Chapter 87 I Approve Of Your Romance

Chapter 87 I Approve Of Your Romance
Purple’s POV:

Mom and Paul weren’t on good terms, and the only reason I could tell was because of the weak smiles they shared whenever I was around, trying to pretend everything was okay. I wondered why they even bothered; I wasn’t a kid anymore, and I was never an advocate for this relationship anyway.
I glanced over at the driver's seat. Mom was driving today. We had decided to go out just us—mostly against my will. Today was Harry’s race, and we had talked that morning; all I wanted was for him to be careful. Etsy had also promised to send me a link so I could catch a glimpse of the racing action, but she hadn't sent anything yet.
“Where are we off to?” I asked with a heavy sigh as she pulled into a parking spot in front of a shopping mall.
“Shopping, pedicure, hair day, and all that,” Mom winked at me before stepping out of the car. I reluctantly followed her inside the mall.
“My closet is already full. I don’t need more clothes.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at me. “Good clothes will get you a more responsible boyfriend, not some Yvan.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yvan and I broke up. Stop mentioning his name,” I frowned, walking alongside her toward the escalator.
“Well… what about Ryan?” She bumped her shoulder against mine teasingly, and I decided to play dumb.
“What Ryan?”
“He’s a good kid, and he’ll definitely be responsible if worst comes to worst.” Jeez, I hated having these kinds of conversations with my mom, but she never missed an opportunity to bring it up.
“I didn’t realize we were still living in the era of arranged marriages,” I muttered, climbing the stairs. “And besides, I already have a boyfriend.”

“Ahh, let me guess. Another racer who thinks he’s going to make it big from a small town like Roonie, and Netflix will do a short documentary on his life titled The Boy from Roonie?” Her tone dripped with sarcasm, and I couldn’t help bursting out into laughter, even though I knew she was entirely serious.
“Mom!” I gripped my stomach, holding onto the balcony railing because I couldn't stop laughing. To be fair, maybe that was exactly what Harry planned on becoming.
She heaved a heavy sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. “Does this one at least attend university?”
“Yes, he does.” I walked over and linked my arm through hers as we continued toward the hair salon at the far end of the floor. “It’s not always about money and success, you know? I love him.”
“Oh God, I remember saying those exact words to my mother.”
I laughed again, my eyes turning teary from the amusement. She stopped walking, forcing me to turn and face her. “What’s his name?”
“Mom, can we just—”
“It’s definitely not the guy who called me hot,” she clicked her tongue, referring to JK, and I rolled my eyes so hard it physically hurt. Me and JK? As if.
“A classmate?” She tilted her head, paying close attention to me. “A friend’s brother?”
“Seriously?” I pouted, knowing she wasn't going to let this go. It was either I told her the truth, or she would dig until she found out on her own.
Swallowing my embarrassment, I mumbled, “Harry.”
She raised a brow, acting as though she hadn't heard me correctly, which only made me flush even deeper. How was I supposed to explain that I was dating the guy I had spent most of my life complaining about and cursing? “Harry Bords?”
I bit my bottom lip and gave a small nod. A teasing, knowing smile crept onto her lips. “And you think you are any different from me? Oh, sweetie… we always go for the toxic, bad ones, don’t we?”
Realizing she was subtly referring to my father, I looked at her with a sudden frown. Just when I thought we were having a peaceful, fun moment, she had to drag him into it and call him names. “You don’t even know him, so why do you call him toxic?”
“He could have studied at the best universities if he wanted to. He could have trained at the top racing facilities if he really wanted to, because he’s a Bords. But he chose to hide himself away in a small town like Roonie. Doesn’t that tell you a lot about him?” She looked at me expectantly, as if I were supposed to magically figure out the hidden meaning.
Well, I could have gone to any university here in St. Naman, but I chose Roonie, so that wasn't really a big deal to me.
“The kid doesn’t know how to take care of himself or claim what he deserves. He might deserve you, but just like he gave up all that luxury for some low-life existence, he’ll give you up, too.”
My brows creased, and my teeth gritted as I watched my mom say things that made absolutely no sense. She always had to ruin anything that made me genuinely happy. “The kid is not ambitious. And not being ambitious is addictive—soon, you’ll be calling me to let me know you plan to spend the rest of your life stuck in a tiny town like Roonie.”
“I will never do that,” I retorted, because she was completely wrong. Even I knew Roonie had nothing lasting to offer, and I was ready to leave the moment I finished my degree.
“Then swear on your father. Swear on him that if it means leaving Roonie behind for your health or your career, you will not hold back for anyone.”
She was being dead serious. I knew she was mostly worried about me turning down the surgery or the rehabilitation program simply because I didn't want to leave Roonie. And maybe she had a point—if I left, they might all move on without me, but those friends were the best set of people I had ever met. They were my family.
“You can’t do that, can you?”
Mother shook her head in disappointment and started walking past me.
“I swear! I swear I will not let Roonie stand between me and my future!” The words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush. I spun around to face her, and a wide, triumphant smile spread across her face.
“Good. Then I approve of your little romance.”
“I didn’t need your approval,” I blurted out in sheer disbelief. She just let out a tight, knowing laugh, as if thinking I didn't need her validation was the most absurd thing in the world.