Meet the parents

Elizabeth POV.

The car pulled up directly in front of the hospital's staff quarters.

I wrapped the shawl tighter around me and said a polite goodbye to Orlando, "I'll go back first."

But as I was just pushing open the door to get out of the car, Orlando suddenly pulled my wrist.

"When do you have time these days? I'd like to take you to a dinner party at the old Grant House." He looked at me seriously.

"The old Grant House?" I exclaimed subconsciously, my brain instantly stopping.

"Well, my family would like to meet you."

Orlando seemed much calmer than my horror.

"Wouldn't this ... be a little too soon?"

I looked at him in shock as my brain began to run slowly.

We've only known each other for half a month, and now we're going to start visiting Orlando's family?

It makes me a little uneasy.

"As we agreed before, the wedding is in two months, and there's still a month and a half left." Orlando reminded.

He stared at me for a moment and continued, "Or do you want to just have the wedding and not meet my family until the day of the wedding?"

No. How is it possible that you only met your husband's family on your wedding day?

What a joke that would be if that were the case!

I thought quickly for a moment and said reluctantly, "Then ... we'll agree on Friday night, it's the only day of the week I don't need to be on duty."

Earlier, Orlando had mentioned a wedding in two months, and I thought it would be a simple wedding or just going through the wedding process.

After all, we were only married to make a deal, and I was only his nominal wife, responsible for pretending to be in love in front of everyone.

Maybe I still need to fulfill my spousal obligations and address his physical needs, all of which are within the scope of our deal.

So, I never had the luxury of Orlando throwing a big wedding for me.

Now he's not only taking me to meet his family, but he's even planning a really big wedding in a month and a half.

However, I considered carefully that it was not likely that a man of Orlando's dignity would marry quietly and that a wedding would be a normal thing.

"Okay, you pack your bags and I'll pick you up on Friday. After the dinner, you'll come straight home with me."

After that, he let go of my hand, closed the car door straight away, and ordered the driver to drive home.

"Friday? Didn't we say we weren't moving until Saturday?" I said helplessly, looking at the car's taillights.

This was the moment when I truly experienced the legendary Orlando Grant's dominance.

The move was originally scheduled for Saturday, but now it's surprisingly moved up to Friday night.

However, now that Orlando was gone, there was no way I could continue to argue with him.

"What a treacherous businessman!" I yelled in the direction Orlando had left.

I stood in place for a while, thinking about it, and instead of going back to the staff quarters, I bought some fruit from the convenience store in front of the hospital and walked straight to the hospital's inpatient unit.

Crossing the long corridor of the hospital, I came to the door of the award at the end of the corridor.

Through the small window in the door of the hospital room, I saw my mother, Samantha, leaning over the hospital bed and reading a book.

She was still a little pale but in much better spirits.

Half a month ago, I got Samantha through the surgery with the money Orlando gave me and she's pretty much back on her feet now.

Looking at Samantha in the hospital bed, I gave a contented smile.

As long as I have her around, I can feel completely safe.

I took a deep breath and smiled as I pushed the door into the hospital room, "Mother, it's late, why aren't you resting?"

" Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" Samantha looked at me in surprise.

I sat in the reclining chair next to the hospital bed, casually placing the fruit in my hand on the bedside table and holding her hand tenderly.

"I missed you and wanted to come to see you." I pressed my face to the back of her hand.

Samantha put down the book she was holding and reached out to caress my cheek, saying heartily, " Elizabeth, has work been hard lately? You look a lot haggard."

I smiled and shook my head, "Not hard."

Samantha sighed heavily, "It's all my fault for being useless. You were originally a noble lady, but I didn't expect to suffer a lot after leaving the Bates family with me, and you even had to figure out how to pay for my surgery ..."

"Mother, you are the only family I have, and these are the things I should ... do," I said, choking back a sob.

In fact, after leaving the Bates family, Samantha worked many jobs every day just so I could get through school.

Little did I know that by the time I graduated, Samantha's health would also be exhausted and she would become seriously ill.

If it weren't for me, Samantha, who is a noble lady, wouldn't have to work so hard.

I remember that when she first heard that she needed $800,000 for the surgery, she wanted to give up on the treatment straight away.

" Elizabeth, I don't want surgery, I don't want therapy. I don't want to be a burden to you anymore..."

Samantha's desperate words still echoed in my ears.

She even encouraged me to pursue my own life and not raise money for her treatment.

How could I have left her? She's my mother, the only family I have!

I hugged her in fear and cried, "Mother, you can't leave me! You are the only family I have left, if you refuse to treat me and die seriously ill, there will be no one to care for me and love me anymore, and I will definitely be bullied ..."

It was after hearing this from me in the first place that Samantha was dissuaded from giving up on the treatment.