Chapter 22

I looked myself in the mirror one last time and then I walked out of the closet. I was wearing a knee length red tight long sleeved dress and black sandals. I had Maynard's mom had bought this dress for me on the day that we went to the mall. I saw Maynard looking at his watch every five seconds, he really was an impatient man. "Thank goodness you are done." He said as soon as he saw me walking out if the walk in closet. "How do I look?" I asked him. "You're well dressed so my grandmother won't talk about you dressing up inappropriately." He said. That was not the answer I was looking for, I wanted him to tell me if u looked good or not. Well whatever it's not like we are in a normal relationship. "Okay, if you say so." I said sighing. "Come on let's go. It's almost time for breakfast." He said and we both walked out if the room.

When we walked in to the living room I saw a woman, who looked like she was in her thirties. She had blonde hair that was tied into a tight bun, she had blue protruding eyes and thick eyebrows,she also had cupid bow lips that had red lipstick on. She did not have a single wrinkle on her face. She was wearing a white tight knee length thin strapped dress. She was wearing black high heels. I thought that she was Maynard's aunt or cousin or something. She spotted us and she gave me a weird look as if she was not pleased to see me. "Maynard dear come greet your grandmother." She said opening her arms waiti g for Maynard to hug her. Wait, did she just say grandmother, was this woman his grandmother. She looked so young. Maynard walked towards her and he hugged her. "Look at my little kitten he has grown up so much, you must be eating well." She said. 'Little kitten?' I thought to myself trying hard not to laugh. "And who is this girl?"She asked pointing at me."OH, that's Emma the person I'm getting married to in a few days." He said. And she looked at me up and down as if sizing me up. "Why are you just standing there, didn't anyone ever teach you how to greet your elders? How rude and immature." she said. What else did this woman expect did she expect me to behave like a 28 year old, I am 16 years old for heaven's sake. "Sorry ma'am." I said. "Come give me a hug." She said and I walked to her and I gave her a hug. This hug was just a hug, it did not feel warm and welcoming like all the other grandmas. She broke away from the hug and I went and sat next to Maynard. "Maynard how old is she?" She asked. "She's 24."He said wait what the fudge, did I just go from 16 to 24 in just a few days."And what does she do for a living?" She asked. "She's an intellectual property lawyer." He said. I had no idea what intellectual property lawyers do and I didn't even know that such lawyers exist, oh my goodness what if she asks me about the job the what am I going to say. "Not bad. But you should have considered marrying Katie , she comes from a very wealthy and well known family. She has a good background and she is a businesswoman too." She said. "Grandma I've made my decision, Emma is the one that I want to marry and I don't like women who are born with a silver spoon. Emma is just right for me." He said. Oh God how I wish that he meant every single word that he said. I wonder who this Katie was who is in Maynard's bad book. "You really are a stubborn one aren't you? If you marry Katie it will not just benefit you it will benefit our family business." She said. Am I invisible, look I know that we are nkt getting married because we love each other but do you really have to say such things to my soon to be husband in front of me. What an evil woman."Grandma I respect you but please you can't choose whom I want to spend the rest of my life with." He said. As if we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. "Maynard what do you see in this woman? Katie is good for you trust me." She said. "Ma'am I don't know why you keep telling Maynard about this Katie but I'm not invisible and I'm human and I have feelings too. You can't keep on telling him that I'm not good for him in front of me. If you don't like me then you can tell me directly." I said."Who gave you permission to talk? Maynard look at her she us talking to me with so much disrespect, Katie is not like that she respects me unlike this girl." She said. Uhm lady you started this. "mother breakfast is ready." Maynard's mom said emerging from the dining hall. What a savior. I was starting to lose my cool with this old hag.

We were now seating in the dining hall eating breakfast quietly, the silence was really awkward and uncomfortable. But it was better this way because I was clearly in no mood to argue with this woman, she had only been here fir less than thirty minutes and we were already not seeing eye to eye. This was not how I expected it to be. "Son I talked to Katie today and she said that she was returning to South Africa tomorrow,so I asked her to come and and pay us a visit as soon as she lands she would spend a night or two here." she said. Katie Katie, I was starting to get annoyed with this woman before I even get to meet her. "There is no need for that mother, besides we are going to have a private wedding we will keep it from the public and they will only be aware of it when we feel like it's the right time outsiders are not invited." He said. 'Thank you Mr Courtney you are my hero' I thought to myself."But Katie is not an outsider, she is like family to us." She said. "Mother I ended my friendship with her father eight years ago and I am hundred percent sure that you know the reason why I ended it." He said. "Your friendship ending dies not mean that Katie should be treated like an outsider, I love and adore that child so Katie is invited to the wedding." She said. "If Katie comes then you are not coming but if you come then Katie won't come, so you have to choose if you want to come or you want Katie to come." He said. "How can you say that to your mother. I am your mother how can you say this to me." She said putting her hand over her chest in a dramatic way. Serves you right Missy. "Mother I love and respect you. If you want me to continue to show you respect like I used to then you have to cut ties with Lacey hand her family, I hope that I have made myself clear." He said. "Lizzy listen to your husband, how can he talk to me like that." She said. "I'm sorry mother but I can not stick my nose into your business, but mother I'm sure you remember well what Katie's family tried to do to our family, so I don't think that you should be making friends with them mother." Maynard's mom said. "You are siding with him? What happened to this family, I used to be respected in this family but now you are all turning against me because I want to do what's best for this family." She said. "Mother we all want what's best for this family but just because you are older than us does nkt mean that we should always do what you say we should do we are all grown ups now." Maynard's mom said. I really don't know what I was doing here because I felt like a total stranger. "Maynard can I nkt be a part of this?" "I whispered in Maynard's ear. "It would be rude to leave now." He said. "But I want to pee so badly." I said hoping that he would let me leave. "Okay fine you can go, you have exactly ten minutes."He said. How annoying. I stood up from the table."Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom."i said." Okay dear" Maynard's mom said and then I walked out of the living room and I went into the restroom that was near the living room. I quickly got in closing the door behind me. I was literally stuck in some kind if family drama right now and I did not like it one bit.