even give you money or connect you with an employer if you agree to leave him."

Liz cupped her mouth with her hand. "Mom, you are willing to bribe me with money or a job for me to leave your son?"

"For my son, I can do anything," she said. "So tell me, what's your price?"

"I see, you and I are the same," Liz said. "We are both stubborn. I'm never going to leave Ethan unless he leaves on his own free will. Our love is priceless. It's not for sale."

Hearing that, Madeline fumed with anger. She almost slapped her but controlled herself. She glared at her. "You, get out of my kitchen!"

"Mom, I will go set the table," Liz said and walked.

"No. I will do it myself," she said.

Ethan was not in the living room. Liz gave him a call.

"Where are you?" she asked when the call went through.

"In my bedroom," he said. "How are things going with my mom?"

"She chased me out of her kitchen," she said. "She doesn't like me even a little bit."

"Don't worry. She will like you with time."

"Hey, come down. I don't want to go to your room. Your mother might misunderstand."

"Okay, I'm coming."

Ethan came down a few minutes later and helped her set the table. The atmosphere was tense during lunch. Madeline kept shooting chilling glares at them, which made Liz feel awkward.

"Mom, I'm taking her to the hotel to meet Dad and Ty," he said after lunch.

"Suit yourself!" Madeline said.

"Liz, let's go."

"Ethan wait. Let me wash the dishes first," she said, leaning against the kitchen door frame. "We can't leave Mom with dirty dishes."

Madeline shot her a piercing glance. Liz stood tall and pursed her lips.

"Fine, I will wait," Ethan said.

Liz back to the living room a few minutes later. Ethan was glued to his IPad and his mom was watching TV.

"You are through," he said, putting his IPad aside.

She nodded. "Mm."

"Okay. Mom, we will take our leave," he said standing up. "Don't stay angry with me for too long. I love you, mom."

"I'm not angry with you," Madeline said. "Are you two going back to Nairobi after seeing your father?"

"Yes, mom. But I will come to visit you again next weekend."

"Okay, son. Safe journey."

"Thanks, mom," he said then walked to Liz and put his arm around her neck. "Let's go."

Madeline was pissed off by that gesture of love from her son to Liz, but what could she do?

Liz was a little uncomfortable with his arm around her neck in front of his mom. Adjusting the sling of her bag on her shoulder, she said, "Thank you, mom, for the delicious food." Ethan looked at her gently. She continued. "Bye-bye, mom."

Madeline just looked at her with contempt and Liz forced a smile.

"Okay. Mom, see you next weekend."

"Take care son."

"You too, Mom," Ethan said.

They then walked out of the house and headed towards the car, his arm still around her neck.

As soon as they drove off, Madeline called Philip, Ethan's father.

"Madeline, what is it this time," he asked as soon as he received the call.

"Philip, your son is coming over to the hotel. He wants you to meet his girlfriend."

"Let him come," he said. "It is about time I meet my future daughter-in-law."

"Philip, I need you to do me a favor. Please talk some sense into him. His relationship with that girl can't go any further."

"But why?"

"That girl's family is poor. She doesn't even have a job. She can only bring him down."

"Women and money..." Philip said.

"What did you say?"

"Is the girl educated?"

"Yes, she is a university graduate," Madeline said. "But she is still not suitable for him."

"You forget too fast," Philip said. "When I met you, you had nothing, but I still married you despite my parents' disapproval. Why do you want to make things difficult for Ethan?"

"Yes, you married me anyway. But you still hurt me. You got another woman pregnant and married her as a second wife."

"Madeline, it has been over twenty years now. Can't you accept and move on?"

"Never! You cheated on me when I was pregnant with Ethan. That woman's child is just a few months younger than Ethan. You don't know how much that hurt me. Seeing Ty constantly reminds me of the pain."

"I know, but what do you want me to do? I asked for your permission, and you accepted. You said it is better to marry her as a second wife instead of having her a mistress."

"I only accepted because I was afraid of losing you to her," Madeline said. "But I lost you anyway. You love her so much. That is why you prefer her son over ours."

"Madeline, what are you talking about?"

"You will give the hotel to her son, right?"

"I don't want to talk about that right now," he said. "And I'm warning you to leave Ethan and his girlfriend alone. Don't mess with their relationship or else..."

She cut him short. "Or else what?" she asked.

"Forget it," he said and hung up.

"What? He hung up on me?" Surprised Madeline looked at the screen of her phone.

Philip can't do that to me, she thought. Maybe his phone ran out of airtime. Then she remembered that she was the one who called. Oh, maybe I have used up all my credit. Let's see. She immediately checked her airtime balance and found out that she still had some credit left. "So he hung up on me," she said to herself.

***