Chapter 60: Chapter Sixty

It’s the season of giving and for others, taking. Who would’ve known that she is one of those people who gets pleasure in taking rather than giving—in stealing, to be specific. And to be lied to, it hurts. Betrayals always come from the least people you expect to do so.

“What do you think?”

Blinking twice, I gawked at the surprise Chad arranged as he handed me one of the presents he gave me. “Chad, thank you but… isn’t this a l-little too much?”

I wasn’t expecting a lot of gifts and I meant a lot from Chad. I couldn’t imagine twenty-six presents all wrapped in rose gold wrapper under the tree, all had tags with my name written on it. That didn’t count for the box of New York cheesecake he brought and a small box he handed to me which seemed to contain jewelry.

He shook his head at my words, grinning proudly. “Nope. None of these actually levels the amount of love I have for you.”

Heart warming up at those uttered words; I fought the huge smile forming on my lips and frowned at him instead. “Stupid, I didn’t ask you for any of these. And a challenge? I never even issued one!” What if he didn’t think it was one? Would he even be here right now? Would he give me these gifts? “Chad, please don’t spend your money on such things next time. I don’t… want to be the cause of your bankruptcy.”

This brought a grin to his face along with laughter. “Bankruptcy? That hurts to be honest but I think we’ll handle it.”

Wait, what?

Panic started to rise within me. “You mean… all these gifts cost you a lot of money? What do they contain? Maybe it’s not too late and bring them back to the store! I told you not to spend a lot of money, I can manage myself. Chad, next time please don— ”

A kiss on the lips silenced me, my face flushing madly. I hoped nobody else saw that because it’ll be embarrassing. He smirked at my reaction, already expecting this to happen. “Relax! I was just messing with you, baby. Buying gifts for you will never lead to such a problem. In fact… they were quite cheap.”

“Right… ‘cheap’ gifts, huh?”

Liar.

“Merry Christmas, darling!” The sudden attention from Rebecca Montgomery surprised me. Her hand around my shoulder. “I still can’t believe that you’re dating my son! You’re part of the family now— unless Chad decides to make it legal of course.”

Marriage is something we shouldn’t play with, take it with all seriousness and when Rebecca hinted her son marrying me was enough to fluster my being. I’ve known his plans, just reading that journal was enough where he wants this relationship of ours to head through. But do I want to? It’s quite early… and I’m currently living in a nightmare. I’ll probably bring misfortune to us both if I continue this way. Unless…

Glancing up at the blond man, I stared at him as he sheepishly regarded his mother’s comment. Chad would make a fine CEO unlike me. If he marries me, he’d inherit the company as well. Maybe he’d take over and I can pursue my dream— No, why am I even thinking about it this way? Shaking my head in disapproval at my own thoughts, I bit my lip. I shouldn’t treat marriage as some escape and Dad… he’ll be disappointed.

Very disappointed.

“Rachel? What’s the matter?”

“Uh, oh it’s nothing.” I waved off his worries and shot him a reassuring smile. “Was just thinking about the cheesecake left on the table. It seemed quite lonely.”

Rebecca gave me a confused look. “Lonely? Who’s quite lonely?”

It was quite entertaining how Chad had to explain to his mother about my love for cheesecake almost to the point of obsession, but I’m making sure that I won’t get obsessed by the delicious dessert. The last thing I want in life is to become a living pillow due to fat. That is just crazy. And just a fantasy.

“Cheesecake? You mean to tell me she keeps daydreaming about a cake?” Rebecca burst out in laughter, shoulders shaking. “I can’t… believe this! This just proves you’re really different from the rest of the young ladies I’ve met.”

Head tilted to the side, I began wondering what was wrong with thinking about your favorite food. Is this a bad thing? Kids do it all the time and I’m sure that everybody does the same. Secretly narrowing my eyes at the laughing woman who was now holding her stomach, I slowly turned away. Why is she acting this way? Does she hate me or something? I didn’t really like her from the start but it takes time to know someone.

“Rachel? Where are you going?”

My cheeks suddenly flushed red, not knowing how to voice out my next words. I cleared my throat and gestured at the table. “I’m just going to eat a… salad.” Oh god, I don’t really want to eat salad right now. Damn that woman for making me insecure. Plate in hand, I dejectedly placed salad on it as I eyed the delicious cheesecake. I shouldn’t have brought it if I knew it was going to go this way— Wait a minute, since when did I start caring about this?

“Miss Maxwell, is there something wro— ”

Giving the plate of salad to him, I marched straight towards the cheesecake. “Henry, please give it to my mother. I know she loves salad rather than risking her body figure to change.”

“All right, Miss Maxwell.” Henry bowed, “Madam. Your daughter wants you to eat this salad…”

Successfully, Mom didn’t think it was odd and ate the salad Henry gave her. I was in the middle of slicing the cake when Chad went up to my side, watching. Annoyed, I glanced up at him in question. “What? What is it, Chad? Is it odd for me to eat this?”

