Chapter 5 Her Prince Charming
"D-Dad, do you really... like Isabel for me?" Mason's voice trembled with shock and surprise. He couldn't believe his dad was echoing his mom's sentiments.
"Why not? Isabel is a really nice girl, Mason," Mr. John replied, but Mason sensed his dad was starting to sound like his mom too.
"Remember when Mom had that accident two years ago?" Mr. John asked, leaving Mason too speechless to respond.
Mason nodded slightly in reply to his father's question.
"It was Isabel who saved your mom from the middle of the road and took her to the hospital. I met her there for the first time, and I was overwhelmed by her kindness," Mr. John reminisced, recalling the moment he first encountered Isabel.
Before he could continue speaking, Mason's annoyed expression caught his attention.
After hearing his dad's story, Mason finally understood why his parents liked Isabel so much. He couldn't help but think that Isabel had somehow influenced his parents with her exaggerated acts of kindness, and now he found himself trapped in the middle of it all.
"Don't you like Isabel?" Mr. John asked, giving Mason a glimmer of confidence to talk about Addison.
"Dad... I like someone else, and I want to marry her," Mason said straightforwardly.
Mr. John smiled faintly and responded, "The girl you love isn't right for you, Mason. Maybe she's the kind of girl you can like, but not the kind you should marry."
Mason's eyes widened at his dad's words, puzzled about how his dad could possibly know about the girl he liked.
"Do you know who I love, Dad?"
"I'm your dad, my boy. I understand everything. I've noticed how you come to the office more for Addison than for work. But honestly, she's too spoiled and lacks manners. Besides, she always carries herself with the arrogance of her wealthy background, which I detest the most," Mr. John explained calmly and steadily.
Mason wanted to argue with his dad, as he hadn't noticed any negatives in Addison. Her outward perfection always captivated Mason more than anything else, making it hard for him to see any flaws.
"But Dad..." Mason began, only to be interrupted by Mr. John.
"Addison doesn't possess the qualities a girl should have to be a part of our family. We don't want a repeat of the past incident, so it's best if you let go of the thought of Addison forever," Mr. John said, causing Mason to let out a heavy sigh.
Though Mason wanted to say something, he realized it would be futile. Just like with his mom, his dad wasn't going to listen to him either.
Observing the sadness in Mason's eyes, Mr. John spoke up, "Believe me, Isabel is the perfect girl for you. It's rare to find someone like her these days. Don't judge a book by its cover, Mason."
Mason couldn't help but feel nothing but disappointment at his dad's words. He didn't want to hear anything more; it was becoming more and more frustrating for him.
So, he stood up from his chair and began to leave the room.
"Mason, wait..." Mr. John called out from behind, pausing Mason on his way out.
"Yeah, Dad," Mason responded in a cracked voice, not turning around to reveal his disappointed face to his dad.
"The person you're feeling disappointed about... she resigned from our office a few days ago," Mr. John declared, causing Mason to turn around instantly and face his dad.
"What!" Mason exclaimed in shock.
In that moment, Mason couldn't help but suspect that his dad had influenced Addison to resign, knowing that Mason liked her.
"Did you make..." Mason began, only to be cut off.
"No, I didn't. Addison's internship in our company had come to an end. Now she'll be joining her dad's company. I had nothing to do with her resignation," Mr. John answered, addressing Mason's unfinished question.
Mason's disappointment grew even more upon hearing about Addison's resignation. In the past few days, he had been frustrated about his impending marriage to Isabel, causing him not to notice Addison's absence at the office.
It saddened Mason even further that he hadn't been able to stop Addison when she resigned.
"I just wanted you to know that she's already gone, and I don't think she had any feelings for you. So, it's best if you move on from your childish infatuation with Addison and prepare yourself for your marriage," Mr. John said, observing Mason's grief.
Mason nodded in response and left the office room.
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Since Isabel's interaction with Mason, his image lingered in her mind. She found herself falling in love with him, even though she knew it might be mere infatuation. The thought of having a partner who resembled a prince charming from fairy tales overwhelmed Isabel.
Like any other girl, Isabel had always dreamed of her marriage and her future husband. Now, her dream was about to come true as Mason Williams, the man she couldn't stop thinking about, was going to be her husband.
Blushing at the thought of their impending marriage, Isabel placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart race. The excitement of finally being loved and cared for by a man other than her brother and dad was overwhelming.
However, Isabel's excitement was abruptly shattered by the unexpected interruption of her neighbor, Aunt Martha.
"I can't believe your luck, Isabel. A girl like you is marrying a man who looks like a real-life prince. Is this even real?" Martha said, causing Isabel to feel a pang of insecurity about her own imperfections.