Chapter 13 Blame Her Family Too
"Not again. I'm too devastated by all these wedding dramas, and I can't take it anymore. Why is Mom doing this to me?" Mason vented his frustration to Anna, who found it useless to respond at this moment. Initially, Anna had disapproved of her brother being forced into marriage. However, now that the marriage had taken place, she knew Mason couldn't shirk his responsibilities toward his wife.
"You should have thought about this before getting married. Tell me, how many days will you mourn about this? Your marriage has already happened, and there's no going back, brother," Anna said, though she recognized the harshness of her words in the current moment.
Undoubtedly, Anna's words struck a chord with Mason, as he deep down knew she was right. However, he wasn't ready to accept it. The thought of spending even a second with Isabel seemed impossible, let alone an entire day.
"Where is Mom right now?" Mason asked Anna.
"In the kitchen, I guess."
"Perfect... I will drop you off at the college. Come with me," Mason declared, taking Anna with him.
Anna tried to dissuade him, aware that their parents wouldn't appreciate another clash, but Mason paid no heed. He used the excuse of helping Anna get to college as his ticket to escape the house at that moment.
As Isabel emerged from the washroom, she found no sign of Mason in the room. Assuming he had already left for breakfast, she descended the stairs, only to find him absent there as well.
Nina inquired about Mason from Isabel, who failed to provide his whereabouts. One of their maids informed Nina that she had seen Mason leaving the house with Anna. Nina, once again, was angered by Mason's actions, unexpected after the events of the previous night.
She realized that scolding him last night for being irresponsible about his wife might have deterred him from leaving the house today. Nina controlled her anger, not wanting Isabel to suspect anything about Mason's absence. She told Isabel that Mason had an important meeting in the morning, preventing him from joining her for breakfast.
Isabel pretended to believe Nina's explanation, but she already knew it was a lie. After everything Mason had said to her that morning, it wasn't difficult for her to grasp that he wanted to avoid her by any means necessary. Despite feeling hurt by Mason's actions, she forced herself to act fine.
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In the evening, Mason stood at the entrance of their house, contemplating whether to enter. He knew facing his mom wouldn't be pleasant today. With a shaky hand, he pressed the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing a smiling Isabel that instantly soured Mason's mood.
Trouble seemed to follow Mason wherever Isabel was concerned, and her cheerful expression only fueled his anger.
"Please, come in," Isabel invited, but this time Mason couldn't bite his tongue. He felt as if she was commanding him to enter his own house.
"How dare you stand in front of me and order me? Do you think I need your permission to enter my own house?" Mason asked through gritted teeth. Despite his rudeness, he kept his voice low, not wanting his parents to overhear.
Isabel's smile vanished at once, realizing Mason misunderstood her. Without a word, she stepped aside to let him enter.
As Mason attempted to head straight to his room, he was intercepted by his dad calling him from the living room. When he entered, to his surprise, he found Isabel's brother, Liam, also present.
Mason felt a wave of terror at Liam's presence, fearing that Isabel might have divulged everything he said to her in the morning. The thought of facing the consequences made Mason uneasy.
"What's the matter?" Mason stuttered, eyeing Liam with trepidation. He half-expected Liam to pummel him for hurting his sister.
However, much to Mason's relief, Liam stood up and pulled him into a hug. "How are you doing, brother?" Liam asked after the unexpected embrace. Mason felt a sense of relief, assuming Isabel hadn't shared the morning's conversation with anyone.
"I... I'm good. What about you, Mr. Forbes? Is there any reason for the sudden visit?" Mason asked, catching his verbal slip but swiftly realizing it might not be the right moment to ask such questions.
Mason noticed his dad glaring at him furiously, prompting him to swiftly attempt to rephrase his question,
"I mean... I'm quite surprised by your sudden presence. You must have come here to meet Isabel."
"It's okay, brother. I came here to meet you too," Liam replied in a friendly manner.
Despite Liam's amicable demeanor, Mason wasn't pleased by his presence. His disdain for Isabel extended to her entire family, whom he somewhat blamed for the forced marriage. Having Isabel's brother in front of him felt suffocating.
Mason's dad suggested that both Mason and Liam take a seat on the sofa and continue their conversation. Mason had no desire to comply, but he lacked the courage to ignore his dad's directive.
Throughout the meeting, Mason remained silent, silently wishing for Liam to leave. Enduring Isabel was challenging enough, and now her brother's presence added to the discomfort.
Mason's dad couldn't hide his disappointment with Mason's behavior toward Liam, but he refrained from saying anything to avoid creating a scene. Although Liam found Mason's silence a bit peculiar, he attributed it to potential exhaustion.
Getting to the purpose of his visit, Liam cordially extended an invitation, "Mason, we all miss Isabel so much in our home. I wanted to invite you for dinner tomorrow at our place. We would be very glad if you and Isabel could join us."
"Impossible!" Mason exclaimed in shock without a second thought. He stood up abruptly, surprising Liam, who didn't anticipate such a strong reaction.
"Mason, behave yourself," Mason's dad spoke sternly, feeling humiliated by Mason's response to Liam's invitation. As the words registered, Mason looked at Liam, who was staring at him with surprise.