Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Mia’s cutting remark rendered Mary and Bob speechless.
Meanwhile, Sharon’s pride took a hit. “It’s 100 thousand dollars, right? I can cough it up, but you have to quit bothering my son. He’s about to tie the knot with a girl from a wealthy family¨Ca perfect match.”
Swiftly, she penned a check and tossed it on the floor.
Mary snatched it up eagerly, greed written all over her face. “That’s mighty generous of you. You’re spot on about Mia too¨Can orphan with no background. Ungrateful to her parents, too. It is great news that they’re divorced.”
Sharon smirked. Mockery flickered in her eyes. “Take the money and get out of my sight.”
Fearing theft, Mary quickly stowed the check in her purse.
With haste, she turned and left, not sparing a word for Mia.
Mia took a deep breath. “I’ll repay you someday.”
Supporting her adoptive parents financially was never her plan. Sharon paying for it wasn’t either.
Sharon scoffed, “No need. That sum is a mere salon visit for me. It’s nothing. In fact, it’s worth it to rid myself of a huge headache.
“You don’t have to pay me back. Do I have to remind you how much your pay is? Just keep an eye on your family. Stop disturbing us. We’re worlds apart.”
Mia took her phone out to wire the money to Timothy, then glanced at Sharon. “I wired the money to Timothy.
Don’t worry, I won’t bother you again.”
“Why do you still have my son’s contact? What are you planning to do with it? Since you’re legally divorced.
there’s no need to keep in touch,” Sharon questioned.
In the face of her ex¨Cmother¨Cin¨Claw’s request, Mia deleted Timothy’s contact. “Better now?”
“That’s more like it. Maya’s family, the Lanes, will be at the engagement ceremony this weekend. That’s the background my daughter¨Cin¨Claw should have.
“You know, you should know your place. When searching for a man, don’t think of hooking up with someone out of your league. For example, don’t dream of snagging someone like that famous actor,” Sharon said with condescension.
Mia’s expression hinted at mockery. “Snagging someone out of my league depends on my capability. If I could marry Timothy, why not someone even better?”
The atmosphere tensed unexpectedly.
“Mr. Barrett, you’re back,” Holly greeted aloud.
Mia’s back stiffened momentarily. She glanced over her shoulder at him, his eyes holding a profound depth.
Her hands slightly curled into fists as she straightened her back. Showing timidity at this moment was the last thing on her mind.
Sharon stood up with a smile. “Tim, you’re back. You heard Mia, didn’t you? Marrying someone better? It’s hard to believe she doesn’t know her place. How can she have such ridiculous dreams? This is so amusing to me.”
Timothy walked into the living room with an expressionless face, but the way he loosened his tie gave his annoyance away.
Sharon continued, “Tim, Mia’s adoptive parents showed up and caused a scene. They claimed she made decisions in this household and handled the finances. I had no idea she was feeding them empty boasts. How hilarious!”
He responded passively, “I did mention that.”
Stiffness struck her body. The surprise caught her off¨Cguard, and she couldn’t utter a word.
She refused to believe Timothy said those words himself.
Mia couldn’t help but chuckle at Sharon’s surprised expression.
Truth be told, Timothy had only used that claim to brush off Mia’s adoptive parents, who had showed up looking for cash.
Mia didn’t expect him to turn it into a retort against Sharon, without any hint of respect.
His gaze was shifted to Mia the next second, causing a hitch in her breath.
She thought it was weird of him to look at her since she wasn’t the one who said that.
Timothy questioned her coldly, “Why did you transfer 100 thousand dollars to me?”
Mia was taken aback by his question. “I was repaying your mother. Since I didn’t have her contact, I transferred it to you. Please help me transfer it to your mother.”
He glanced at Sharon. “What happened?”
“Tim, Mia’s adoptive parents came seeking money. I gave them 100 thousand dollars to get rid of them. It’s not that much anyways,” Sharon answered nonchalantly.
His brows furrowed. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
He knew that Mia’s adoptive parents were opportunistic. To put it bluntly, they were “human leeches”. If they succeeded once, they would keep coming back for more.
“Tim, I know you think it’s not worth it. Just consider it a good riddance,” Sharon tried to convince him.
He pursed his lips, not uttering a word. He didn’t say it wasn’t worth the purpose, it was just a mistake to give them money in the first place!
Mia sneered, “If there’s nothing else, I should get going. If they come again, don’t let them in.”
She left without looking back.
It was dark outside. Public transport wasn’t available in the neighborhood, and hailing a cab was impossible.
Soon, a luxury car pulled up beside her. The driver rolled down the window. “I’ll drive you home, Mrs. Barrett.”
“There’s no need for that,” She hesitated before answering.
The driver insisted, “You won’t find a cab here, Mrs. Barrett. Let me take you home. I have to bring Mr. Barrett something anyway.”
Mia walked for a while before realizing that getting a cab was futile. In the end, she reluctantly got into the car.
Between safety and pride, safety prevailed.
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air as she glanced at the driver. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He glimpsed at Mia from the rearview mirror. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.
If he had failed his mission to pick Mia up, he wouldn’t know how to convey the news to his boss.
At a red light, he took out his phone to message Heath. ¡®Mrs. Barrett’s in the car.¡®
Upon receiving the message, Heath rushed upstairs only to stumble upon a heated argument between Timothy and Sharon in his room.
Sharon couldn’t understand Timothy. She protested, “Tim, you’ve divorced Mia. Why can’t you clean up the walk¨Cin closet? It would be embarrassing if Maya moves in and sees this.”
Timothy’s patience was running thin. “Mom, this is just a deal. A fake engagement. I won’t actually marry her.”
“That’s absurd, Tim. What’s wrong with Maya? She’s got the looks and the background. Besides, her obedience and maturity make her the ideal wife for you. She could elevate our family to new heights too. Forget about the fake engagement, Tim. You two should make it real.”
Sharon couldn’t understand him at all. If he could accept someone like Mia, why can’t he accept Maya?.
He rubbed his temple, clearly annoyed by his mum’s sentiments. “Mom, I’m not three, but 30. I have my own life. Don’t just barge into my room whenever. And don’t judge how I live!”
Timothy was infuriated, and this ticked Sharon off. “You’re my son! Why can’t I check on you?”
“Now that you’ve ¡®checked on me¡®, you can leave now.” He escorted her out of the bedroom and slammed the door, standing firm against her demands.
Despite the anger, she felt powerless against Timothy. “The engagement is this weekend. Behave yourself. Maya’s family is no ordinary bunch. Don’t get on their bad side.”
Timothy scowled. “Mom, I have a meeting to attend soon. You should head home first.”
“Right. Don’t overexert yourself during work.” Sharon merely advised, as she never intervened in his work.
No matter how many words hovered at the tip of her tongue, she could only swallow them.
Once she left, he headed downstairs to the living room.
Heath quickly reported, “Mr. Barrett, the driver dropped off Mrs. Barrett at home.”
Timothy hummed in response and reclined on the couch. A hint of concern creased his brows.
He faced Heath. “You can clock off for the day.”
Finally, Heath could call it a day and leave the house.
Timothy stared at the message from Mia, as well as the transaction. He furrowed his brows.
Pursing his lips, he typed, ¡®I’ll wire the money back to you.¡®
As soon as he sent that, he noticed Mia’s profile picture wasn’t visible to him anymore, indicating that she may have deleted his number.
The temperature around him dipped, and Timothy stared at his phone screen for the rest of the day before dialing her number.
Did Mia really delete his number? He couldn’t believe it.
Meanwhile, Mia was still in the car when she received his call.