“I never said that.”

“Sorry,” I whispered. Grabbing a fork, I started to devour the cake. “It got weird… when your mother said that I’m different from the rest of the women she met. Am I the only one who likes to eat cheesecake? No, that’s not what’s bothering me at all. What makes me different from them? Did she mean it in a negative or positive way?”

I gasped aloud, feeling his arms around me. “Why are you stressing this out?” he mumbled into my ear. “I’m sure she was just… surprised to hear you love cheesecake so much. Women your age would prefer something else.” Chad turned me around to face him and I blinked at his beaming smile. “That’s why I love you. You’re different from the rest of the women I’ve met. I told you that before, right? I would never prefer another woman, just you.”

“Chad…”

“So please don’t get insecure about what my mother just said. And please forgive her; she tends to run off with that mouth of hers. It’s quite annoying at times too but I’m sure she meant no harm.”

Returning the smile, I set the plate down to hug him. “Thanks, Chad. It helped a lot just hearing that from you.”

“Hey, lovebirds!”

Both of us went still at the sudden giggles that filled our ears. Turning to the crowd we didn’t know were watching, I hid my blushing face behind Chad as they laughed. Harvey, however, was groaning and mumbling about how we should get a room. Mom and Rebecca giggled while Mr. Montgomery remained silent.

“Seriously, Rachel… you two are both whipped for each other.”

“What are you talking about, Mom?” I shook my head. “Please leave us alone… you’re embarrassing me.” I whispered the last part, Chad the only one to hear it.

Mom pretended to cry, saying stuff about me growing up and Harvey frowning at her actions.

Stifling a giggle of my own, I joined Chad to the balcony. Finally alone together and away from anyone watching. Save for the security cameras and the scattered guards around. But it didn’t matter because it wasn’t their business.

“I’m sorry if we can’t go skating today.” I mumbled, snuggling next to him for heat. Snow continued to fall in front of us. If Chad and his family were to go home, they should go before the snow goes deeper. “Our plans to spend Christmas alone can’t be achieved. But I wouldn’t want to spend the holidays without my family either.”

“It’s all right, baby. I understand that part.” Chad replied. “We also can’t go skating anyways because I’m sure the rinks are full of other people. Wouldn’t want to spoil their Christmas skating by renting the whole rink.”

I stared at him incredulously. “Were you seriously thinking about doing that?”

He smiled. “Of course. You did tell me you couldn’t skate.”

“You sound like it’s a bad thing… not knowing how to skate.”

He shrugged. “No. It just surprised me. You have a lot of money to hire an instructor if you really wanted to learn, but you didn’t.”

“Yeah… we have a lot of money.” I mumbled, “But little time. We’re quite busy.”

Pulling my closer, Chad wrapped his arms around me tighter as if to apologize. “That didn’t cross my mind… I guess having important parents who have to run an empire every day; it must’ve been quite lonely.”

I shook my head. “Not that it’s quite lonely; they still have time for us. But such trivial things don’t work for us sometimes. We just enjoy each other’s presence, go on trips and all. Harvey isn’t even into sports, just video games. I like to read books and write. We’re not really that active.”

His chest rumbled, chuckles escaping his lips. I felt the hairs in my neck stand as Chad whispered into my ear sensually. “I don’t recall you being so lazy in bed. You proved to me that you’re active in one thing countless times and that doesn’t have anything to do with sports.”

“Do you want to be elbowed?”

That seemed to work, for he backed away slightly— a bit scared that I might elbow him in the gut. “A lot has happened in just a span of two months.”

“We met that October night, during dinner.”

“You were quite beautiful. During that party, the first time I saw you.”

Facing him, I furrowed my eyebrows. “You were there? All I recalled was seeing your parents.”

He winked. “I was there and I bumped into you. Your brother was the one who had chocolate on his face after ‘making out’ with the chocolate fountain.”

“What?” I laughed. “He wasn’t making out with the chocolate fountain, idiot. Harvey wouldn’t do such a thing.” But I’m fearing that he might, one day. “So you were the obnoxious man who bumped into me that night, huh. I wasn't sure about it at first but now that you told me…”

Chad patted my head. “What do you think? Was it fate?”

“Fate? Or did you literally bump me just so I’d notice you?”

“Wha— of course I didn’t! Why would I bump into you on purpose?”

I playfully gave him an accusing stare. “Really now? Says the famous player here in Cleveland. Bewitching women with his looks, melting them like butter before leaving them. Really smooth.”

He let out an indignant groan, frowning hard as I stuck out a tongue at him. “Why are we even talking about this? Don’t tell me you’re going to ask how many women I bedded— to be honest, it was just this one girl and you.”

