Chapter 76 You can marry her if you want
Her response confused me. "Why will marrying Nova make me repeat your mistakes? It makes little sense. No matter how I view it, I can't see any connection between the two of them." Heaving out a sigh, she walked around my desk and got to the chair opposite mine, where she sat down gracefully, crossing her legs. I would have scoffed at how she was acting, but I knew this came naturally to her. She was born to a model mother who taught her how to act from a young age. This was why, when she left the legal world, she got more than enough model gigs with good payments. It was a pity she rejected them all for my dad.
See?
Most times, her story made it difficult for me to blame her for being a negligent mother. I could understand why she acted that way with me, opting to be like a stepmother instead of an actual mom. She gave up more than she wanted, just to marry a man who didn't love her.
"You need to be with the one who loves you, Dashiell, not the one who wants to use you for her personal gains!"
"And you believe Nova is capable of that?" I was amused at that. I never would have thought my mum would be interested in my love life. I believed she wanted nothing to do with me. Aside from making sure I didn't stray from the right path, so as not to bring any disgrace to the family, I didn't think she would want to overshadow most of the things I do.
"Of course she is. Someone as poor as Nova only has one thing in mind, ripping the pockets of any man who so much as smiles at them. Have you forgotten what happened when you slept with her? She brought her entire family and forced you to marry her, claiming she was a virgin!" She scoffed, muttering, "Outrageous!"
"She was."
"What??"
"She was a virgin when I slept with her for the first time. She didn't lie about that." I got up from my chair and stared down at her. "I appreciate your concerns, but you don't have to waste your breath on something like this. Nova isn't who you think she is. We misunderstood her."
Back then, I condemned her for ruining my opportunity with Lilith. I thought she was the one who asked her family to force me into marriage with her, but she wasn't. I discovered the truth late. By the time I learned they forced her into this like I was, it was late. I bet that was the time my heart started changing. Realizing I had blamed her for two years over something she didn't do made me seem like a douche.
"And you do?" She got to her feet, not one to let me act all high and mighty over. "You don't know what you are doing. You need my guidance to help you. Nova isn't the ideal choice for you. She's uncultured, manipulative, a gold digger, a scum, a bitch, a slut, and...." She puffed out. "She's not the right choice for you. Believe me."
"Why did you stop? Ran out of words to link her with?" I ran my hand through my hair, puffing out a breath. "Since you don't want me to marry Nova, I believe you have someone in mind. You wouldn't be so against this if you didn't. Why don't you tell me who you have in mind, and I will be the judge of who among them is the right one."
I needed to get my mum off my case. It was getting close to lunch, and I needed to head over to Nova's office. She had been evading any interaction between us in the office, which was why I had to get to her early before she slipped out, as she had done over the week. Aside from the boardroom meetings, I hadn't even been able to speak to her in the office at all. Each time I went over to her office, she would either slip out, lock herself in her restroom, or not be there at all.
My mum's lips widened in a smile. She sat back in her chair, watching me with a pleading expression on her face. It seemed she liked my question.
"Lilith."
"Huh?"
"She's the one I have in mind for you, son. Lilith is the best choice, not Nova. She's rich. She doesn't need your money, and I can tell she loves you. Not only that, but she's on the same level as us," she listed out reasons I should take Lilith to be my wife. The more she spoke, the more amused I became. Certainly, this was her reason. Lilith must have asked her this.
"Did she put you up to this?" I plopped down on my seat, not letting my eyes stray from hers. "I know she's capable of doing something like this."
"Even if she did, it proves nothing. She's still the right choice for you. You two are the best couple."
"I don't love her. You need to stop trying to link me up with her. We are not getting back together. I have made that clear. However, if you like her as much as you say you do, you can get married to her. It's not illegal, is it?" I got up from my chair and picked up my phone from my desk. "I have some things to take care of. If you don't mind, I will take my leave. Make yourself at home or see yourself out. Do whatever you please." Forcing a smile at her, I walked over to my door. Before leaving, I turned to look at my stunned mother. "You aren't as young as you used to be, mum. You need your rest, else you will get more worry lines and wrinkles." Winking, I exited my office and closed the door gently behind me, hoping she would take the hint.