“Oh.” I drawled, “I see. All right…”

Chad must’ve thought that was the end of it but it was hard to resist teasing him. “Are you sure you don’t have any STD?”

“What the fuck?! Of course I don’t have any. Do you think I don’t know about that? You can go with me to the doctors to see for yourself— ”

“What are you two doing out here in the cold?”

The distance between us was now prominent when Harvey walked towards us, giving Chad a glare. “You do know that it’s snowing, right? Do you guys want to start sneezing that badly?” he then pretended to gag, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. All your lovey-dovey acts are making me sick!”

“Harvey!”

Chad shook his head in amusement; patting the boy’s head without the fear that Harvey might bite it off. “All right, all right. We’ll go back inside.” His blue eyes then widened. “Oh shi— I forgot something. You guys go inside; I’ll go fetch something in the car.”

I watched Chad leave first, dashing out and disappearing from view. Harvey seemed smug that he ‘drove’ the man away from me, but he knew he couldn’t do that forever judging how he has been acting around Chad and I. Gazing up at me, the boy pouted. “You know, I don’t really like your suitors ever since, especially Nathan the jerk.”

If Mom could hear him right now, she would probably yell at him for his language.

“In fact, I thought Chad would be the same.” Harvey mumbled, hugging himself due to the cold. “But my views on him drastically changed over time. I… approve of your relationship with him.”

It shocked me to hear that from Harvey himself. Not that he had any power over me to decide if I get married or not, but Harvey never approved of any man who came for me. Never. Said that they were just hungry pigs who wanted money. To hear those words from him was making me smile like an idiot that it was scaring the boy.

“Well, not that I want him to marry you or anything— he had to do a lot of things before I accept him as a part of our family.” he crossed his arms on his chest, frowning slightly. “I don’t want to see mini-Chads or mini-Rachels running around yet.”

“Harv… you’re just like Dad.”

At my observation, both of us grew silent. Remembering the man who raised us and cared for us. But after that moment of silence, we burst out laughing.

“Hey! I am not old!”

“I didn’t mean physically, Harvey.” I chuckled, patting his head. “But yes, you act like Dad sometimes. It’s… a bit cool.” He did take after Dad, looking like him in his young age.

Walking back to the party, Harvey ran off to eat another bowl of ice cream while I looked for Chad. Huh, he’s not here yet? What was he going to get in the car anyways? Dashing to the direction of the door, I paused in my steps at the hushed voices that captured my attention At a corner where no one would see them, Chad and his mother were exchanging heated words. The angry look in Rebecca Montgomery’s eyes was just the same during the trial of the men who kidnapped Harvey. However, this time it was directed at her son. Stepping closer, I hid behind the huge vase and eavesdropped on their conversation.

Why is she angry? What did Chad do?

“I didn’t raise you to be like this!”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t control me any longer!” Chad countered, glaring at his own mother. “I had enough of this. Let me go and live my life! Don’t keep me under your wing forever!”

“Chad Montgomery, I won’t tolerate your behavior any longer!” She then slapped him, the sound echoing the empty halls. I stood there, shocked. Why is she doing this to him? What did he do wrong? Is it… because of me?

Chad didn’t appear to be fazed by her slap. Instead, he appeared even braver as he loomed above his mother. “Then stop controlling me. I’ll keep doing this if you won’t let me go.”

An evil smirk spread across the woman’s lips. I found myself comparing her to those evil witches in the fairytales Mom used to tell me at night. Witches that would do anything to ruin and bring down the protagonist. It scared me that Rebecca was capable of doing such a smirk.

“Really? Then I have no choice…” she mumbled. “I’ll reveal it to everyone. Tell everyone that I, Rebecca Montgomery, killed Damon Maxwell in his sleep. That I am responsible for Howard’s assassination and the harassment of the Maxwell family. That it was I who arranged Harvey Maxwell’s kidnapping! And you, my son, helped me with it.”

What? What is she talking about? My body froze in place, not believing what I just heard. No, that can’t be true. Chad’s mother… didn’t kill my father. All of those… why… why would she?

“No! You won’t tell anyone!” Chad gritted his teeth furiously. “You won’t tell such a thing! You won’t go to jail!”

“Of course I will!” she hissed. “If you love her so much, I’m sure you’d be all right to lose your own mother. After all, you did want me to let you go. Why won’t you let me rot in jail if you hate me so much, huh?”

Tears began to fall, rolling down her cheeks as she began to sob. “You’d rather choose your girlfriend over me. I don’t want to lose my only son to a girl! I’d rather kill anyone than lose you! You’re the only one I have left! If you’re not going to follow my orders, you’re going down with me.”

No… it couldn’t be. She wasn’t even there when he died! No one was. How could she have killed Dad— is Chad part of it too?

“I won’t let that happen!” Chad punched the wall, looking very frustrated. “I won’t!”